UK Amputee Forced to Wait For Limbs--Third Time

Fury as MoD scheme to give disabled war veterans hi-tech limbs is cancelled THREE times
MIRROR UK
BY MARTYN HALLEDAN WARBURTON
25 FEB 2017

Officials at the Ministry of Defence say they are unable to say when the trial – which fuses bones with titanium rods – will start again

A scheme that could give dozens of limbless war veterans new legs on the NHS has been cancelled three times, the Sunday People can reveal.

Defence chiefs admitted a 27-patient surgical programme has been delayed due to issues with the “equipment supply chain”.

It is a blow to brave veterans who have suffered devastating injuries in conflict zones across the world including Iraq and Afghanistan.
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New Implant Helps Amputees at Salt Lake VA Hospital

Two veterans take their first steps on revolutionary prosthetic legs
Deseret News
By Jed Boal
Published: Friday, Feb. 26 2016
Updated: 12 hours ago

If the trial proves successful, both veterans hope the new artificial legs will improve the lives of other veteran and civilian amputees.

Bryant Jacobs of Herriman, who is learning to walk for the third time: first, as an infant; second, with his socket prosthetic; and now, with his percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses, or POP implant. He is part of a 10-year study to see if this prosthetic will improve the lives of other veteran and civilian amputees. In Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016. Mark Wetzel, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Two Iraq War veterans are taking their first steps on revolutionary prosthetic legs at the Salt Lake VA Hospital.

This is literally the next step for the veterans since undergoing surgeries for their percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses, or POP implant, in December.

The veterans can now walk on their residual limbs.

"It's all about baby steps right now," said Bryant Jacobs of Herriman, who is learning to walk for the third time: first, as an infant; second, with his socket prosthetic; and now, with his POP implant.

A roadside bomb explosion damaged his leg in Iraq 11 years ago. After nearly a decade of trying to rehabilitate the limb, he decided to have it amputated two years ago.

"We are not setting expectations, we're not doing any of that," Jacobs said. "We're just progressing."
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Amputee Soldier Returns To Active Duty

Prosthetic maker helps injured veteran return to service
Post Bulletin
Brett Boese
February 20, 2016

"It's no longer enough to fill the pant leg for a lower extremity amputee. We must give them the tools and training to achieve their highest level of activity, while being constantly aware of comfort and safety."
Brandon Sampson

Limb Lab opened its downtown Rochester location in 2014 with a modest staff of four to fill its unique 3,000-square-foot facility, which routinely draws curious looks on Broadway due to expansive windows that reveal manikins with prosthetic limbs.

Contributed photo
Dan Metzdorf lost his right leg in a roadside blast that killed three of his fellow soldiers during a 2004 tour in Iraq. Metzdorf refused to give up his dream of serving in the military and successfully petitioned to return to his unit.

Arizona's Dan Metzdorf suffered life-threatening injuries in a roadside blast that killed three soldiers during a 2004 tour in Iraq. His right leg was amputated to stop the bleeding and save his life.

After being outfitted with an $50,000 prosthetic leg at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the paratrooper of the 82nd Airborne Division refused to give up his childhood dream of serving in the military. He created a stir throughout the ranks after petitioning to return to active duty, garnering support from many high-ranking officers through a dedicated campaign. Still, it took three official requests before he was allowed to return to his unit, Bravo Company.

That decision by the U.S. Army ultimately allowed Metzdorf to become the first above-the-knee amputee to stay on active duty, where he eventually joined the Golden Knights elite airborne unit.
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Reporters Forget No War Wound Is New

This could have been a really great story but yet again, they seem to have forgotten that there were amputees from ALL WARS and not just Iraq and Afghanistan. The Orlando DAV Chapter 16 has two triple amputees from the Vietnam war. While it is true that the fatality rate has decreased because of medical advancements, we cannot forget that no wound in these wars is different than wars of past generations. Watch the video and then you'll know why.

DARPA taps tech to build sophisticated artificial limbs for wounded veterans
FOX News
Alison Barrie
March 5, 2015

For more than 10 years, DARPA has been relentlessly advancing prosthetic limbs in an attempt to revolutionize the devices. The agency, for example, recently debuted two advanced mechatronic limbs for the upper body. Truly leveraging these revolutionary devices, though, means restoring the link between thought and the hand and arm devices.

Restoring hands, arms, feet, and legs to those wounded in the service of our country should be a national priority…and now, finally, it is, thanks to some very promising technological advances.

Technology advances in area such as body armor and medical response have helped save many, many, wounded U.S. warfighters’ lives. However, many who survive are permanently wounded and today’s generation of warfighters has to contend with an unprecedented frequency of limb loss. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is committed to building highly sophisticated prostheses, giving wounded servicemembers and veterans naturally functioning limbs.

