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Alex's StoryAlex was referred to us by his high school wrestling coach at William Henry Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Alex is missing his left foot as a result of a congenital birth defect. His coach told us that he had a lot of wrestling talent, but he was in a lot of pain and was considering giving up the sport. In December, 2017, we took Alex and his parents to Des Moines, Iowa to meet with Nick Ackerman. Nick was successful in building a wrestling shoe for Alex which made a huge difference. Shortly after he received the shoe, his wrestling coach reached out to us and said, “Alex is a different kid at practice now! Loves his shoe, and practicing pain-free for the first time ever.” At their end-of-season banquet, Alex was named the Harrison Pride Award winner and received a new letter jacket.
While visiting with Nick for the wrestling shoe fitting, we also explored the possibility of having Nick build Alex a “modified Cheetah” prosthetic leg. Alex needed a prosthetic leg that would allow him to be more active and one that would give him a more natural gait. He had played youth baseball, but felt he would be at a disadvantage when trying to make the high school baseball team. His twin brother was planning to play and Alex wanted to join him. Their family was able to travel back to Des Moines a few months later to have the leg built.
Imagine our surprise when Alex’s dad, Jason, sent me a video with a text that said “Alex got to pitch tonight! He is so much smoother on this leg.” In fact, watching the video, it was impossible to tell which was the “good leg” and which was the prosthetic. Greater days await Alex.
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Matt Branch Back on 2 Legs!!! May 24, 2019 Matt Branch has worked tirelessly over the past 5 months to get back on his feet. His attitude of fearlessness and determination have made him seemingly unconquerable! On Monday, May 20, Matt and his family traveled to Joliet, Illinois to begin working... |
One Miracle After Another for Matt Branch Mar 6, 2019 When Matt Branch and friends gathered for an annual hunting trip just after Christmas 2018, the last thing on anyone’s mind was that a dog would jump up onto the back of a Polaris Ranger and hit the safety and trigger of a shotgun causing an accidental shooting. Matt... |
“I feel like I am like a King…” Feb 13, 2019 What a great story featuring Nick Trotter from Illinois. With the heart of a champion, this 6 year-old competitor shows us all how to feel like a king who has it all.... |
