Stories

When I was three months old, my parents had to make the decision to amputate my leg above-the-knee because of a birth defect. For most children that would drastically change their life; I was an exception. Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, I had taken to sports at a very young age. Being the only amputee around, I had no idea that playing hockey, baseball, tennis and basketball at an elite level was unusual. I made the provincial tennis team and led my high school basketball team to a number ...
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At the age of 16, active and athletic Michael Orlie was diagnosed with cancer in his lower right knee. He quickly began a yearlong battle with the disease that would require chemotherapy and surgery on the leg. Orlie's surgeons were able to save his leg, but it was less than adequate. He spent the next ten years on and off of crutches trying to get the fused leg to heal. With no mobility in the knee, he was left with few options to continue the lifestyle of a teenager.

Nine years late...
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Before I came to Scott Sabolich Prosthetic & Research, I was in a state of serious despair. I have a short residual limb, small bones, and an extremely sensitive nerve area, all of which have combined to make my case somewhat difficult. I had spent a year and a half trying to get a prosthesis that didn't cause me pain. I was reaching the limit of my frustration and could tell my family was suffering with the situation also. I had been praying for the Lord to show me what to do. My hu...
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J.C. Bailey will never forget the day he lost his leg. He doesn't see how people could forget something like that. It was March 3, 1998, and he was doing what he loves best – hunting. That spring day, he had been hunting for wild boar with a group of men. They decided to go into town for something to eat when J.C. saw a jackrabbit. He got out of the car and aimed his 40-caliber Baretta, but he missed. "I was sure I put it on de-cock when I got back in the car. But then I went over ...
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Carmen Christian was stunned when she discovered she was pregnant seven years after the birth of her first child. She had been told she would have no more children. But as the pregnancy progressed, she sensed something was wrong. "Mother's intuition," she says. So when her daughter D'Ann was born without a left hand, she cried and was angry with God. "But the day after she was born, I decided I was going to get a new hand for her." But every prosthetist and doctor she saw ...
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Patty Withrow is a charming lady living in an enchanting, stately home in Oklahoma. The multi-talented woman plays the piano and sings. She is vibrant and active. You would never know it, but this diminutive lady is an amputee.

"Learning how to adapt is so important," Patty says. "Everything in life requires it." At age 15, she learned she was diabetic and had to adapt her life around the disease. "My father always said, 'It doesn't matter what happens to you ...
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Our daughter Cassie was born with a birth defect that left her right leg considerably shorter than the left. Her right foot was also missing several critical bones, and her ankle and lower leg bone were malformed. When the doctor recommended amputating above the ankle, we were hesitant, but the alternative was years of surgery and trying to stretch the leg out, all on the slim hope it would work. Although it was a really hard decision, we decided amputation was the best path to take.

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