Nationwide — Jaiden Picot, a 23-year-old African American man from Richmond, Virginia, who was paralyzed after an accident, walked across the graduation stage at Virginia Union University using an exoskeleton device. He earned his degree while recovering from a 2024 scooter crash that left him with a spinal cord injury.
Picot was hit by a truck in August 2024 while riding an electric scooter. The crash caused severe nerve damage and left him paralyzed from the injury.
After the accident, he began daily physical and occupational therapy at Sheltering Arms Institute in Richmond. There, he also trained with a robotic exoskeleton designed to help people with spinal cord injuries practice walking movements.
He continued his college classes from the hospital while going through rehab. He stayed focused on finishing school, especially after missing his high school graduation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Training with the exoskeleton was not easy in the beginning. “It was really hard in the beginning because I [would] have medical problems with standing up and moving. So I had to train hard, really, every day with the [exoskeleton] to… get the strength to [move] my legs,” Picot told ABC News.
At graduation, Picot’s mother, Akilah Parker, watched as he crossed the stage. She said seeing her son in that moment made her feel deep pride.
Now a college graduate of Virginia Union University, Picot plans to work in real estate. He also wants to help people with disabilities find homes that fit their needs.
He said he hopes his journey encourages others facing challenges. “I want people to see that even though we all go through hard times, we can do hard things and persevere through them,” he said.