Jonathan Goodwin has had a miraculous breakthrough by using his “cyborg legs” to “walk” again – two years after a fireball stunt gone wrong left him paralyzed for life.
The 43-year-old “America’s Got Talent: Extreme” star suffered a spinal cord dislocation, the loss of a kidney, third-degree burns, and broken ribs and legs in October 2021.
Jonathan, who has been engaged to 51-year-old ex-Strictly actress Amanda Abbington since 2021, was told he would never recover from the accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia in which he almost died twice.
He was paralyzed from the waist down and had “shattered legs,” which drastically changed his life as an escape artist.
But on Tuesday, Jonathan took to Instagram to reveal a miraculous breakthrough in his treatment by trying out some incredible technology.
Hero: The ex-stuntman was paralyzed from the waist down after a shocking accident in 2021 – but appeared to take his first steps on Tuesday
The ex-stuntman was held in place by a harness equipped with a Hybrid Assistive Limb [HAL] for the first time – the world’s first “wearable cyborg”.
The incredible development seemed to allow Jonathan to “walk again” – something that seemed to break the laws of science – and Jonathan admitted: “This shouldn’t work for me.”
In fact, he seemed to be able to advance the groundbreaking discovery on his own initiative.
He wrote: “I tried HAL from Cyberdine Industries.” It is an exoskeleton that detects signals in the legs to allow the user to take steps.
“This wasn’t supposed to work for me, but amazingly I was able to control it to engage!” That was amazing. I shouldn’t be able to do that…’
He described the process as “trying to walk through treacle” and said everyone was “silently freaking out.”
Actress Amanda was there to support Jonathan every amazing step, describing it as “a very, very emotional and inspiring experience to watch and be a part of.”
She added: “So incredibly proud of the always wonderful and truly amazing @jonathangoodwinofficial who once again went above and beyond what anyone thought possible. “I love this man so much. Trust the process.’
Incredible: Jonathan Goodwin has had a miraculous breakthrough by being able to walk with ‘cyborg legs’ again – two years after a stunt gone wrong left him paralyzed for life
Couple: Amanda and Jonathan (pictured in January) have been engaged since 2021
Hospital: The stunt went terribly wrong and resulted in a four-month hospital stay, Jonathan admitted
Development: Jonathan was supported by his fiancée Amanda as he admitted: ‘This shouldn’t be possible’
The HAL exoskeleton was developed with very advanced technology to help people with severe spinal injuries and paralysis take their first steps to walk again.
When a person tries to move, the brain sends a signal to the muscles to command that movement.
The intention to move also appears on the surface of the skin in the form of bioelectric signals [BES].
HAL has sensors attached to the skin that allow the legs to move.
But the technology is even more advanced: its “Cybernics Autonomous Control System” is able to generate movements even if the BES cannot be detected.
Over time, HAL gradually trains the brain to send signals for movement – meaning people with disabilities can improve their movements even if they don’t have cyborg legs.
Amanda previously told the Out to Lunch podcast with Jay Rayner: “He fell 30ft and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades and shattered both legs.”
“Third degree burns, fractured spine and severed spinal cord, almost died.” And then he almost died again on the operating table.’
Hart: Jonathan previously admitted that he offered Amanda a get-out clause after the accident
Shocking: Jonathan later admitted he had “escaped the worst” but still had a “long road to recovery” ahead of him as he remained in hospital following the horrific incident
The Sherlock actress confirmed that it was unlikely Jonathan would ever walk again, saying: “He’s paralyzed, now he’s in a wheelchair.”
“Unless there’s some kind of stem cell surgery or what Elon Musk designs with the little chip, it’s going to be like this forever.”
The actress also revealed that the stuntman sent her a voice message before his surgery telling her there was a 50 percent chance he wouldn’t make it. So he told her he loved her and thanked her for spending the last few months of his life with her.
Last month, Goodwin officially sued NBC, two years after the “life-changing” accident.
