inMotion Magazine

Being Informed 17 Meet Seth Alexander from Schell City, Missouri Seth was 16 years old when he lost control of his pickup on a wet road. His vehicle rolled on top of him and crushed both legs. He spent a month in the hospital as the doctors tried to restore the blood flow to his limbs but ultimately, due to gangrene and internal organ failure, he had to make the decision to remove both legs above the knees or die. This was a devastating reality for Seth, who was a high school basketball and baseball superstar. Seth attended a bilateral above-knee training camp five months post-injury and met numerous full-time bilateral prosthetics users, which inspired him to focus on regaining his own mobility. Today, Seth is married, works full-time, and is pursuing a degree in physical therapy. He participates in numerous running events, half-marathons, 5K, 10K and the 100, 200 and 400 meter events at the annual Endeavor Games. He drives an unmodified vehicle, using his prosthetics to safely go between the gas and brake pedals, allowing him to drive any car, including manual transmission vehicles. He hasn’t used a wheelchair since April 2012. Meet Kyle Hannon from Chesterfield, Virginia Kyle was a railroad switchman at a Virginia steel mill. In September 2014, a rail car was sent down the wrong track and before Kyle could react, he was pinned beneath the car, resulting in severing both legs very high above the knees. While Kyle was recovering in the hospital from his injuries, his first child was born. Kyle was focused on being an active father to his new daughter: “I want to be able to carry her on my shoulders like other dads. I knew using a wheelchair would limit my interaction with my little girl, but my limbs were unbelievably short. I didn’t know if using prosthetics would even be possible. I searched for a prosthetist that had specific expertise with fitting challenging bilateral limbs and spoke with some of his patients.”