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A Firefighting Leg for Brandon Zinn

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Brandon was struck by another driver (who was charged with DUI, pending court case) while on his way to work the morning of January 19th, 2019. Among many other injuries, his left leg was amputated, above-the-knee. Just 25 years old, Brandon was less than three weeks away from completing training with the City of Columbia SC Fire Department, excited to be joining the force and serving his community. Brandon has volunteered with fire departments for nine years, beginning at 16 as a junior firefighter in Missouri - it's been a lifelong dream from his childhood.  

One of the first things Brandon asked upon awakening and learning the extent of his injuries was whether he could still get back to work "on the floor" in the FD. During his time in the hospital, we learned of another firefighter in Indiana who had returned to work after a vehicle crash led to an above-the-knee amputation. www.firerescue1.com/firefighter-heroes/articles/376721018-Ind-firefighter-makes-history-with-prosthetic-leg/   We reached out to this firefighter (also named Brandon!), and were greatly encouraged by the knowledge that while now much harder, our Brandon's dream of service in the fire department was still a possibility. 

In the four months since the crash, Brandon has been pushing through every new challenge, and began walking on a basic prosthetic at the start of April - just 11 weeks after losing his leg. Now, after less than seven weeks of using that limb, his therapist has stated that Brandon is ready for more! However, because our insurance covered the costs of that basic leg, they say that anything more isn't medically necessary, despite the clear limitations it's placed on his life. We plan to appeal their decision, but it isn't looking too hopeful at this point. 

In order to reach the physical capabilities needed to return to his previous life activities and rejoin the the fire department, Brandon needs a computerized prosthetic (called a C-leg), which has been estimated by Hanger to cost us around $84,000.
https://www.ottobockus.com/prosthetics/lower-limb-prosthetics/solution-overview/c-leg-above-knee-system/

Brandon hopes to be able to get that new leg before summer ends this year, and plans to keep working as much as possible in his current prosthetic through that time.

#FirefighterZinn

Organizer

Emily Zinn
Organizer
Swansea, SC

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