Newsroom - Patient Stories
Forget His Disability & Huddle Up
One of our young Superstars |
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Amputee Stockwell selected for Beijing Paralympics
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=3333076 |
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Wounded Vet Again Tackles Basic Traininghttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/20/AR2008032003926.html |
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A REMARKABLE YOUNG WOMAN
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'I feel really lucky' Bishop Chatard swimmer undaunted by disability
By Paul Shepherd Kendra White hears stories of others who share experiences similar to hers and considers herself fortunate. The Bishop Chatard senior was born with the upper part of her right leg missing, the lower half in its place. She's endured surgeries and wears a prosthesis, but it hasn't kept White from pursuing her goals. 
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'Mildly inconvenienced’ Iraq war vet aims for Paralympics
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Iraq took leg, China has her heart
MAKING U.S. TEAM 'WILL MAKE MY LIFE COMPLETE' | Former soldier training for 2008 Paralympic Games Melissa Stockwell swims purposefully up the pool lane, her arms rhythmically reaching through the water. Her goal is in sight -- literally and figuratively. Just beyond the end of her lane hangs an Olympic flag. In Stockwell's mind, she can also see herself swimming next summer in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, a competition for people with disabilities held just after the Olympics.
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Farah Ahmedi, 18, Carol Stream, Ill.
In 1994, Farah lost her left leg to a land mine in her native Afghanistan and three years later, a rocket hit her home, killing her dad and two sisters. Last April, she published her autobiography, The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky and raised thousands of dollars on her book tour for the United Nations’ Adopt-a-Minefield campaign, which helps clear land mines. |
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Amputee competing to qualify for Paralympic Games
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Back on course: Cyclist’s first race since amputation is at today’s El Tour By Patrick Finley - Arizona Daily Star
David Young was seeking balance. Two weeks ago Friday, he received the key to it. Two days after that, he tested himself, curious whether he would feel the way he used to when he was on a bicycle. Young walked outside his home in Kenosha, WI, pulling his bicycle behind him. He climbed onto the seat and swung his legs around the frame. He reached one arm out and leaned on his black Jeep Cherokee, afraid he might fall.
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Jason Wening
As a swimmer, Jason Wening excelled in the pool against both able-bodied and disabled competition. Born with underdeveloped legs that ultimately led to above-knee amputations, the now-30-year-old started competing in third grade. “Swimming meant freedom from the prostheses when I was a young kid,” Wening says. “And I benefited from all the other stuff that goes along with sports, too – teamwork, competition, setting goals, bettering yourself.” Wening swam in college for Worcester (MA) Polytechnic Institute. Even without legs Wening was consistently one of the top swimmers on the team and a team captain. After college he medalled for his age group at the U.S. Masters 5K Open Water Championships. “Without any propulsion off the wall I lose so much ground on the flip turns, so open water was actually better for me,” he says. As successful as he was against able-bodied swimmers, Wening dominated against his physically challenged peers. In three Paralympic Games he won five gold medals and one bronze. He still holds three Paralympic world records, in the 800- and 1500- meter freestyle and the 400-meter individual medley. Wening retired after the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, then studied advanced orthotics and prosthetics at Northwestern. He still swims a bit, but his athletic passion has shifted to running. Though Wening has only competed since March 2004, he’s excelled in several open races. He holds a PR of 19:46 for the 5K, and clocked 1:36 at the St. Louis Half-Marathon. Wening is eyeing a spot in the National Leg Amputee Half-Marathon Championship this November; his PR would have placed him third last year. I still have a competitive edge, but I don’t want to get to a point where I have to think too seriously about training and performance,” Wening says. “I just love to run when I feel like running, swim when I feel like swimming, and race when I feel like racing, and do it all in a pretty laid back fashion.” Serb, Chris. No Obstacles: Meet 3 Disabled Athletes Making a Difference Chicago Athlete Magazine. September 2005: 18-19. |
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PROSTHETICS HELP DISABLED PLAY MUSIC
Jim Mullen CBS 2 disabilities reporter Jim Mullen takes note of Ben Schweizer's success. Music is my life. There's no question about it, said the 18-year-old. Schweizer was born to be a musician, even though he was born with no left forearm or hand. Besides piano, he plays trombone and even electric guitar. Schweizer makes his music with the help of specially-designed devices. The best thing about Ben is that he challenged me from day one when I met him, said David Rotter with Scheck & Siress. Rotter designed Schweizer's prosthetic devices. The first one was made so he could hold his trombone. The whole idea was to make it comfortable for him, where he could keep his arm on the side and not have it be fatigued from being up in the air and have leverage to hold the trombone, Rotter said. Then Schweizer presented a new challenge. He came in one day with an electric guitar and an amp and said, 'Dave, I'm going to learn how to play a guitar, so we have to make a new prosthesis. I said great, Rotter said. Schweizer says his biggest challenge has been constantly having to prove he's a musician. People tend to think it's a joke when I say I can play piano or guitar. They won't believe me until I actually prove it, he said. He's proven that and more, with success in music, theater and sports. I was on the swim team for a number of years. I wrestled for a number of years, played football, Schweizer said. His advice to others? Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something based on how you look, whether or not you're missing an arm or a leg, whatever it is, if you think you can do it, try it, Schweizer said. Rotter says prosthetic devices like Schweizer's can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. But Shriners Hospital for Children will pay for prosthetics for its patients up to age 18 and they paid for all of his. (© MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc., All Rights Reserved.) |
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When I got home last night I sat my kids down to talk about the litany of suburban travails that soooo take over daily life. Who's gonna pick up whom? Why won't you eat fruit? My clothes are wrinkled. Why didn't you empty the dryer?.It was a little different however as, thanks to this job of mine, I met someone yesterday who is special. So, we talked about that instead. If I was in reporter mode here, I would type...Farah Ahmedi is a 20 year old Afghan refugee who lost one of her legs when she stepped on a land mine. She eventually left her homeland to make her way to the United States and a new life.
Melissa Stockwell, who works at Scheck & Siress in Oak Park, swims a lot—nearly 20 miles weekly. The 27-year-old practices nine times a week, totaling 17 hours (seven practices at two hours each, two at 1½ hours apiece). Why is she swimming so much? Stockwell has a goal in mind come April, exactly four years to the week that her life changed forever, yet in many ways, stayed the same.
Swimming is the one activity that takes Melissa Stockwell’s mind off the fact she’s missing a leg. The Chicago resident, who works at Scheck & Siress in Oak Park, lost her left leg April 13, 2004, while serving in Iraq. A convoy commander, Stockwell was in the back seat of an unarmored Humvee, leading a group of vehicles. The Humvee hit a roadside bomb, swerved, and hit a guardrail. Stockwell was injured and lost her left leg up to her knee. She doesn’t think about the bomb much now, she said. The leg, that’s a different story.
