CAS CONNECT 2014

7 In the beginning, Davis had to have help with most everything. Once she was able to get out of bed and participate in therapy more frequently, she became stronger. Strong enough that the following spring, Davis re-enrolled at OSU, taking one physiology class. The first day of class was an adjustment, but returning was a familiar and welcome feeling. “After the first five minutes after lecture started, it felt normal, you know,” Davis says. “I was taking notes, I was listen- ing, and you just kind of forget about your injury for a little bit while the class is going on.” Davis was determined to keep moving forward, describing herself as having always been a student who loves learning and being in class. Because she knew she wanted to go to veterinary school before her injury, it helped her to stay focused on that goal. Davis was exposed to the Ekso Bionic Suit when the Integris Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center in Oklahoma City received the suit as a donation from the Chickasaw Nation. The Jim Thorpe Center is the only rehab center in Oklahoma that has one of these suits. When INTEGRIS received the suit, the center’s director and her former thera- pist believed Davis would be the perfect candidate to use it. With support from the Jim Thorpe Center, Davis strapped herself into Murphy, the suit’s Robocop- inspired nickname, and began learn- ing how to work with the suit to start walking. “It really is actually pretty straightfor- ward,” Davis says. “We were at Deer Creek Middle School demonstrating it for engineer classes, and it’s pretty easy to explain.” The Ekso Bionic Suit works by using a series of simple motors, straps, remotes, and Davis’s own weight-shifting abili- ties. A backpack on the back of the suit stores all the suit’s programs, includ- ing ones specific to Davis. After the first step is initiated through remote, Davis takes over by shifting the weight in her torso signaling to the suit that she is ready to take the next step. The program makes sure she’s in the right position and then obliges her body’s request to move forward. Davis gets a lot of questions when people see her using the suit. She doesn’t mind all the questions, but one thing she really wants to emphasize to curious minds is that the suit has an impressive list of health benefits for its users. Some of those health benefits include improved core stability, increased bone density from weight-bearing activ- ity, improved circulation, a better diges- tive system and improved mental and emotional well-being. On top of being a college graduate and Ekso Bionic Suit aficionado, Davis is also the 2014 Miss Wheelchair Oklahoma. Her winning platform involved her stud- ies at OSU as a nutritional science minor. COMMENCEMENT (From left): Mary Beth Davis , zoology graduate, wi th Amy Martindale , A&S Director of Student Academic Services Davis says a lot of focus for individuals who use wheelchairs typically surrounds accessibility, ADA requirements, and disability rights. Using the knowledge she learned in her nutritional science courses, Davis promotes health and nutrition as a goal for the disabled community. “It was a really unique platform to advocate,” Davis says. “Ultimately, I’m trying to get people healthier. It can improve their lives and their disability.” Davis is taking a year off after graduat- ing and will apply to the OSU School of Veterinary Medicine to start classes in fall 2015. During this year, she will perform her duties as Miss Wheelchair Oklahoma, speaking at seminars and support groups and advocating her platform. She also will continue extensive therapy in Dallas. Davis’s road to recovery has been long yet rewarding. The support of her family and friends and her faith have played a large role in her personal success. She can’t imagine herself doing anything different than what she’s doing now. “You either waste an opportunity or make the most of the it,” Davis says. “And this is what I’ve chosen to do with this new life.”