Stories of Success

Bill is a right below-knee amputee. Facing the struggle of having a very short residual limb which made prosthetic fit and mobility difficult, he has persevered to become an active community member, returning to full-time work as a maintenance manager and driving with the use of hand controls. He is also a peer visitor, sharing his story and offering hope and guidance after the loss of a limb.

As a teenager in high school, Collin lost his left leg above the knee in a farming accident. Less than a year later, Collin returned to his high school wrestling team, and he competed his senior year on one leg. Collin’s limb loss does not hold him back – he works on the farm, can wakeboard and even run with specialized prostheses, and even works on the local volunteer fire department.

Due to a severe illness, Sharan’s kidneys shut down and her blood pressure dropped, causing her to go into a coma. Since her blood pressure was so low, doctors gave her medication to help keep her vital organs (like her heart and brain) alive. Saving Sharan’s life came at the cost of her reduced blood flow to her limbs, and the eventual below-knee amputation of her left leg and the loss of four toes on her right foot. To this day, Sharan is a walking success story and has continued to progress by taking up regular exercise and even running with a prosthesis.

When Tony lost one of his legs below the knee, he knew he had a challenge ahead. A short time later when he lost his other leg below the knee as well, he persevered and continued to move forward by adapting to his new life as a bilateral amputee. With the help of Inpatient Rehabilitation and Outpatient Rehabilitation services, Tony is now mobile on two legs, and has shown what a positive attitude and strong work ethic can do.

For Tyler, a young survivor of a motorcycle crash that took both of his legs above the knee and severely crushed his left arm, no obstacle has been too much to overcome. Tyler wanted to get back to living independently and driving – and be six feet tall again. With the help of his therapy team at Immanuel Rehabilitation and making use of high-technology computerized knee joints, Tyler has done all of those things and more, returning to work and life as a six foot tall individual.