Newsletters

June Newsletter Vol. 7 Issue 6

Ten-year-old Ornichleel Ulysse (below knee) and her mother, Muriel, spent one week at A Step Ahead, where Ornichleel received her first prosthesis. Originally from Port au Prince, Haiti, Ornichleel sustained injuries during Haiti’s recent earthquake that required her right leg to be amputated below the knee. She was fitted with a custom prosthesis that will allow her and her parents to adjust for height and weight changes for at least 12-18 months. A fundraising dinner and live auction was held at Burton & Doyle restaurant to help provide for her return trips for future prosthetic care.

Many people assisted Ornichleel in coming to A Step Ahead and during her stay in the United States including: interpreters Ricardo Germain, Gino Germain, Abner Felix, Henry Thertus and Carlo Thertus; the Homewood Suites in Plainview, NY, who donated living arrangements for the entire week; Bob Craft of the American Institutes for Research who was the driving force in Haiti to raise the initial funds to bring Ornichleel to A Step Ahead; the ASPIRE organization that offered to be the non-profit vehicle for fundraising in the United States; and Burton & Doyle restaurant, which hosted the fundraising dinner and auction. If you are interested in assisting Ornichleel with her future travel needs and prosthetic care, tax deductible donations can be sent to: ASPIRE c/o Ornichleel 128 Mercer Ave. Hartsdale, N.Y. 10530.

To read the CBS news story and view the video of Ornichleel go to: http://wcbstv.com/seenon/ornichleel.ulysse.haiti.2.1704082.html

Amy Palmiero-Winters Finishes in the Top Twenty at the Able-Bodied 24-hour World Championships in France

On May 13th at 10 am local time in Brive, France, Amy Palmiero-Winters - along with over eighty other female and over 150 male ultramarathoners from thirty two countries - began the 8th annual IAU 24-Hour-Run World Championships. Navigating a ½ mile course on varied terrain, Amy ran 124 miles in 24 hours to secure 19th place. Most significantly, she was the first athlete with limb loss to compete on any world championship team in the history of track and field. Next on Amy’s race calendar is the famed Western States 100-mile endurance run in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, June 26-27, and the Badwater 135-mile ultramarathon in Death Valley, California, July 12-14.  Amy will be running the Badwater race as a fundraiser for programs for children with limb loss. Donations can be sent to ASPIRE/Badwater, 128 Mercer Ave. Hartsdale, N.Y. 10530.

Paul Martin (below-knee) has written his second book, entitled Drinking from My Leg: Lessons from a Blistered Optimist. This second memoir is a follow-up to his first book, One Man’s Leg.

Drinking from My Leg brings the reader up to date where One Man’s Leg left off. Paul narrates the events of his life on and off the race course and dramatically reveals his experiences - some glorious and many hilarious - as a competitive triathlete, runner, and cyclist.

Visit www.paulmartinspeaks.com and pre-order a copy today. The book launches on June 23 and all orders placed on or before that date are eligible for endurance sports-related discounts and freebies from companies like PowerBar, Excel Sports, Xterra Triathlon, DeSoto Sports, and many more. 

Paul is one of the most accomplished amputee athletes of all time in cycling, running, skiing, hockey and triathlon.  He is a Paralympic medalist and has completed ten Ironman triathlons, setting the official record for leg amputees with a time of 10:09:17 at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, 2005.

Paul Martin

Amputee Golfer Plays at Able-bodied State Amateur Championships For First Time

On May 4, Kenny Bontz (above knee) advanced to the second round of the New Jersey State Mid-Amateur Golf Championships by winning his first round of match play on the 17th hole. In the round of 16, Kenny was matched against the top mid-amateur golfer in New Jersey and lost on the 14th hole.

This occasion marked the first time in the United States that an amputee has qualified for and played in a state amateur championship. Kenny is using a custom-designed above knee prosthesis specifically set up for the demands and needs of golf.

Kenny’s reflections on competing at the state championships,  “After I had beaten the #6 seed, all the players came up to me and said it was a pleasure to meet me and that they looked forward to playing with me. Beating one of the best players in the field really opened up some eyes as far as a one-legged player playing to the degree that I am playing. ‘Very impressive’ was the term of the day!”

Read more about Kenny in the following story from the Asbury Park Press:
http://www.app.com/article/20100504/SPORTS0338/5040325/1002/SPORTS/Farmingdale-s-Kenny-Bontz-advances-at-Mid-Amateur-Championship

Patients in the News

Nick Roumonada (below knee) was featured in an article on the website www.asylum.com. The story, One Man’s Journey From Amputation to Madison Garden, focuses on Nick’s move to New York City, his change of career, and his taking up two new sports: running and wheelchair basketball. To read the story go to:

http://www.asylum.com/2010/05/13/nick-roumonada-journey-from-amputation-to-madison-square-garden/

On May 1, Jeff Glasbrenner (below knee) completed the first of eight Ironman triathlons that he plans to compete in this year. Having completed seven prior Ironman races and numerous shorter triathlons, the eight Ironman races in one year is part of Jeff’s commemoration of the fact that thirty years ago, when he was eight years old, he lost his left leg below the knee in a farming accident. For most people, the effort and energy required for competing in a single Ironman triathlon is extreme. An Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile open-water swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26. 2 mile run.

