November Newsletter Volume 5 Issue 11
Patients in the News When Sofia Castillo (Above Knee) was diagnosed with cancer, she submitted a wish to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Her wish was to go to Egypt and visit the Tomb of King Tut. In September, her wish was granted. Sofia and her family made a 10 day trip to Egypt to explore many world-renowned sights. Half of the trip was spent cruising down the Nile River visiting temples.  | Sofia Castillo |
Other highlights of her trip included camel rides around the pyramids and walking down the streets of Cairo. Sofia viewed the 4000-year-old mummy of King Tut while traveling through the Valley of the Kings and then experienced the beautiful temple of Queen Hatshepsut while visiting the Valley of the Queens. | Sofia and her family at the entrance to the Tomb
of King Tut |
Max Gold (Hip Disarticulation) was featured in a story in the New York Non-Profit Press. This story in the October edition focused on a local film festival that highlighted films about people with disabilities. Many of the films from RealAbilities: The First Annual NY Disabilities Film Festival were shown at the Henry Viscardi School, where Max is a high school senior. The complete story can be read at:
http://www.nynp.biz/current/archives/nynparchives/currentmonth.pdf  | Max Gold |
Matt Swartz (Below Knee) was featured in a newly released book entitled "Blood Lessons: What Cops Learn from Life or Death Encounters." In the chapter "Bionic Trooper," Matt's story of his car accident and subsequent return to full active duty as a New York State Trooper is told. Matt is the first amputee to return to active duty for the New York State Police Department.
Ben Simmons, NYC Marathon Runner, featured on NBC Show Ben Simmons (Above Knee) will be competing in his first New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2nd. On Saturday, November 1st at 7:30 pm Eastern Time, Ben was featured on an NBC show entitled "My First Time." The show was about three runners with different challenges who are doing the New York City marathon for the first time. Ben's segment highlights his training for the marathon, his customized running prosthesis, and the support that he receives from A Step Ahead Prosthetics.
Newsletter and Website Survey We consider your input to be very important to us, which is why we have developed a short, anonymous survey regarding our newsletter "Live Life Without Limitations" and our website. The responses we receive will help us better understand how we can provide you with the most current and relevant information. Please click on the following link to take this quick survey:
www.astepaheadonline.com/survey.html
Physician Visit from Israel On October 15th-16th, Dr. Uri Oppenheim of the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Israel visited A Step Ahead. Dr. Oppenheim is an orthopedic surgeon and rehabilitation physician who specializes in the treatment of patients with limb loss. The Sheba Medical Center is the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East. Dr. Oppenheim was here to observe and learn about the most advanced and recent techniques and innovations in prosthetic care. As a runner and triathlete, Dr. Oppenheim also has a special interest in sports for amputee athletes. During his visit, he spent time with the staff at A Step Ahead and interacted with many patients and athletes from Team A Step Ahead.
Tommy Koehler's Fundraiser for his Cousin Long-time member of Team A Step Ahead Tommy Koehler (Below Knee) is running the PF Chang's Marathon in January to raise money for his cousin, Christian. Unfortunately, earlier this year 9-year-old Christian Koehler was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Christian is a 4th grade student from East Islip, New York. He is an outstanding student and a gifted athlete, excelling in both lacrosse and football. On January 18, Tommy will be running the PF Chang's Marathon in Arizona to raise awareness and funds to help Christian and his family through their time of need. Tommy is being assisted in this fundraising effort by Friends of Karen, a not-for-profit organization that provides assistance to children and their families diagnosed with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. To sponsor Tommy in his run, contact him at Bassmantck@hotmail.com or call him at 516-971-9236. Donations can be sent to Friends of Karen, 21 Perry Street Port Jefferson, NY 11777.
Twelve athletes and four staff and coaches traveled to La Jolla, California to participate in the 15th Annual Challenged Athletes Foundation San Diego Challenge Triathlon. Four relay teams competed on Sunday, October 26th in an open-water swim in the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla Cove, a fifty-two mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run throughout the hills and coast line of southern California. The athletes competing were swimmers John Tartaglio (Bilateral Hip Disarticulation), Sandy Dukat (Above Knee), Marcos Corti-Maderna (Below Knee), and Kelly Bruno (Below Knee); cyclists Ralph Greene (Hip Disarticulation), Shlomo Nimrodi (Above Knee), Michael Laforgia (Below Knee/Partial Foot), and Michael Foresto (Above Elbow); and runners Amy Palmiero-Winters (Below Knee), Brian O'Sullivan (Above Knee), Tommy Koehler (Below Knee) and Jack Ahrens (Below Knee).  | Team A Step Ahead and Staff at the CAF Triathlon |
On Sunday, November 2nd, Junior Team A Step Ahead athletes will be assisting at the New York City Marathon PowerBar gel station at the 18-mile mark of the race. The juniors will be handing out gels to the runners at this crucial point of the race. This is a great opportunity for the junior team athletes to help out other athletes. On October 11th, Jeff Glasbrenner (Below Knee) competed in his 5th Ironman competition at the Ford Ironman World Championships. Jeff and the rest of the athletes in the race dealt with high cross winds on the bike course, which caused Jeff to fall. The fall lead to a broken front axle, forcing him to wait for over 40 minutes to get a replacement wheel. Jeff will be competing on November 8th at the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater Florida. The 70.3 race is a half-Ironman consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and a 31.1-mile run. Kelly Bruno (Below Knee) will be competing in her third Ironman Triathlon on Saturday, November 1st at the Beach2Battleship Ironman in her home state of North Carolina. Look for a full report and results in the December issue of our newsletter.
