Before he became a member of Team Lawall, Justin was first a Lawall patient who worked as a chef at Philadelphia’s Tria Café. When the Pandemic hit and closed many restaurants, he decided to pursue his longtime dream of becoming an O&P technician or a CPO.
“When I saw the Lawall ads online for ‘Techs Needed’, I reached out and offered to come in to help. They took me in, taught me, and I’m still learning every day in this amazing industry!
“It’s been a great career shift for me, but I’m still able to do some consulting and contract work for the restaurant when they need help.”
His own life experience with limb loss, as well as his technician’s knowledge of the devices available to amputees, allows him to serve as mentor and advisor to Lawall patients:
“When a young patient comes into the office, sometimes the prosthetist will bring me in from the fabrication rooms to talk to them and show them my leg, then discuss with them what’s working for me. Kids and even adults will ask me what’s the best leg, because I’ve worn several different legs since I’ve been working here; and I can tell them what’s good about each of them, and how they differ. So I can provide a lot of helpful input to our patients.”
He’s also a popular consultant during Team Lawall events, and enjoys a lot of facetime with patients on those occasions. What makes the Ossur Flex-Run blade a great choice, he tells them, is that it’s a very versatile all-around device.
“It’s great for running, of course, but it’s also not just a sprinting leg. It’s good for active sports in general. You can do a lot with it—it’s something kids and adults could use for many activities.”
Patients interested in trialing a running foot are invited to preview it at future clinics, especially at the Team Lawall Level-Up event on October 4th, from 10a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holy Ghost Prep in Bensalem, PA. Although this will be Lawall’s 5th annual event, it will be the first time it has included a running clinic where limb loss patients may test-drive a new sports prosthesis. At the same time, they may also participate in other activities coached by Ottobock representatives including Brian Frasure, Certified Prosthetist and Paralympic Gold Medalist, and Chris Doerger, Certified Prosthetist and Physical Therapist.
Justin anticipates welcoming a number of people interested in trying out a prosthetic running foot for themselves. “Because it’s really dynamic, there’s a learning curve with the foot, since you’re not used to moving like that. It’s a great experience for people to share with other participants, too!”
His commitment has also involved Justin in Lawall’s efforts to lobby the New Jersey legislature to require healthcare insurance providers to cover running blades for amputees. This is a nationwide movement that has taken the country by storm, So Everybody Can Move legislation is spreading. There are activists in nearly every state working to have insurance coverage mandates for activity specific devices. New Jersey is very close to passing this mandate!
“Lower limb amputees who have running blades are much more likely to have a heathier, more active lifestyle that could contribute to a longer and more enjoyable life,” Justin points out.
