Read the inspiring story of Megan Yocum, a Lawall patient and amputee who overcame significant mobility challenges with the help of our experienced team of certified prosthetists. Discover how our personalized care and support helped Megan achieve her goals and improve her quality of life. Visit our website to read Megan’s story and learn more about Lawall’s prosthetics and orthotics services.
You might say that Stephanie Elliott’s journey as an amputee has been illuminated and brightened by her past experiences—and by lessons she hadn’t been aware she was learning, until she needed them.
That journey began on Dec. 28, 2020, at the height of the pandemic. She arrived at the emergency room with her left leg dramatically swollen, due in part to diabetic complications. After a three-day battle, she lost the leg due to sepsis.
“It was sad, it was sudden; and because of the Covid lockdown, nobody could be with me at the hospital,” she remembers. “My daughter had to drop me off at the ER. My husband had to dial in to participate in the amputation discussion with the vascular surgeon.”
My name is Dan McDevitt I am an amputee, I got my first amputation done at age nine, and then I got my second amputation at age 11. I’m able to do whatever everyone else can, I’m able to run, I’m able to jump, and I’m able to climb. I live a normal life if I wear long pants, people can’t tell that I’m disabled, and that’s a good thing to know. I have the unique perspective of patient and employee at the same time I’ve been Lawall’s patient since I was five years old and now, I’m 31.
My name is Justin Salvatera and I have been an amputee for over 20 years. When I was a child, only 12 years old, I lost my leg due to cancer. I had a bone tumor, and it was tough, but we were really fortunate to catch it early. I had a slow recovery due to some other medical things, so I was on crutches for a long time. When I did finally get a prosthesis, it was really a big day, it was certainly a new way of life.
My name is Lee Baker and I spent 20 years working as a carpenter until I found out that I had a soft tissue Sarcoma. My doctors, family, and I spent five years fighting to keep my leg, and then finally we had no choice but to amputate it, doctors had never really seen somebody with a hip disarticulation succeed with a prosthetic leg.
Renee Jones is a Physical Therapist and mom of 2 rambunctious boys who are 16 and 8 and she is always running around with them. Renee is in a unique position being a home care physical therapist and an amputee. Sometimes patients are not sure what to make of it all. But the majority of the people Renee works with see her as an inspiration, she reports they often say
Ellie Long has been swimming since she was seven years old—and competing in state-level meets before an adolescent growth spurt threatened her swimming career and changed her life.
In his infancy, young Paul Hassler embodies the spirit of a triumphant warrior, courageously confronting plagiocephaly and torticollis with the help of Lawall Prosthetics and Orthotics. Their innovative custom-fitted helmet, designed with SmartSoc™ 3D scanning systems, is his secret weapon, gently correcting his condition with minimal discomfort. This transformative tool empowers children like Paul, allowing them to delight in their youth unhampered. Stand against your anxieties and uncertainties, as Cheryl Hassler, Paul’s mother, advises: “Don’t hesitate. Get it done.” With Lawall Prosthetics and Orthotics’ team of experienced healthcare professionals standing with you, you’re never alone. Invest in your child’s happy and healthy future – equip them for success with Lawall Prosthetics and Orthotics.
Imagine trying to play a game of charades with your hands tied, wearing a gag, and you may have some idea of the frustrations some individuals with cerebral palsy experience when trying to communicate. Add that to the mobility challenges also faced by 19-year-old Brandon Kucowski, and you’re looking at a lifestyle that would daunt most people.
But Brandon is by nature a happy person with a family who is “in tune” with his feelings without relying on traditional channels; and they’ve found—and created—ways that allow Brandon to share and enjoy an exciting outdoor world far beyond the range of a standard wheelchair.
Kenneth L. Scott, Sgt. USMC Retired, is also a 100% Disabled War Veteran who fought in the Gulf War during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, was stationed in the Philippines during the 1989 Philippine coup, and has completed intense training and missions all over the world. As a result, he has already grappled with a variety of challenges and medical issues, including neurological damage, exposure to NBC (Nuclear Biological and Chemical) warfare and blunt force trauma that resulted in total blindness in his right eye. No stranger to adversity, Scott casually dismisses those trials as “a lot of mini-surgeries—just way too many things to count”—and is enthusiastic about telling a tale of triumph, instead.
