In the Japanese art of Kintsugi, the flaws in the ceramic are what give them their beauty. "That's what we go through as amputees," says Jennifer Johnson.
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Instagram Amputees: Jack Thomas
Many musicians have twice as many arms but not even a tenth of Jack Thomas's emotional range. This amputee reminded us that music comes from the heart.
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Best YouTube Channels by Amputees: My Single-Handed Pursuit
Last year we introduced you to Hunter Woodhall, whose YouTube channel (with his girlfriend Tara Davis) has more than 100,000 subscribers. But Woodhall is far from the only amputee making a splash on YouTube. The platform is giving amputees a voice and a reach they’ve never had before. This week we’re checking out a handful...
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Double-leg Amputee Cast on Upcoming Dance-based Series, Step Up: High Water
University of West Georgia (UWG) theatre alumnus and double-leg amputee Eric Graise (’15) never dreamed of adding dance—a talent that has made him a show business triple threat—to his resume. Eric Graise. Image courtesy of UWG. The actor and singer, who achieved fame as Stump Leg Walker and Fallen Tree Zombie in AMC’s The Walking...
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October 31, 2017October 31, 2017by opieadmin
Free Caregiver Resources Available
Faced with a rapid increase in the number of caregivers in the workplace, Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) and AARP have launched Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers. The guide, the human resources industry’s first publication of its kind, contains a series of tools, resources, and guidance to help employers of all...
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August 22, 2017August 22, 2017by opieadmin
Team Össur?s Running Blades Featured in Kennedy Center Exhibit
The Cheetah prosthetic running blade, developed by Össur, Reykjavik, Iceland, is featured in an exhibition at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC through August 30. The exhibit, “Artful Innovation: Inclusive Design and Technology,” showcases Cheetahs worn by Team Össur Paralympic athletes April Holmes and Jerome Singleton, and notes that...
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June 5, 2017June 5, 2017by opieadmin
New Surgical Procedure May Make Prostheses Feel More Natural
A new surgical technique devised by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers could allow prosthetic limbs to feel more like natural limbs. Through coordination of the patient’s prosthetic limb, existing nerves, and muscle grafts, people with amputations would be able to sense where their limbs are in space and to feel how much force is...
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March 9, 2017March 9, 2017by opieadmin
Preventing Deaths Due to Medical Errors
How many patients die in the hospital as a result of preventable medical errors? While debate continues over estimates based on flawed data, the U.S. healthcare system can and must implement effective strategies to reduce adverse events and deaths, according to a perspective article in the Journal of Patient Safety. Three recent reports on deaths...
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November 29, 2016November 29, 2016by opieadmin
New Amputation Procedure Allows Prosthesis to Be Controlled by Brain Waves
Ewing takes his first steps with a prosthesis. Photograph courtesy of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Communications and Public Affairs. Earlier this year, Jim Ewing, 52, underwent a first-of-its-kind, experimental surgical procedure to amputate his lower left leg at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Boston. If successful, the surgery will enable him to perform complex actions...
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June 7, 2016June 7, 2016by opieadmin
Hugh Herr Wins Spanish Technical and Scientific Research Award
Hugh Herr, PhD, associate professor of media arts and sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been given Spain’s 2016 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research. The Princess of Asturias Awards are intended to reward scientific, technical, cultural, social, and humanitarian work carried out at an international level by individuals,...
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April 12, 2016April 12, 2016by opieadmin
Growing Skin in the Lab
Scientists from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) in Japan have, along with collaborators from Tokyo University of Science and other Japanese institutions, successfully grown complex skin tissue-complete with hair follicles and sebaceous glands-in the laboratory. To accomplish this, they used reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed...
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April 7, 2016April 7, 2016by opieadmin
Safety-net Clinics May Remain Important Options for Many Patients
Safety-net clinics are likely to continue to play a critical role in meeting the needs of insured minority and low-income populations despite expanded insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a University of Texas (UT) Southwestern study suggests. Based on results of federal government healthcare surveys from 2006 to 2010, the study showed that...
