Help Erin Walk Without Pain - Give ExoSym Braces

Erin Prodgers needs ExoSym braces to walk without pain for the first time in her life. She was born in 1996 with the common congenital disease 'clubbed feet' but her case is much more severe than usual. Quickly doctors at the Lloydminster, SK hospital realized she would need additional support. Her feet were extremely turned-in feet where her toes were actually pulled up against the inside of her shins.

--we have now raised 14K out of the 18K needed for the ExoSym brces--

She received casting at 5 days old to reposition her feet. Her first surgery was at the UofA at 8 months old. She has had her tendons cut, her bones moved, and even more casting. Then she was treated with the ponseti method with a board brace. Erin's first steps were in her casts at 9 months. At 2 years orthopedic surgeons at Shriner's Hospital for Children in Spokane, WA, elected to fuse Erin's ankle joints to prevent future injury. Along with this they put rods into her ankle joints for several months and then took them out. She was told this was the best doctors could do to improve her quality of life and that she was lucky to be walking independently. Her feet showed remarkable strength and the doctors we very pleased she could stand on her tippy toes--though due to the fused joints she is only able to raise her heals a few inches.

She pursued physical therapy and was able to live a mostly active lifestyle. She could walk, run, jump. Participating in taekwondo, swimming lessons, biking, snowboarding, skiing, and baseball. Like every other kid, she hurt herself, once fracturing her ankle pretending to be spiderman. As Erin grew up her feet remained small compared to her body size, entering high-school her pain increased from growing. This pain could be so debilitating she had trouble walking herself to the washroom. She began having to avoid certain types of physical activity. Resigned that her most active days were behind her she went for more surgeries to reposition her foot so standing would not be so difficult.

Until recently we all believed this would be the end of what could be done to allow Erin to be active in life, but technology has been advancing. Erin had always wanted to go on hikes, she wanted to run and she was not the only person whose legs would not take them where they wanted to go. Army and Navy Seal veterans had been requesting amputation so they could be given prosthetics to return to active duty.

Many older persons with clubbed feet elect to amputate their feet to increase their quality of life. Erin had also thought that her future would include amputation once the pain became unbearable like theirs.

Fortunately, now there is another option, the ExoSym brace. This brace is called a, "wrap around prosthetic," where it functions as a prosthetic without removing the foot. Initially a military patent, the brace returned people to active duty. It is designed to work with the existing foot, no matter how damaged, and allow the person to move like they used to.

This brace is more expensive than available alternatives, but it is the only of its kind to be completely customized to the user. Each measurement is based on the actual foot of the patient, not typical ratios or shoe sizes. The brace would be casted to Erin's foot then altered to improve her gait--the way she used her lower body to walk. Ryan, the designer of the ExoSym called Erin an excellent candidate for the brace.

The cost of this device for Erin starts at $9,000 USD each, plus the costs associated with travel, recommended footwear, food, and accommodations. The price of the ExoSym unit includes all associated appointments and any alterations within 6 months. It also includes training to learn how to walk in the system.

Since Erin was born with clubbed feet she has never taken a single step the way a typical person would. Her calves and hamstrings are not active while walking. The ExoSym brace would use her calves and hamstrings, protecting her quadriceps and knees from injury due to improper use.

This ExoSym is improving Erin's quality of life and the health of her legs. The idea of a pain-free life is something that Erin did not think was achievable, but now that the Exosym is available to the public Erin hopes to live life to the fullest. She's dreamed about marathons, mud-runs, hikes; but Erin is also excited to be able to choose to walk down the stairs instead of using an elevator. She has already noticed how much the braces are changing her life in day to day activities like standing and doing the dishes.

Erin is excited to protect her joints with an ExoSym. Having an invisible disability--one that strangers can't recognize outwardly--makes it had for Erin to get the accommodations she needs. She's hoping an outward sign will open allow her to break stereotypes about what it means to have a disability.

As a nursing student, Erin is advocating for the best treatments possible so that people are able to move toward wellness. She has been an active volunteer in Lloydminster and Edmonton. This summer Erin and her mother are donating their hair to Kids for Cancer; to Erin, this is not much different from when she donates blood. Erin is also registered to donate stem cells. As the recipient of 2 cadaver bones, she feels that she has been given something extraordinary and wants to be able to do the same for others.

Erin believes medical equipment or treatments should not cause stress or worry to those in need, as someone who has been on the giving and receiving ends of the hospital. Please help us to be able to purchase this medical equipment for Erin Prodgers of Beaumont, AB.