The puppy formerly known as Autumn.....

We first introduced our new little puppy prosthetic patient to you last month.  At the time, this little girl English Setter mix was being fostered after being rescued from a local shelter.  Her rescuers contacted Dankmeyer to see if we could make her a prosthetic device, as her left hind leg is missing a foot.   We started the process and now she is waiting for the delivery of her device.  In the meantime, applicants were welcome to apply to adopt the seven month old puppy. 

The Charles and Jeanne Smith (Dankmeyer Patient Services Representative) Family is proud to announce the adoption of the puppy who has been renamed Moxie.  She was officially named Moxie through a voting process by her extended Dankmeyer family.  Moxie means courage, determination, energy and pep - all of which describe Moxie well.  Jeanne reports on their new family member:

“Her personality shows her to have a mild temperament and love for attention.   The partial loss of her hind leg does NOT slow her down. She loves to run, play and has become cleverly adaptive to her environment.  Climbing stairs is achieved with leaps and bounds; however, descending stairs is accomplished by sliding on her belly until she gets halfway down - then she proceeds to run to the bottom!”

Moxie is working with her prosthetist, Jed Newhardt, CPO, and the creative staff at Dankmeyer, to design and fabricate her a prosthetic foot.  We will continue to post updates and pictures of  Moxie's journey and experiences. 

Autumn is not just a season....

Autumn.jpg

And who is this precious little seven month old puppy? This is Autumn, who is an English Setter mix who also happens to be missing her left hind leg below the knee.  Autumn was found by a local rescue organization at Howard County Animal Control. The rescue contacted us to see if we would be interested in providing her with a prosthesis.  We were very eager to give it a try.  Jed Newhardt, CPO, who has some prior experience from his time in Seattle, Washington with dog prosthetics, is leading the Dankmeyer team to fit Autumn with a device.  We are just in the beginning stages of this effort, and will keep everyone posted with more details as we progress - with pictures and video!

Coffee with Dankmeyer At our Sinai Office

Last week, on Thursday 10/27/16, we hosted one of our Coffee with Dankmeyer events at our Sinai office.  Located in the Morton Mower building on the Sinai Hospital campus in Suite 107, we invite all Sinai professionals to drop in, see our facility and become familiar with our services.  Since we were so close to Halloween, that was our theme, and Sheryl Nathanson CPO, Jeanne Smith from Patient Services and Practice Liaison Toni Robinson played hostess to a number of guests.  Here are some fun pictures to share.

No Tricks! Just Treats!

Dankmeyer offices will be hosting some Fall and Halloween fun next week, October 24 - October 31, Halloween day.  Each office will have a few events sure to bring a smile to patients and families - like this guy is smiling! Well, maybe not so scary - we are very friendly folks at Dankmeyer.  This is one of the pumpkins from last year's employee pumpkin carving contest - and we welcome your votes for this year's contest!  The pumpkins will be on display Thursday and Friday 10/27 and 10/28 in the Linthicum office.  And, if they don't disappear over the weekend, they will still be there on Halloween.  Winners of that contest will be posted on our Facebook page.

 

If pumpkins are not your thing, except maybe in some pie - you could guess how many candy corns are in a jar - and submit your guess in order to win a prize.  Each office will have a $25 Visa card waiting for the patient who comes in and makes a guess closest to the number of candies in the jar.  Those winners will be announced on November 1, 2016.  So, don't be bashful, like this guy, and take a guess. If you didn't see this one last year, this was another entry in the pumpkin carving contest.

 

 

We will also have some sugar free candies for anyone who feels like they might like to pop something into their mouth while they are in the office - like this character. Yes, you guessed it - another creative carving from last year! We will have some fun trivia on the display board in the Linthicum office, and employees might be disguised themselves on Halloween day. And, if a patient or family member comes into any office on Halloween day in costume, we have a special treat for you!  

Come join the fun! 

 

Adapted Sports - More than Paralympics

Basketball, tennis, scuba diving, skiing, water sports, golf, and so much more – these can all be adapted for individuals with physical disabilities. Many people who have disabilities are unaware that their sports and leisure activities of choice can be adapted to meet their needs, whether it’s participation in a wheelchair, modifying/adding equipment or modifying the rules. For example, in tennis, playing in a wheelchair and having two bounces instead of one are allowed. Snow skiing can be done with one ski (for amputees), in a sit ski, or can have outriggers for extra support and stability. Lower limb amputees can ski with two standard skis while using a prosthesis.

In this picture, Eric Flynn is showing off some skis that have been adapted for his use.  The ski binding attachments were made by Enabling Technologies of Colorado. 

Dankmeyer, Inc. modified the binding attachments for direct attachment to Eric's prostheses.  Baltimore Ski Warehouse, a local ski shop, set up the skis and bindings.  There are ski specific feet that could be used; you can see those by clicking on either of these links: Freedom Innovations and Otto Bock. Or, Eric could have used more standard prosthetic feet and ski boots. There are many options for adapting ski equipment or other sports equipment for prostheses and it takes a TEAM to find the right solution at the right time for a specific person.  This is a very practical solution as it is simple and durable and was just the right solution for Eric for his first ski outing. He did so well, we will have to see how we can support his interest in the sport and make sure the equipment keeps up with him!!

Sports can be done with prostheses/orthoses or without, depending on the participants’ choice and comfort level. Some sports, including tennis, can be done alongside individuals without disabilities. Variations on rules and equipment are based on types of disability and are sport-specific.   Previous patient story Jenny Windsor trained for months to compete in her first Rugged Maniac challenge, involving a number of obstacles for running, climbing and jumping and mud.  This required a great deal of stamina and upper body strength to complete. She worked carefully with her prosthetist to make sure she was prepared.  

Participation in adaptive recreational or competitive sports provides tremendous physical and emotional health benefits, including those related to a healthy weight, improved quality of life, and decreased stress. It also provides opportunities for social interaction with people who have had similar life experiences and with their peers who do not have a physical disability.

An acquired disability does not mean that the individual cannot do a sporting activity that they enjoy, whether it’s competitive or recreational. Athletes do not have to be Paralympians to participate, and everyone with a physical disability is welcome. Individuals may want to try something that they haven’t ever tried before, and sometimes an adapted version is a great way to get introduced to a sport. Many local and national organizations offer opportunities to learn new activities and participate at recreational and competitive levels. Some of these include:

On September 10, 2016, the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Center hosted the 8th annual Adaptive Sports Festival, which provided an introduction to adaptive sports to the local community with physical disabilities as well as present and past patients. It was a great way for individuals to learn about local programs, resources, and adaptive sports teams. It also was a great way for individuals with disabilities to meet peers who can understand the lifestyle changes and challenges they face. 

The Paralympic Games occur in parallel with the Olympic Games, where athletes from all over the world with various types of disabilities compete. In fact, they are happening now in Rio! They originally started following World War II for veterans and civilians with disabilities and grew from there, incorporating a wide variety of athletes with disabilities. The Paralympics serve as a celebration for competition and provides motivation for individuals who may not necessarily be athletes realize that anything is possible despite having a disability. Read more at https://www.paralympic.org/ and watch on NBC. The Paralympics occur from September 7-18.

For an amazing video of the kinds of sports and athletes that will be in the Paralympics, click here.  

If you have any questions about how YOU might participate in a sport, either in an adapted fashion or not, then let your clinician know.

- Kristen Beltran, Resident Prosthetist, Orthotist