An Amputee Olympian Brings Hope To Injured Veterans

PITTSBURGH, PA, November 05, 2012

One of the tragic hallmarks of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has been the devastating impact of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on American veterans. Many veterans find themselves returning home to Pittsburgh and the rest of the country after IEDs claimed one or more of their limbs.

In addition to the difficult process of securing disability benefits, these veterans must adjust to new lives as amputees. New technological advances, however, are transforming the experience of life with prosthetic limbs. Many veterans are finding ways to press forward with the help of advanced, lightweight materials like carbon running blades.

A New Kind Of Olympic Hero

Oscar Pistorius, a sprinter from South Africa, inspired amputee veterans by becoming the first amputee to compete in the Olympic Games. Pistorius raced in the London Olympics, using two carbon blades to run sprint events. He earned the nickname "blade runner" and showed the world how much an amputee can thrive and succeed in spite of physical impairments.

One Vietnam veteran compared current technologies to his first prosthetic leg. He said that his first wooden prosthetic was scarcely better than what existed for Civil War veterans a hundred years earlier. It was uncomfortable and painful to the point that he could barely walk and any kind of athletic activity was impossible.

This veteran described Pistorius' accomplishment as "nothing short of revolutionary."

Veterans Running Past Limitations

Other veterans are following in Pistorius' footsteps by pushing themselves to compete with prosthetic assistance. While these veterans may always require disability benefits to help them handle severe injuries, they are increasingly able to harness new technology to keep living healthy and happy lives.

Two of these veterans recently competed in a Chicago marathon. One of the men lost both of his legs to an IED at the age of 22. While recovering from the amputation and working towards a permanent mechanical knee fitting, he became fast friends with another amputee. That man, a 41-year-old medic, lost his legs and one arm in another IED blast in Afghanistan. The two men used hand-cycles to train for the marathon - another example of the new opportunities that exist to help veterans thrive after amputations.

While carbon prosthetics and other assistive technologies will only improve, disabled veterans still face enormous difficulties. Amputees must adjust to a completely new life in addition to basic difficulties of returning from active service. Among other obstacles, the average processing time for disability benefits applications is more than 400 days.

Nevertheless, these improvements can help bring inspiration and hope to many injured veterans.

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Law Offices of Kenneth Hiller, PLLC
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Pittsburgh PA 15219

Website: http://www.kennethhillerlaw.com