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Innovation & Imagination in Children's Prosthetics

Alysha is a typical five-year-old who wants to do everything her two older sisters do, despite the fact that she was born with a congenital leg abnormality.

When her parents, Elaine and Cory, try to do things for her, she's quick to tell them, "I can do it myself." And the fact is, she can do things herself, thanks in part to a prosthetic limb made just for her.

Since she was a toddler, Alysha has been coming to the Saskatchewan Abilities Council to be fitted with prosthetic limbs. That's more of a challenge than you might think. "Alysha was born with one leg missing and a small foot pointed straight down like a ballerina. She can bear weight through the foot, which helps her operate the prosthesis," says Saskatchewan Abilities Council prosthetist Stan Holcomb.

At first, Alysha was reluctant to use the prosthetic limb. To encourage her, Stan added colourful characters like Ariel the Mermaid and Dora the Explorer. Alysha quickly realized that her prosthetic limb would let her do things she wanted to do, like running and playing with her friends, dancing to Hannah Montana tunes with her sisters, or dancing with her family at pow wows.

Still, Alysha didn't like wearing the strap that helped keep the leg on. "The strap kept her foot in place so that she could bear weight through her foot. She didn't like it, so I incorporated a button that played music whenever it was pushed," Stan says. "The music button helped for a while, but now we've created a new prosthesis for her. It fits a little higher so she won't need the strap to keep her foot in place."

It's the kind of innovation and imagination that the Saskatchewan Abilities Council is known for. Stan has a handful of clients like Alysha, ranging in age from toddlers to young adults. Stan ensures that each prosthetic limb meets the unique needs of each individual client. Children are a special challenge.

"It's fun working with kids," Stan says. "At first, the biggest challenge is just getting kids to trust you. Then we have to come up with different adaptations to help them be as active as they want to be. It's very rewarding … and it's nice when you get hugs and high fives."

Because she is growing, Alysha needs to have her prosthetic limb adjusted or a new one fitted about twice a year. "She outgrew her last one after just 5 months, and she'd almost worn out the prosthetic foot," Elaine says.

Elaine knows their family can count on the Saskatchewan Abilities Council to be there for Alysha as she grows. She's happy to say that Alysha isn't the least bit shy about having a prosthetic limb.

"When other kids ask questions, she's very open and shows off her leg. That kind of confidence is something we want for her."