A wave left me paralyzed, but AI could restore my walk

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A Life Changed Forever

When Dan Richards took part in a New Year's Eve swim in 2023, he had no idea that this simple act would change his life forever. In what turned out to be a freak accident, Dan suffered a severe neck injury when a wave hit him, causing him to flip and hit the sand in Langland Bay, Swansea. The incident left him paralyzed.

"I knew instantly that I was paralysed," Dan said. "I couldn't move anything." At the time, doctors told him he would be bed-bound for the rest of his life. However, two years later, Dan uses a wheelchair and has regained some movement in his arms and fingers. He has even walked with the help of AI technology in Wales and Germany.

Dan and his partner Anna were celebrating the new year with a cold water dip when the accident occurred. Dan recalls the moment vividly. "I remember all of it, unfortunately. Being pulled out. And then everything changing. I got hit by a wave, it flipped me over and folded me backwards, and snapped my neck. I knew it was bad."

Anna, who had only started dating Dan a few months before the accident, remembers hearing Dan shouting for help as she prepared to get into the water. "I just remember looking over and just seeing Dan's head coming up and then going back under," she said. "We dragged him out. But he was just dead weight and the sea was coming in really fast. We waited for emergency services, and then I remember begging them to let me go in the helicopter. It was horrendous."

After being taken to hospital in Bristol, the couple received devastating news. Dan was told he was paralyzed from the neck down and would likely be bed-bound for the rest of his life. Anna had to make difficult phone calls to family members, including Dan’s parents. "How do you phone someone's mum and say that their son is paralysed?" she asked.

Since the accident, every day has brought new challenges for Anna. "It's our reality. Until you're in this situation... you don't realize just how much you have lost."

Despite the odds, Dan remained determined. In the months following the accident, even the slightest movement in his toes gave the couple hope. "Luckily I'm quite stubborn," Dan said. "I just wanted to see the physios as soon as possible. I wanted to work. I didn't accept what they were saying."

Dan's progress has been remarkable. The feeling in his toes eventually translated into full sensation through his legs and feet, some movement in his right leg, and core strength that was once thought to be gone. He also regained movement in his arms and fingers, allowing him to hold things again.

He continued: "I'm still hopeful, I'm still positive. With modern technologies, I'm not giving up."

Innovative Treatments and Hope

Dan underwent private physiotherapy at a specialist clinic in south Wales, where he received a world-first combined treatment to help him walk with a machine. Jakko Brouwers, a neurophysiotherapist from Morello clinic in Newport, described Dan as "an immensely motivated guy" during his visits.

"The technology is two-fold," Brouwers explained. "The first part we tried with Dan is a robot. The robot will mimic normal human gait as much as possible. The other part of the system that we developed is a stimulation suit that has got sensors. The trousers are also fitted with electrodes and we can stimulate muscle activity at the right time. Through a little bit of algorithm - and dare I say AI - it will start developing a walking pattern."

Dan found the experience "surreal" but "the best feeling." It inspired him and Anna to explore more research and other possibilities.

However, private physiotherapy and innovative treatments come at a cost. Family and friends organized various fundraising events, from raffles to ultramarathons and charity nights, to help Dan and Anna afford a trial abroad in October.

In Germany, Dan is undergoing two different treatments simultaneously. One involves a stem cell treatment directly into his spinal cord, while the other uses a Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) suit, which works on brain waves. "It's one of the first times it's ever been done," Dan said. "Sensors translate signals into movement, which then get my legs working, get me walking. The more you do it, the stronger the signals get, the faster it gets, and eventually you're able to walk without the suit."

With six weeks of treatment left in Germany in the new year, Dan will need to apply for an EU Medical Visa, another challenge he is determined to overcome.

Looking Ahead

Dan remains optimistic about the future. "Technology is advancing so fast, things aren't where they were 10 years ago. New research is incredible. There is no limit. I don't want there to be a limit. The more progress I can make now, the better our future will be."