Donna
"I cried and thought, For the first time in my life, I walk like everyone else... I walk beautifully."
Fifty-three old Donna recently had one of her fondest wishes fulfilled when she was fitted with Otto Bock HealthCare's Free Walk™ Stance Control KAFO Orthosis. For the first time in her life, she could stand upright while walking.
An infant victim of polio, it was always necessary for Donna to lean her torso to one side while walking in order to maintain balance. In addition, her lack of knee stability meant she had to wear a stiff, cumbersome brace that kept her leg locked in a rigid position. Taking a step was only possible by swinging her leg to the side.
Balancing the need for security while still allowing freedom of motion seemed almost impossible. The best solution still required that the knee joint be unlocked manually. The light-weight FreeWalk changed all that by automatically unlocking to allow the knee to swing freely when walking, then automatically locking to provide stability when needed. Simple, but revolutionary.
Donna admits she didn't always enjoy being the center of attention when she entered a room. Now she hopes the whole world is watching.
