When news broke of Harrison Ford’s June 12 injury on the set of Star Wars Episode VII, fans were concerned how the 71 year-old’s injury and subsequent recovery would affect the film’s shoot schedule.
Thankfully, a new picture surfaced of the star using an iWalk, an external prosthetic that allows people to more around much more safely and naturally than they would on crutches. It’s part crutch and part prosthetic.
If you’ve ever had crutches, you know how much they suck. Nobody wants painful armpit bruises. And have you ever tries going up or down stairs with crutches? Hop-hopping up steps is going to cause another accident and then you’ll have two legs in a cast. Not fun. While the iWalk looks a little ridiculous, it’s a pretty ingenious concept and the walking mechanics look pretty natural. I do wonder how you’d sit wearing that contraption because taking it off and on each time you want to move could get annoying.
I checked out the company’s website and their informational video shows people doing all of the things I’d normally do while injured: mow the lawn, walk the dog, and play soccer. Phew! When I’m injured, the think I lament most is my inability to play soccer or do yard work. So there’s really no excuse that German soccer star Marco Reus is missing the FIFA World Cup because of a town ankle tendon. He’s just a wimp.
Who knows if Harrison Ford’s iWalk will be written into the Star Wars script, but if it is, it’s kind of fitting. It’ll make Han Solo look like a futuristic pirate, which is exactly the roguish spirit that we fell in love with.
We did think about including a free inflatable, shoulder-mounted parrot with the delivery when he ordered it but felt it might not be happy in London!