prosthetics

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

Facing diabetes from a young age, Jim Davis allowed it to shape him, not define him. Despite suffering severe health complications, his unwavering resilience triumphed. Post-gastric sleeve surgery, and after shedding significant weight, his determination soared to new heights as he participated in the Tour de Cure bike ride. With an unshakable support system comprising of family, healthcare team, and prosthetists, Jim has turned his life around and is steadfastly setting ambitious goals for the future. His story is a testament that no matter the adversity, with determination and support, progress and rehabilitation is always possible.

The rigors of daily life in a war zone are unimaginable to many; it’s a world filled with hardships, insecurities, and very real dangers to life and limb. Izzeddin Alnawasra, a 15-year old survivor of such a life, lost his leg in a traumatic amputation after sustaining a gunshot wound in May 2018. He later came from Gaza, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, to the United States, and arrived in a wheelchair—but “with a smile that would light up his whole face!” remembers Mike Kelly, CP, Izz’s prosthetist at Lawall.

The distance between Philadelphia and Fort-Liberté, Haiti, is more than 1,450 miles, and the two cities are worlds apart in many other ways, as well; but Deacon Alynx Benardin’s commitment to serve his parish and complete his path to ordination as a Catholic priest inspired others to help span that gap. Despite distance, language barriers, and pandemic travel complications, the arm Benardin lost in a vehicle accident in Haiti was successfully replaced with an above-elbow prosthesis and hand created in Philadelphia in 2020 by Lawall.

What type of individual is quoted in his medical chart as replying “all things considered doing pretty well” as he is being rushed into an ER after having his leg traumatically severed following a motorcycle accident? The same person who now proudly wears a t-shirt stating “Some Assembly Required” Hamilton Township Patrolman Robert Whartenby is a motivated individual with a fantastic perspective on life.