A standout center fielder for the Northeast Lauderdale Lady Trojans, Alixus Hearn wasn't about to spend her life sitting down. On October 2, 2017, a car wreck ejected her from her vehicle and left her paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors told her she might never walk again — but Hearn chose a vigorous rehab program at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Mississippi, and threw herself into it.
Among the technologies that made the difference was Aretech's ZeroG Gait and Balance System. Mounted to an overhead track, it harnessed her upright and let her practice a wide range of movements — walking, balance, sit-to-stand, even stairs — all without the risk of falling. Her comeback came in steps: baby steps that November, then a walker, and eventually a cane she used from February to May. Therapy that once filled three days a week is now down to one.
"Having my mom and dad with me, they kept the positive energy around me. I just put everything in and went head first. I wasn't sitting down until I got better."Alixus Hearn
Backed by her parents and a community that rallied behind the slogan "13 Strong" — for the No. 13 she wore on the field — Alixus is back on her feet and doing what she does best: setting goals and checking them off.