Jeff Glasbrenner

Jeff continues to prove that with the proper motivation and right tools, you can live life without limitations. His schedule of Ironman races this year includes IM St. George on May 1st (completed), IM Coeur d' Arlene on June 27, IM Lake Placid on July 25, IM Louisville on August 29th, IM Wisconsin on September 12, IM Florida on November 6, IM Arizona on November 21, IM Cozumel on November 28.

Upcoming Team A Step Ahead Events:

Empire State Games – Junior Team A Step Ahead June 3-4
Hope & Possibility 5 Mile Race – Central Park, New York June 27
New York City Triathlon – July 18

From the Prosthetist: Spring & Summer

As summer approaches and the temperature increases, several issues may develop with the fit of your prosthesis. Sweating may be a concern. If you wear a below knee prosthesis, sweating can contribute to a loose fit with poor suspension. Throughout the course of the day you may have to take your prosthesis and silicone liner off and dry both the liner and your skin. If you don’t, you will be subjecting your limb to a wet and loose fit that may lead to skin breakdown and bone bruising. If drying off your limb does not help, there are antiperspirants that can be applied to your limb. 
If over-the counter antiperspirants don’t work, you should seek advice from a dermatologist regarding stronger prescription antiperspirants. If you wear an above knee prosthesis, we advise the same care if you use a silicone liner with a seal or lanyard. If your prosthesis is suspended by total suction, taking off your prosthesis, drying your limb, and applying a light coating of medicated powder would be a good first option. Another option would be to apply an antiperspirant.

Another concern in the warm summer weather is volume fluctuation. Your residual limb may increase in size due to the heat. If you wear a below the knee prosthesis, this issue can be resolved easily by reducing sock ply. For above the knee amputees, an adjustment to your socket may be necessary. The heat may pose difficulty for donning an above knee prosthesis. Staying in a well air-conditioned room for about 15- 20 minutes and then donning the prosthesis may make it easier. If you have more questions about how to manage the changes in temperature and how they affect your residual limb, call our office and speak to your prosthetist.

Now is the best time to consider making some changes and/or additions to your prosthesis. If you love the beach, the pool, or water sports, we can fabricate a customized waterproof prosthesis for you. If you have always had the desire to wear shorts and sandals in the summer, we can design and fabricate a custom silicone skin cover for you. Save your old prosthetics components, and we can use them to make a waterproof prosthesis for all your warm-weather activities. The Skin Tones System can even be designed to be used in the water as a fully waterproof prosthesis that can be submerged for swimming and other water sports. For more information about our Skin Tones System, visit our website and view our photo gallery or call to speak to one of our prosthetists.

Above Knee Swim Prosthesis with Custom Silicone Skin Cover

Amputee Support Groups

The ASPIRE Support Group meetings are on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm at the Hospital for Special Surgery located at 535 East 70th Street, NY. For more information about the ASPIRE support group meetings, contact Charlie Steele at charlieatl@aol.com or (212) 877-7050.

New York-Presbyterian Hospital
 Amputee Education and Support Group 
Every First Friday of the Month 10:00-12:00 PM. Milstein Hospital 8 Garden North Dayroom (8th floor rehab unit) Milstein Hospital Building 177 Fort Washington Ave. For more information, contact Sharon Clark at 212-305-3964

Rusk Rehab Amputee Support Group (34th Street/1st avenue) meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM. For more information about the Rusk Rehab Support Group, contact Dr. Jeff Heckman at 631-873-6223 or by email at: jtheckman@yahoo.com

The Long Island Amputee Support Group meets the first Saturday of each month at South Side Hospital, 301 East Main Street in Bayshore. Contact Jodi Adler at 631-968-3330.  

For more information on amputee support groups around the country go to http://www.amputee-coalition.org/npn_about.html

Important federal and local issues to those in the limb loss community have been brought to the forefront in 2010.

State Parity – Utah became the 19th state to pass fair insurance access legislation (parity) for the limb-loss community.  Delaware and Minnesota have held successful hearings, and the ACA staff and advocates have been involved. This trend demonstrates that those with limb loss and their families feel strongly that insurance companies should cover prosthetics and orthotics so they can have access to the care they deserve to lead productive lives. The other 18 states are AR, CA, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, OR, RI, TX, VA and VT.  If your state has not yet passed parity legislation, contact your representatives today.

Federal Parity – Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) have introduced the Prosthetics and Custom Orthotics Parity Act of 2010, S.3223. which would ensure that all Americans have fair access to the mobility devices they need to support their families and live full active lives.  The Amputee Coalition of America and the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association worked with both Senators and their staffs, and we hail the introduction of this bill which bans employers and insurers from imposing stricter limits on insurance coverage for prosthetic arms, legs and custom orthotic devices than those set for other essential medical care. In 2009, a similar bill was introduced in the House, H.R. 2575 by Rep. Robert E. Andrews (NJ-I). Both bills need your support.

TSA Legislation–  While TSA’s job is to protect our national security, we believe that this can be accomplished while making sure the limb loss community is treated fairly and with dignity while traveling through airport security. The Amputee Coalition is currently compiling data from a survey we sent to our entire data base on their experiences with TSA. Inconsistency and lack of training are the main concerns of our members. The results will be soon on our website.