The HAPTIX (Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces) project is working on creating a solution for amputees. This solution would be implanted and directly communicate with the nervous system and brain. This means that a person could think and the hand and arm would move intuitively and function just like a natural hand, complete with the dexterity and sense of touch.

The agency has recently moved its HAPTIX program forward by selecting eight teams that will advance the development of next-generation, state of the art upper-limb prostheses. In particular, they are focusing on creating hands that will move and have a sense of touch like natural ones.
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Even in this video on the link you can see an elderly man!

VA Exposes Patients to Unlicensed Prosthetists Suppliers

Veterans Affairs reviews prosthetics lab after complaints 
Columbus Dispatch
By Nathan Baca and Jodi Andes
WBNS-10TV

Sunday February 22, 2015 After a blood clot forced the amputation of his left leg in 2012, retired Navy Cmdr. Robert Haas was counting on the prosthetics lab at Columbus’ Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Center to help him regain his mobility.

Sadly, he says, his trust was misplaced.

Despite multiple attempts, the prosthetist assigned to care for Haas at the East Side facility proved unable to fit the 30-year veteran with an artificial leg that would enable him to walk — or even stand — without excruciating pain.

Haas’ months-long ordeal — coupled with similar accounts from more than a dozen other central Ohio amputees — triggered a review by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ inspector general. The findings have yet to be released.

It also brought to light a VA hiring practice that potentially exposes patients to unlicensed prosthetists who would be barred from working in civilian health care — at least in Ohio, which imposed minimum training requirements more than a decade ago. 

Among those alarmed by the situation is U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, a colonel in the Ohio Army National Guard.

“It is troubling to me to know that federal law doesn’t protect our veterans at the same level that the civilian population is protected,” Stivers said.

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Double amputee Bradley Walker goes through physical therapy to get used to a computerized prosthetic leg CNN VA Troubled History

Amputee Afghanistan Veteran Skateboards Again!

How Sergeant Stubbs learned to skateboard again:
Inspirational video shows Afghanistan veteran's painstaking determination to get back on his board after losing both legs in front line explosion
Ian Parkinson, 24, from Arizona, lost both legs when he stepped on an IED
He was on patrol near Kandahar in June 2011 when the device exploded
Ian, who calls himself Sergeant Stubbs, lost both legs at the knee
He has had 24 major operations and spent two years in rehabilitation
In March 2012 he stepped back on his skateboard for the first time

Using his 'stubbies' - prosthetics - Ian is re-learning to skateboard again
Ian said without his friends and family he couldn't have made it through
He credits his wife and high school sweetheart Ashley as being his 'rock'
Daily Mail
By LIZZIE PARRY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 13 December 2014

His is a tale of triumph over adversity.

Growing up there were just two things that were certain in Ian Parkinson's mind - the army and skateboarding.

For as long as he can remember, the now 24-year-old from Arizona, wanted to be a soldier.

He admired the uniform, looked up to veterans, and watched and read anything he could about the military. The only other thing captivating his young imagination was skateboarding.

But as a teenager, Ian could never imagine how both would change his life.

In June 2011, while serving with the US Army in Afghanistan, Ian lost both his legs after stepping on to an IED.
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Afghanistan Veteran Charged Leg at Starbucks

One more case of reporters making a difference.

Local 2 helps get power restored for veteran
Click2Houston News
Author: Keith Garvin, Anchor/Reporter
Published On: Nov 17 2014

"I've been going up to Starbucks to charge my leg," he said "and to friends' house to charge my leg."

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas
When we first met Thomas Davis on Monday evening, he literally was a man with no power.
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Vietnam Veteran's Leg Stolen at NFL Game People Chased Theif

VETERAN'S STOLEN PROSTHETIC LEG FOUND ON SUBWAY TRAIN
ABC 6 News
Monday, October 13, 2014

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A stolen prosthetic leg, belonging to a well-known Philadelphia military veteran, has been found by SEPTA police on a subway train.

The victim is Sonny Forriest Jr., who is known for singing outside Eagles and Phillies games.

He says it was around 8:30 Sunday night in the parking lot of Lincoln Financial Field when a drunk woman in her 20's wearing Eagles gear ran up to him, jumped in his lap and broke his microphone.

She allegedly apologized and offered to pay for the microphone.

"She said, 'I will pay you for it.' I said, 'That's alright baby go ahead and have a good time,' and then she disappeared," said Forriest.

But, he says, the next thing he knew, she was cutting through cars with his prosthetic leg in hand.
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