One of the most famous basketball-players in the New Castle's history was paralyzed in a wheelchair one day...and was walking the next.
One
of
the
most
famous
basketball-players
in
the
New
Castle
's
history
was
paralyzed
in
a
wheelchair
one
day
...
and
was
walking
the
next
.
Citizens of New Castle simply refer to it as "The Miracle".
Citizens
of
New
Castle
simply
refer
to
it
as
``
The
Miracle
''
.
Joel Haler woke up in his dorm room at Hope College last October totally paralyzed from the waist down.
Joel
Haler
woke
up
in
his
dorm
room
at
Hope
College
last
October
totally
paralyzed
from
the
waist
down
.
Four hospitals later, the only way he could walk was through Robotic Walking Treatment.
Four
hospitals
later
,
the
only
way
he
could
walk
was
through
Robotic
Walking
Treatment
.
"This past Tuesday, I was doing the Robotic walk and lasted ten minutes," Joel said.
``
This
past
Tuesday
,
I
was
doing
the
Robotic
walk
and
lasted
ten
minutes
,
''
Joel
said
.
After that, he gave up.
After
that
,
he
gave
up
.
Joel wanted to accept the inevitable and cancelled his next Robotic Walking Treatment appointment.
Joel
wanted
to
accept
the
inevitable
and
cancelled
his
next
Robotic
Walking
Treatment
appointment
.
Then, the night before his cancelled appointment, he woke up to a terrible pain.
Then
,
the
night
before
his
cancelled
appointment
,
he
woke
up
to
a
terrible
pain
.
An hour and a half later, the serious pain left him with an unusual feeling in his legs.
An
hour
and
a
half
later
,
the
serious
pain
left
him
with
an
unusual
feeling
in
his
legs
.
"As it continued to move up my legs, it became more and more painful and it took an hour and a half to reach my hips," Joel recalled.
``
As
it
continued
to
move
up
my
legs
,
it
became
more
and
more
painful
and
it
took
an
hour
and
a
half
to
reach
my
hips
,
''
Joel
recalled
.
"I stood up and walked into my parents' room.
``
I
stood
up
and
walked
into
my
parents
'
room
.
'Mom and dad, look!
'Mom
and
dad
,
look
!
'," he said proudly.
'
,
''
he
said
proudly
.
"He said something and I was like, 'Joel!
``
He
said
something
and
I
was
like
,
'Joel
!
Joel!
Joel
!
You're walking!
You
're
walking
!
You're walking!'
You
're
walking
!
'
We jumped out of bed, cried and hugged," Joel's mom Karen remembered.
We
jumped
out
of
bed
,
cried
and
hugged
,
''
Joel
's
mom
Karen
remembered
.
"I burst into tears.
``
I
burst
into
tears
.
It's hard seeing your son not be able to walk, but he was standing there, walking," Joel's father Eric said, tearfully.
It
's
hard
seeing
your
son
not
be
able
to
walk
,
but
he
was
standing
there
,
walking
,
''
Joel
's
father
Eric
said
,
tearfully
.
It was Thursday, January 23, when he could finally walk.
It
was
Thursday
,
January
23
,
when
he
could
finally
walk
.
That date made perfect sense to Joel.
That
date
made
perfect
sense
to
Joel
.
He had dreamt of a calendar that only said "J 23".
He
had
dreamt
of
a
calendar
that
only
said
``
J
23
''
.
He didn't know what to make of it until "a little boy at church, four years old, came up to me and said, 'you will walk on a Thursday'," Joel recalled.
He
did
n't
know
what
to
make
of
it
until
``
a
little
boy
at
church
,
four
years
old
,
came
up
to
me
and
said
,
'you
will
walk
on
a
Thursday
'
,
''
Joel
recalled
.
So the 20-year-old college student, who could only walk with the aid of robot on Tuesday, was walking on his own.
So
the
20-year-old
college
student
,
who
could
only
walk
with
the
aid
of
robot
on
Tuesday
,
was
walking
on
his
own
.
One of the most famous basketball-players in the New Castle's history was paralyzed in a wheelchair one day...and was walking the next. Citizens of New Castle simply refer to it as "The Miracle".  Joel Haler woke up in his dorm room at Hope College last October totally paralyzed from the waist down. Four hospitals later, the only way he could walk was through Robotic Walking Treatment.  "This past Tuesday, I was doing the Robotic walk and lasted ten minutes," Joel said. After that, he gave up. Joel wanted to accept the inevitable and cancelled his next Robotic Walking Treatment appointment.  Then, the night before his cancelled appointment, he woke up to a terrible pain. An hour and a half later, the serious pain left him with an unusual feeling in his legs.  "As it continued to move up my legs, it became more and more painful and it took an hour and a half to reach my hips," Joel recalled.  "I stood up and walked into my parents' room. 'Mom and dad, look! '," he said proudly.  "He said something and I was like, 'Joel! Joel! You're walking! You're walking!' We jumped out of bed, cried and hugged," Joel's mom Karen remembered.  "I burst into tears. It's hard seeing your son not be able to walk, but he was standing there, walking," Joel's father Eric said, tearfully.  It was Thursday, January 23, when he could finally walk. That date made perfect sense to Joel. He had dreamt of a calendar that only said "J 23". He didn't know what to make of it until "a little boy at church, four years old, came up to me and said, 'you will walk on a Thursday'," Joel recalled.  So the 20-year-old college student, who could only walk with the aid of robot on Tuesday, was walking on his own.