Paralyzed teen Will Hutchins walks at his high school graduation with help of medical device

Will Hutchins, a high school student from Georgia, was able to walk at his graduation despite a medical diagnosis that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

At 16 a car accident injury took away Hutchins' mobility, WSB-TV reported, but he always knew he wouldn't be bound to a wheelchair forever.

"It's been a goal of Will's since his injury, one way or another, to walk across the stage," his mother told ABC News. And with the help of a new medical device, Indego, he was able to.

Indego is a powered exoskeleton that surrounds the legs and waist allowing "individuals with spinal cord injuries to stand and walk." According to the product's website, it's designed as a tool for physical therapy and is still being researched in a clinical setting.

With the device attached to his legs, Hutchins was able to stand up from his wheelchair, walk onto the stage and receive his diploma. As he lifted his legs one by one and walked up the steps, he received a standing ovation from the crowd, video footage of the ceremony showed.

"We didn't know if we were going to get to see this day," his mother said to ABC News.

But Hutchins was always hopeful.

"I knew I was going to be able to do it somehow," he told WSB-TV.