Road to regaining full mobility with a bionic leg

My name is Issouf L'ivoiriano Kone I am 22 years old I went to Carrignafoy Community College in 4th year, the same year I started playing football for Springfield Ramblers
I’ve always been into sports, if I wasn’t playing soccer I was out cycling the big hills of Cobh. In 2015 I did the leaving cert and went to Cork College of Commerce to study IT maintenance and cybersecurity.

While in college I was also working in Depuy Synthes in Ringaskiddy, at the beginning I was even finding time to play football with work and college all at the same time.
I not only was playing for Springfield ramblers but I was doing my bit in coaching the younger kids too with the intention to go on and do my coaching badges. 

In 2019 my dreams were cut short once doctors had discovered a major blood clot in my left leg which was preventing necessary blood flow from the main arteries.
Back in 2015, I began to feel severe sharp pains in my leg after I’d do any form of exercise, it was holding my life as a teenager back so often that I began to persevere and cycle and play soccer through the pains.
Eventually, I contacted my GP and he referred me to the Mercy hospital where I underwent an MRI scan. It was after this MRI scan that we discovered a blood clot in my leg. This blood clot was fixed after I went through two surgeries thankfully.

After my rehabilitation, I went back to school late on in the leaving cert year and was playing catch up with my studies until the exams came. Despite having a disadvantage in the leaving cert I went on to go to college to fulfil my interest in IT.

While in college I picked up work in DePuy Synthes Companies in Ringaskiddy and just focused on coaching the kids with Springfield Ramblers as I had to stop playing soccer due to fear because the pains in my leg were reoccurring.

I went back to my GP and once again I was advised to go back to the Mercy University Hospital. I was told that everything was fine and to keep exercising as it’ll enlarge the arteries in my leg to increase blood flow. I came home that day and within 6 weeks I was back in the hospital with recurring pains after doing exercise.

That evening they did a CT scan and I was informed that the blood clot had gotten severe and my life was at risk. I was told that by taking the surgery there was a risk involved of losing my leg and after undergoing 2 surgeries of trying to save my leg the surgeons had no choice but to amputate my leg to save my life.
I woke up and my life had been changed forever. I remained in the Mercy for over a month and was then released.

Before being released I was told about prosthetics and was informed I would receive a prosthetic provided to me by the HSE Ireland

I went through the process of rehabilitation, being in and out of the hospital and learning to walk again but unfortunately with the standard of the prosthetic leg, I was given I am still simply living a miserable life.

I was told by the fantastic doctors that saved my life that I would receive the best prosthetic leg for myself but sadly it isn’t like that at all.

Considering what I used to be able to do or even what I want to do in my life it’s just not possible as I can’t even walk for more than 30 minutes due to the pain of the prosthetic sticking into my groin as well as the fatigue of carrying the weight of the prosthetic around.

Before receiving my prosthetic I was doing research into prosthetics and saw that there are great prosthetics out there that are made for active 22 years olds like myself that want to go back to kicking a football, cycling the roads and to just go back to living a normal independent life.

After several consultations, phone calls and meetings I was told the best prosthetic for me to get my normal life back would cost €72,000. My dream before losing my leg was to play professional football but my new dream is to get my independent life back again.

With this goal in mind, my friends and community will be fundraising in the coming months to raise the required funds to purchase the prosthetic limb.

You can contribute below and all donations are gratefully received.
I am already humbled by the support I've received from the Cobh community to my life-changing plight...