The star claimed that NBC and the network’s producers continued to increase their stunts to increase viewership for the AGT franchise – but put safety at the bottom of the list when it came to dangerous stunts.
He also revealed that he had offered his fiancée Amanda a way out after the accident, saying he would “never judge her for a decision.”
But kept repeating
Jonathan claimed in the lawsuit that he suffered a number of different injuries, including a spinal cord dislocation, the loss of a kidney, third-degree burns, and broken ribs and legs. He was also paralyzed from the waist down.
reset, which has now been reset, reset
He has performed other similarly death-defying stunts. In 2013, he wore a straitjacket and dangled from a flaming rope over the River Thames in London.
repeated continually.
One of his most dramatic stunts on America’s Got Talent involved him covering himself in a flammable liquid, tying himself up, and putting his head in a box so he couldn’t see.
He had to recover from reset less than after he was reinstated.
Goodwin successfully completed the stunt, which made some of the judges nervous, even though it was the first time he had ever attempted the death-defying act.
During the doomed stunt for America’s Got Talent: Extreme, Jonathan was suspended 70 feet in the air, trapped between two cars and clad in a straitjacket as the vehicles burst into flames.
He repeated the air aimed at breaking his fall and hit his head on the againrepeatedhadrepeatedbutrepeatedroadtorepeatedofcontinued
continually ongoing ongoing ongoing ongoing ongoing ongoing progress
He repeated again. I continued to continue the process and continued the process that
backisallyyouagainsomakesureyougetbackbackcositsgoodagain “It’s a long road to recovery, and it won’t look the same as it did…I might leave the nonsense alone for a while, but I still have a lot of work to do in this world.” Maybe together we can do something good create?’
The resetting continued continued continued continued continued
The US Sun published a recording of a 911 call in which a woman said: “We’re at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on the set of America’s Got Talent.” We had a man hanging from a cable with cars about to crash into each other, and he didn’t get past in time and they crashed into him.
“He is a 40-year-old white man. He fell about 40 feet. “He missed the airbag and landed on his head.”
Injured: Amanda Abbington revealed her fiancé was in a wheelchair after the dangerous stunt for America’s Got Talent: Extreme in October 2021
Amanda previously spoke to the Chron’s Richard Eden about her fiancé’s daring lifestyle and gushed: “Jonathan sets himself on fire and shoots bullets for a living, but is also mature, sensitive and considerate. “I’m completely obsessed. ‘
The pair had previously been friends on social media for around ten years, with Abbington following his content as her son Joe found his act “amazing”.
She explained that they met after she split from her Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman and split up with another partner – and when Goodwin was divorcing his wife.
Abbington revealed that at the beginning of their relationship, they spoke on the phone for hours every day before he flew to Vienna to meet her in person for the first time.
Following her split from Martin in 2016, Amanda dated The Queen’s Gambit actor Jonjo O’Neill for four years.
back and back back back back back and back and back
What are the HAL “Cyborg Legs”?
The Japanese robotics company has been developing the HAL cyborg legs since 2009.
The Hybrid Assistive Limb robotic suit is worn as an exoskeleton and can help people with disabilities learn to walk again.
The robotic suit conforms to the wearer’s core and legs, providing support for people who would otherwise be unable to walk on their own.
HAL is commonly used by people suffering from spinal cord injuries.
HAL can be adjusted according to the person’s leg length, hip width and foot size.
When a person tries to move, the brain sends a signal to the muscles to command that movement.
The intention to move also appears on the surface of the skin in the form of bioelectric signals [BES].
HAL has sensors attached to the skin that allow the legs to move.
But the technology is even more advanced: The technology also features a so-called “Cybernics Autonomous Control System” to generate movements even if the BES cannot be detected.
Over time, HAL gradually trains the brain to send signals for movement – meaning people with disabilities can improve their movements even if they don’t have cyborg legs.