Research A Step Ahead is currently actively participating in two research projects. We are conducting research with the Touro College Doctoral Physical Therapy program, entitled "Reliability and Reproducibility of the Temporal and Spatial Parameters of Gait in Individuals with Lower Extremity Amputations Utilizing a Ceterus Foot." The research is being directed by Dr. Bob Triano, DPT, CHT and Frances Corio, PT, PhD OCS. We are also working closely with Adelphi University in conducting a research study entitled "The Run Efficiency of Amputee Athletes with Prostheses." The purpose of this study is to evaluate the energy cost of the Flex Run prosthetic foot and match the optimal prosthetic stiffness to the athlete at various run speeds. The research is directed by Dr. Bob Otto, director of the Human Performance Laboratory of Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y. The results of this research will help determine what category of running foot allows the athlete to run at the most efficient level. In addition, the research will provide significant data on running efficiency of below the knee amputee runners.
Amputee Support Groups There will be no ASPIRE support group meeting in November. The ASPIRE amputee support group holiday party is on Wednesday, December 17th. For more information about the ASPIRE support group, 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 9-11 AM Hoyt Board Room Children's Hospital of New York in Room 121, 3959 Broadway New York, NY 10032. (Enter on West 167th and Broadway at the Glass Energy Court). For further information and to RSVP, contact Sharon Clark at 212-305-3964. Speaker: Mike Alhanti, WWII Veteran. The Long Island Amputee Support Group meets the first Saturday of each month at South Side Hospital, 301 East Main Street in Bayshore. If you are interested in joining this group, contact Jodi Adler at 631-968-3330.
Mobility Clinic Join Dave Balsley, P.T. and Phil Kreuter, P.T. at the Jericho High School track on Long Island for their monthly mobility clinic at 10 am on Sunday, November 16th. They will provide instruction in gait training and running techniques as well as advanced mobility skills. Dave and Phil have extensive experience working with amputees of all ages and activity levels. Come work out with world class athletes and learn from experienced coaches and physical therapists. The setting is relaxed and enjoyable. There is no pressure; come learn and see what you can do to improve yourself or just to watch. For more information and directions to the mobility clinic, call the office at 516-681-3484.
Staying Active with Winter Sports Skiing, snow boarding, and ice skating are fun winter sports. At A Step Ahead, we can custom align your prosthesis so you can enjoy these activities safely. In addition to alignment, we custom-fabricate knee orthoses and stump helmets to protect your residual limb. Knee braces are essential for below the knee amputees who ski. While skiing, your knee will be subjected to side to side forces that will place excessive strain on your knee joint. A custom brace can be fabricated to attach to your prosthesis and will provide improved side-to-side stability, reducing the risk of injury to your knee. If you are an above the knee amputee, skiing without your prosthesis is common. A stump helmet is a device that will encompass and protect your residual limb if you fall. They are designed to reduce the risk of bruising and possible fractures of the bone in your residual limb. If you are gearing up for winter sports or are interested in a custom prosthesis for any sport, call our office to speak to one of our prosthetists.
ADA Amendments Act: Working to End Discrimination Against People with Disabilities On September 25th, President Bush signed into law the ADA Amendments Act which expands protections for people with disabilities and overturns several recent Supreme Court decisions. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was enacted to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in areas of employment, public services and public transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications. This ground-breaking law is sometimes called the "Emancipation Proclamation for People with Disabilities" --- meaning that it created true freedom and a framework of basic rights. The ADA also laid the foundation for other disability rights protections, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which ensures access to a public education for children with disabilities throughout the United States. Over the past decade, a series of Supreme Court decisions have narrowed who is covered by the ADA, and many individuals have found themselves no longer protected. The ADA Amendments Act (S. 3406) will correct this injustice by restoring the basic right of people with disabilities to be judged on their performance. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) to redefine the term "disability," including by defining "major life activities" and "being regarded as having such an impairment." It sets forth rules of construction regarding the definition of "disability," including that: (1) such term shall be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals under the Act; (2) an impairment that substantially limits one major life activity need not limit other major life activities in order to be a disability; (3) an impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active; and (4) the determination of whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity shall be made without regard to the ameliorative effects of specified mitigating measures. The new law also prohibits employment discrimination against a qualified individual on the basis of disability. (Current law prohibits employment discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability because of the disability) consistent with business necessity. It also makes conforming amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. By stating that the determination of whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity shall be made without regard to the ameliorative effects of mitigating measures such as --- (I) medication, medical supplies, equipment, or appliances, low-vision devices (which do not include ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses), prosthetics including limbs and devices, hearing aids and cochlear implants or other implantable hearing devices, mobility devices, or oxygen therapy equipment and supplies; (II) use of assistive technology; (III) reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aids or services. | 
