No Boundaries for Amputees
The latest initiative for PACE Rehabilitation in Manchester was acting as specialist consultants to the producers of a new four-part adventure TV documentary series for the BBC.
Beyond Boundaries, which is currently being shown on BBC 2 on Tuesday evenings, follows eleven individuals with physical disabilities on an arduous trekking adventure of a lifetime across Nicaragua. A team of prosthetists and technicians from PACE – which specialises in treatment for individuals with mobility issues - acted as consultants to the producers. They prepared prostheses for some of the participants to enable them to tackle the adventure – some 220 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific through four distinct eco-systems in just 28 days. PACE had to consider the effects of these eco-systems on prosthetic limbs. Amputees needed to be confident they could handle a variety of trekking conditions including dense tropical rain forest, a mountainous volcanic region, a vast lake and harsh desert scrubland.
PACE ensured they had the right equipment for the terrain and environments, building completely new prostheses for some participants, adapting existing ones as required and sourcing any necessary spare parts. Lower limb amputee Lorraine Pooley was one of the participants to benefit. Lorraine said that the preparation at PACE had been vital. “It was very important that my prosthesis was the perfect fit. Every little bit had to be right for me to attempt the trip. If the leg had been even slightly off I would never have made it. “At one point I was even bulldozing my way over rocks and bushes on my backside down a volcano and apart a few scuff marks the leg – and I – survived beautifully.”
PACE founder & lead prosthetist Toby Carlsson said: “It has been a great experience for my team. I applaud Lorraine and all the others for their courage and determination. I have no doubt that the series has challenged preconceptions about what people with physical disabilities can achieve. “The expedition illustrates our conviction that with the right motivation, good technology and the necessary determination physically-challenged people can achieve much more than is generally expected.” The TV project is the latest in a series of similar initiatives for the fast-growing clinic. Last year PACE prepared a high-activity prosthesis for amputee Richard Lamb so that he could make an ascent of Ben Nevis and then adapted it for a 1000-mile cycling challenge this summer which took Richard from John O’Groats to Lands End. PACE also provided a prosthetic service centre at The VISA Paralympic World Cup held in Manchester in July helping some of the world’s elite athletes with a disability get maximum performance from their prosthetic limbs.