Robotics help strengthen walking ability of kids with CP

From WNDU-TV in South Bend, Ind.:

It affects 8,000 babies every year -- more than 750,000 kids and adults in the United States are living with cerebral palsy.

It's a neurological condition that affects body movement and coordination.

Many kids have to rely on a wheelchair or walker to get around,

But now, technology is helping kids feel secure on their own two feet

A bleed in her brain at birth caused cerebral palsy for Jenna Culleeney.

"She was 16 weeks early. She weighed a pound and a half," explains Jenna's mom Nannette.

She's had surgery to break and re-set her legs, but she still struggles to walk.

"She'd fall over if she wasn't holding onto things," says Nannette.

To improve Jenna's stability, therapists at Shriners' Hospitals for Children strapped her in, and hoisted her up.

It's a larger than life robot that's working to improve Jenna's balance and gait and teach her the right way to walk.

The legs are specially designed for children.

Traditionally, two therapists would have to hold onto the child's legs on a treadmill, manually placing the feet in position.

"You wouldn't be able to get consistent movement in the child's leg, and you also wouldn't be able to have a therapist do that work as long as a robotic machine can do it for us," says Sara Klass, director of spinal cord injury service at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Chicago.

The machine allows children to consistently repeat the motion, strengthening muscles and increasing endurance. Smiles and frowns tell the child if she's walking correctly.

After six months on the machine, Jenna's feeling more confident on her feet.

"You can tell in the way she's walking. Her knees bend when she's supposed to. They straighten out when they're supposed to," says a happy Nannette.

"My walking isn't going to be as good as other children, but I'm doing very good," says Jenna.

A girl who's determined to set her own pace on a path to independence.

There are six centers across the country using the robot for kids.

Therapists say it can also help kids with spinal cord injuries.