The Challenge
At National Care Advisors, many of our clients are children who are impacted by circumstances out of the control of their family–circumstances that limit their ability to be a child. Recently one of our clients was an 8-year-old boy who was facing developmental and emotional problems due to his physical disability. As a toddler, he had lost both legs and part of his arm to a serious infection. He had been fitted with rigid prosthetics for most of his life that allowed him stand as tall as his peers but these prosthetics did not allow him to run, navigate steps, or even walk on uneven surfaces without significant difficulty. He would go to school and watch his peers play games, unable to join in. He was missing so many experiences of childhood.
Our Job
Our first task was to quickly find a way to give him the tools he needed to simply be an 8-year-old. With the help of a physician specialist at the University of Pennsylvania and Shriners Hospital, the NCA case manager made sure that he was evaluated and fitted with dynamic prosthetics, similar to the prosthetics used by Olympic athletes, but designed with a foot rather than a blade. These prosthetics more closely match natural movement, versus the rigid prosthetics had had been previously provided. Our case manager also worked closely with the child’s parents, insurance providers, physicians, therapists, and the prosthetics vendor to make sure that the best possible solution was provided to this child, and that any bureaucratic road blocks were overcome as quickly as possible.
The Success
Now, at 10 years old, this child’s quality of life is leaps and bounds from where he started at age 8! He’s experiencing a level of normalcy his family never thought possible, and he’s able to interact as an equal with his brother and friends. With the new dynamic prosthetics, this child can now play soccer and basketball with his friends. The moving ankle joint also enables him to ride a bicycle. The NCA case manager continues to follow this child closely to make sure that he has every opportunity and the tools required to become a successful, independent and well-adjusted adult. It is in cases such as this that we see the value of human, personalized attention for our clients that lasts a lifetime.