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Others
Experiences...
Alisa Webb:
I’m 34 years old and I’ve been a below the knee amputee since February 12, 2003. My story is not like most. I don’t have a disease that results in limb loss nor was I in an accident, my amputation is a result of a high school basketball injury. No one is supposed to lose a limb because of a high school sports injury.
I broke my right ankle when I was a freshman in high school playing basketball. The break wasn’t completely obvious; it was hidden behind another bone in my leg. They didn’t have the technology that they have today, and MRI’s weren’t done very frequently. My ankle was casted and I was told that I did a great deal of tendon damage and that it would take a long time to heal. I was young, competitive and looking for an athletic scholarship. I didn’t listen to my body. I played even though I was in pain, I thought it would heal and that it was just taking a long time. If I only knew then, what I know now.
Within a year of the injury I had my ankle completely reconstructed. I did exactly what the doctors told me.
 But unfortunately within a year of the surgery the reconstruction failed and I was faced with another surgery. I went
through the trauma of 17 surgeries over 17 years. I was one of the youngest in the country to have an ankle replacement from an ankle fusion. My surgeon was Dr. Mark Myerson who is an outstanding doctor, and a wonderful person, who was with me through 14 of my operations. On January 31, 2003 I was given the news that I needed yet another operation to repair my ankle replacement. The odds of a recovery that I wanted were not good. My other option was to have my leg amputated. I was devastated. All of these long, painful years were a result of a high school sports injury. This was definitely not supposed to turn out like this.
I researched and weighed my options very carefully and decided I would go with the amputation. This was a life changing decision for my family and I. It was a difficult decision to make, but one in which I have no regrets! I believed in God, myself, my husband, my children, my family and friends. I knew I would get through this, and I would make something positive come from all of this.
I had the surgery February 12, 2003.  My husband and I met Jonas Seeburg in his office in Abingdon Md., in March of 2003. We were greeted as if we were old friends. Everyone there was wonderful to us. By the 27th of March I was standing with my first prosthetic leg. What an emotional time. I honestly don’t know who was more excited, me, my husband or Jonas!
I returned to teaching second grade April 21, 2003. I think I used a crutch for about a week. I was amazed along with my family, friends, colleagues, and students at the progress that I had made. Any problems that I had, Maryland Real Life Designs were there to help me.
I was just hoping to be out of the tremendous pain
 that I had been in for so many years. I never really thought I would be able to be pain free and walking normally. Everyone of Maryland Real Life Design encouraged and supported me. They all have shared in my success. I had mentioned that I was a runner in high school and Jonas asked me, “If we build you a running leg would your run?” I thought it was too good to be true. They built me a running leg and I am happy to report that I’m now running around seven miles a week!!
My life has been restored by Real Life Designs. I’m a happy wife, mother or three, teacher, runner and amputee. I walk proud! I teach science to 200 hundred students, I’m a participant in my family’s active lives!
I can’t take credit for my success. I am the active, healthy, and happy person because of my faith in God, my belief in myself, and all of the support from my family, friends and even perfect strangers.
Life is what you make it, you can choose to sit around and feel sorry for yourself or you can become an active participant. My choice is obvious.
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