Jessie Owen, a quadriplegic, can move her hands again via electrodes placed on the back of her neck
Jessie Owen was traveling with her family twelve years ago when, while going through a mountain pass, a tree fell on their car.
"In that moment, my parents passed away, my siblings were severely injured, and I became quadriplegic," Owen told ABC News. "I lost my independence. I lost my job. I lost my apartment. I lost my autonomy and the life that I dreamed for myself."
But thanks to a brand-new device -- which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 19 -- she's able to move her hands and arms again.
Onward Therapy, the makers of the therapeutic ARC-EX device, explain that the non-invasive device works via electrodes placed on the back of the neck.
Related: Groundbreaking Use of AI Technology Helps a Paralyzed Man Begin to Move Again
"It allows us to pass current through the skin to activate the sensory nerves as they enter the spinal cord. Now, those sensory nerves make direct connections to the motor nerves which help people to move," Dr. Chet Moritz, a professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington, told ABC News.
Owen, who participated in the device's clinical trial, told the outlet, "I was wildly surprised and pleased to see that it was making meaningful change in my life. I can now paint with my hands. I can open a jar of peanut butter. I can tie my shoes."
According to the clinical trial's results, 72% of participants saw improvement in the hand and arm strength and function -- which led to "meaningful quality of life improvements." Participants also reported "a decrease in the frequency and severity of muscle spasms, improved sleep quality and reduced pain," which led to "significant increases in overall well-being."
Related: Teen Becomes Temporarily Paralyzed After 2 Insect Bites: 'Something Was Very Wrong'
As Owen explained: "It [used to] take me 30 minutes to get dressed. Now it takes 12. [I used to require] 20 caregiving hours a week and I was able to move down to about eight."
"I continued to gain function back, and I found I was able to pour more into other people," she said. "The first indicator of success that I noticed was my own happiness. It works, and it gives us hope and passion."