We have the tech, we CAN rebuild
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md8aGdfpGIA&t=18s
Short Story:
Being an amputee is a pain in the butt (literally)! Wearing a hard socket to keep a prosthetic leg on can cause sores and rashes on the lower cheek, inner groin, and all along the stump.
On top of the pain from walking after 3-4 hours of use, my body looses volume and my leg wants to fall right off! There is new technology that attaches a prosthetic knee directly to the bone which eliminates all pain and allows amputees to comfortably wear their leg all day without issue!
Long Story:
To all of my friends, family, and friendly strangers who have found yourself on this page, thank you for taking the time to donate. For those of you who may not know me, my story is one of tragedy and triumph with a few twists along the way. At the tender age of 16 I took a bone-headed risk that changed my life forever by jumping onto a Cargo Train as it slowed to cross a bridge. Jumping off of the train was not as successful and I ended up having my left arm AND leg amputated in the process. After nearly a year of medical recovery, rehab, and unwavering support from my family, I was back on track and returned to start grade 11 all over again.
Fast forward 15 years later, after travelling coast to coast visiting Canadian high schools to share my story in hopes of preventing future tragedies such as mine, moving to the big city (Toronto) to pursue a carrier in Marketing, to falling into the Film and TV business as a small-time actor/ body double, to finally planting my feet into Automotive sales, I find myself at the edge of another big decision.
If you ask any amputee what the biggest issue they have in regards to using a prosthetic, they will tell you that keeping it attached and comfortable is a never ending uphill battle. There have been amazing advancements in prosthetic technologies over the past 30 years. Mind controlled motorized prosthetics with full joint articulation will be a reality within the next 30, but the hard socket shell has always been limited by the way the body naturally swells and reduces over time.
The best example of this bodily change for non-amputees can be explained by rings. Anyone who regularly wears a ring knows that it can be difficult to get it on their finger in the morning and have it sliding off easily by dinner time. Now imagine that the ring is your leg, and you have to struggle to keep it attached after 5-6 hours for wearing it. This is the problem that inflicts every amputee on a daily basis, and that has caused me to have 2 “remodeling” surgeries in the past 10 years.
There is now a procedure called Osseointegration in which a metal implant is inserted in the bone which eliminates the need for a bucket-style socket, and allows the skeletal structure to bear the weight instead of the skin and muscle at the bottom of the stump. It relieves the “good leg” of the extra stresses and overload caused by favoring it to the prosthetic leg, promotes bone density and blood flow to the amputated leg, and allows atrophied muscles to regrow and support the users weight while moving and walking.
