Technology for Disability -- Something for Everyone

The test pilot crashed, but he survived, barely. The colonel was a former astronaut, a national hero, and the accident promised to leave him severely disabled. However, it was the mid-seventies and science was advanced enough to not only save his life but to use electronic or mechanical parts that would do more than make him feel "good as new." It would actually give him extraordinary strength, almost like super-powers. The only problem was the surgery to save this hero would cost $6M.

The story of Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man was a fictional whisper hinting that science had the secrets that could correct even the most severe injuries. What was not fictional was the high cost. Has science taken steps to fulfill that fantastic promise?

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