CHARLES CITY, Iowa — A farmer from Charles City is singing the praises of the VA for helping him recover from a serious accident.

Matt Ross of Charles City was injured when a backhoe used to fix an underground pipe crushed him while he was in a hole working on the pipe. He broke his back, and had multiple internal injuries. He could not feel his legs or walk.

Doctors told him to get ready to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair.

“I went through about three months were they told me I never walk again that I’d spend the rest my life in a wheelchair,” said Ross. “Now, to be able to stand up in the wheelchair and be walking again that’s one of those memorable moments you’ll never forget in your life.”

Ross now walks with the aid of a cane. One of the things which helped him regain the use of his legs is something called an exoskeleton. It’s a robotic like suit that the person wears to help them to standup, and walk.

“It will literally stand you straight up out of that chair into a standing position so a person that’s a complete paraplegic, that has no movement of the legs, this machine will do everything for them,” said Ross. “I could have easily listened to Iowa City, could have easily spent the rest of my life in a wheel chair..and threw pity parties, and I ‘m just not big into that.”

“We donated our 22nd device to the Cleveland VA, so we’re showing some success we’ve had with that,” said Chris Meek, who is the President of the Soldier Strong Board.

The organization was sending supplies to troops, until the troops came home, they realized there was a need for medical devices for veterans.

If you would like to know more about Soldier Strong, click here.