A Santa Clarita teen, who became paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle crash nearly a year ago, is beginning to walk again with the help of a wearable robotic exoskeleton.

Justin Covarrubias, 17, of Canyon Country, had completed four motocross races on Sept. 28, 2014 but he disappeared in the last race. 

The Covarrubias family isn’t sure exactly how the crash happened, but when Justin was found, he was immediately taken to Arrowhead Regional Hospital where a CT Scan revealed spinal injuries.

The T-5 and T-6 vertebrae in the middle of Justin’s back were broken in the crash and Justin has no feeling below his waist.

Over the past year, Justin has been receiving outpatient rehabilitation from the Northridge Hospital Medical Center and found out about the new ReWalk Robotics exoskeleton while attending a convention in Los Angeles.

Related Previous Story: Canyon Country Teen Seriously Hurt In Motocross Crash

“We put his name on waiting a list,” said Jamie Nunez Covarrubias, Justin’s mother. “We recieved a call asking ‘would you been interested (in the exoskeleton)?’ we said ‘yes’ and jumped right on it.”

The Northridge Hospital received the exoskeletons only six weeks ago and Justin is one of the few who have had the opportunity to start training in the suit.

The Center for Rehabilitation Medicine at Dignity Health-Northridge Hospital is the only facility in the San Fernando Valley to offer the ReWalk System that helps patients with a Spinal Cord Injury to walk again, according to the website.

“The first time he wore the suit, for me, it was incredible to see him upright and moving, bending his knee,” Jamie Covarrubias said. “It was pretty overwhelming, I cried. I think for him, he was realizing his height. He was experiencing talking to people from an eye to eye level, I think that was a good feeling for him.”

While the exoskeletons are not as expensive as most prosthetics, they’re still a bit pricey, costing patients about $77,000 each, said Christina Zicklin, director of Marketing/Public Relations for the hospital. Many insurances don’t cover the new exoskeleton.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help fund Justin’s exoskeleton, “Robotic Exoskeleton for Justin.”

“We’re hoping for him to achieve more independence. He gets around well in his wheelchair but he can’t reach things above the counter,” Jamie Covarrubias said. “He is beginning his senior year this month at Canyon High. He just got driver’s license last week. He’s come a long way and done a lot. I’m so proud of him.”