Dad's Story
* Location: Australia
* Born: 1921
* Diagnosis: Unilateral
* Treatment: Extension Prosthesis
* Told by: Daughter Jill
* Date written: 08/21/2002
I was interested to read a recent article in the English magazine: "Woman", about a little boy with PFFD.
My father, Leonard , was born with PFFD in 1921, although at that time it was never diagnosed as such.
He graduated through a series of calipers and ugly prostheses but led a full and very active life throughout his childhood.
When he met my mother and started dating her he had decided to develop his own prosthesis and their courtship was spent walking around the back streets of their home town, testing out his latest invention, and inevitably hobbling home again when it broke!
However eventually he developed a model which worked well- it was made of willow which proved incredibly heavy but also very durable. His "little foot" fitted into a surgical boot, then the artificial leg below was designed to look like a normal leg and foot, and dad wore a normal pair of shoes on his good leg and the prosthesis. Unforunately dad never patented his idea or passed on the design.
He always had to find trousers with wider legs, or have them specially made, but otherwise he had a full, active and healthy life-his disability never seemed to stop him enjoying life and he had a long, happy marriage and four children. Dad's disability was so normal to us children that I remember being horrified when a family friend rolled up his trouser legs to paddle in the sea one day - and revealed that he DIDN'T have an artificial leg like dad's!!
Dad died three years ago at the age of 79.
Please be encouraged that this disability need never stop anyone living a long and healthy life and leaving a great legacy behind!
Sincerely - and wishing all well who are dealing with this condition now,
Jill Price (nee Phenton)
Melbourne, Australia