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March 24, 2016March 24, 2016by opieadmin
Soldier Mentors Others, Strives for Place on Army Team
Parks (far right) is thankful for the opportunity to act as a mentor at Fort Bliss. U.S. Army photo by Ronald Wolf. In 2015, when he competed in the U.S. Army Trials at Fort Bliss, Texas, 1st Lt. Christopher Parks made it clear that participating meant something special to him. He was grateful for a...
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March 15, 2016March 15, 2016by opieadmin
Scientists Create Painless Patch of Insulin-Producing Beta Cells to Control Diabetes
For decades, researchers have tried to duplicate the function of beta cells, the tiny insulin-producing entities that don’t work properly in patients with diabetes. Insulin injections provide painful and often imperfect substitutes. Transplants of normal beta cells carry the risk of rejection or side effects from immunosuppressive therapies. Now, researchers at the University of North...
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September 29, 2015September 29, 2015by opieadmin
Urgent Change Needed to Prevent Diagnostic Errors in Healthcare
Most people will experience at least one diagnostic error-an inaccurate or delayed diagnosis-in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee that conducted the study and wrote the report found that although getting the right diagnosis...
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July 4, 2015July 4, 2015by opieadmin
Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp Increases Enrollment, Length
The Amputee Coalition announced that a record 115 campers will attend the 2015 Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp, to be held July 10-15 at the Joy Outdoor Education Center, Clarksville, Ohio. The length of the camp has also been extended by one day. The traditional summer youth camp offers a full range of activities, including fishing,...
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June 4, 2015June 4, 2015by opieadmin
OPAF Launches First Safeguard
Morgan, left, and a participant demonstrate a safety technique. Photograph courtesy of OPAF. OPAF launched First Safeguard on April 25 at Wright State University, as part of the EMRI Alliance’s Unlimited Abilities Expo. First Safeguard, the 12th OPAF First Clinic, was led by Ohio Peace Officer Doug Morgan, who underwent a transtibial amputation more than...
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May 4, 2015May 4, 2015by opieadmin
OPAF Hosts McKeever?s First Ride in Georgia
Showers, Deenie McKeever, and Beatty. Photograph courtesy of OPAF. OPAF and the First Clinics hosted the seventh annual McKeever’s First Ride equine event at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, Lawrenceville, Georgia, on April 18. Dale Beatty, an Iraq war veteran, and OPAF board member Reggie Showers, both of whom have bilateral lower-limb amputations, spoke at the...
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April 30, 2015April 30, 2015by opieadmin
Bionics Expert Hugh Herr Describes Efforts to End Disability, Offers Hope
Hugh Herr. Image courtesy of UT Dallas. Last year, Kathryn Kuehn lost both hands and feet from a sudden bacterial infection that caused septic shock. The amputations left her in need of prosthetic limbs advanced enough to help in daily activities, including raising two children. When Kuehn saw that bionics expert Hugh Herr, PhD, would...
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September 16, 2014September 16, 2014by opieadmin
Amputee Coalition Youth Camp: A Confidence-Building Experience
Attending the Amputee Coalition’s youth camp allows campers, such as (from left) Kylie Smith and Alexandra Jobe, to make new friends and reacquaint themselves with old friends. Photograph courtesy of Amy Di Leo. This year marked the 15th annual youth camp for the Amputee Coalition. The Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp was held July 19-23 at...
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August 18, 2014August 18, 2014by opieadmin
Hugh Herr Named R&D Magazine Innovator of the Year
R&D Magazine announced that Hugh Herr, PhD, is the winner of its 14th Innovator of the Year Award. The award recognizes career accomplishments in scientific research and technology development, spanning disciplines from medical technology to information technology. Herr, an associate professor of media arts and sciences, heads the Biomechatronics research group at the Massachusetts Institute...