Marc's Story
Born: 1972
Told by: Marc
Hi. My name is Marc and I live in New York (Long Island) were I was raised.
I was born in 1972 in Glendale Queens. The day I was born the Doctor told
my Mother, that because of a space in my femur bone (due to improper fusing
of the bone) "your child will probably never walk, and will most likely be
in a wheelchair the rest of his life".
Well, here it is 30 years later and not only do I walk, but according to
my Doctors and Prosthetist, I walk, run and jump very well for a class C
PFFD.
I have been operated on seven times (from the age of 3 to the age of 23)
to try to fix my problem and enable me to live a more "able-bodied life".
At a young age I realized that I was different, but I also realized that
I had to focus on the positives. My life was (and is) not about what I can't
do, but what I can do.
My parents watched me closely when I started to walk as a child and did not
encourage it. The doctors informed them that my right leg would not grow
at the same rate as my left leg and collectively agreed to make sure no bad
habits started. Around the age of 3, I was fitted for a prosthetic brace.
I walked with this brace (and a straight-legged limp) until I was 8 1/2 years
old. That year (March, 1981) I had surgery on my right leg. The operating
surgeon at Columbia Presbyterian in NYC, Dr. Harold Dick, amputated my leg
and fused my knee to form an "above the knee" stump which I could place in
a bending prosthesis.
I was always a very active child, interested in playing many sports.
Before my amputation, I did many things such as play catch, soccer,
swim, shoot baskets and ride my bicycle. I also took karate for 1 month.
However, I felt "limited" because my brace would not bend and weighed
about 13 pounds. Also, I was taller than most kids my age and therefore had
to carry around a long leg as well. I did not do much physical activity in
school. During recess I walked around a lot, had a catch with someone, climbed
the monkey bars or sat on the seesaw. Once in a while when I ran, I would
skip/run and I knew that I was slow and had a limp. On School trips, I would
tire quickly and my leg would often stick out and get in the way.
Once my knee was fused and my foot was amputated, I felt as if a whole new
world of possibilities were opened up to me. In September of 1981, I participated
in Gym classes for the first time. I can still picture the faces of my classmates
when they finally got to see how much I loved sports and how athletic I really
was. Also, I do not recall ever getting a grade lower than an A- in Phys
Ed. I still did not run fast, but I moved well enough to participate in more
games during recess, as well as Field Day events where I won one 3rd, two
2nd and one 1st place ribbon. My confidence grew as well. By October of 1981
I joined a soccer league where I played until late spring of 1983. I also
went to summer camp during those years where I canoed, learned to sail, swam
in races, and competed in many other events such as fencing, archery, hikes,
and basketball and dodgeball games. Six months before I graduated High School,
I won the student award for outstanding sportsmanship and citizenship. I
went away to college in 1990 and continued to stay athletically active. Since
my amputation over 21 years ago, I have done many things which include:
Skiing (downhill/slolom)
Swimming events/races
Volleyball
Basketball
Bowling
Surfing
Riding a bike (while pedaling with 2 legs)
Running in track races
Softball
Racquetball
Dancing at functions/parties
and competing in any sport in Gym classes or intramurals.
I was also a pool lifeguard from 1991-1996, and learned to drive with the
aide of a left accelerator pedal.
When I turned 16, I started dating, and I have been Married since the Fall
of 1995, so the concerns my Parents had about whether or not girls would
be interested in me, even though I am disabled, were terminated.
Although I have gone to Therapists to try to improve my gate, I still limp.
However, I do not have certain muscles and bones in my right hip that are
needed to perform certain functions. Most people who do not know me well
ask "what happened to your foot?" Or, "Did you break your ankle?" When I
tell them I wear a full length prosthesis because I only have 1 leg, they
do not believe me. When I am at the store in line (wearing pants) the people
around me can't tell of my condition. I walk with a limp which is commonly
known as a torso tilt. My body (above the hip socket) compensates for what
I am missing. I have been moderately working out with free weights since
I was 15, so my body gets plenty of excersize. I have been involved in Martial
Arts since 1999. I have trained in Tae Su Do, Ju Jitsu, Kempo/Tae Kwon Do
and mostly in an all inclusive art known as Modern Farang Mu Sul, and I usually
get to the swimming pool throughout the year. Therefore, as far as therapeutic
excersize goes, my right stump and hip get plenty.
I remember being eight years old and sitting in my room with my sister the
day before I went to the hospital. We were looking at my small right leg,
focusing on the knee and small foot and realizing that my leg, as I have
come to know it, would soon be gone. Was I scared? Yes. Was I comfortable
with what was about to happen? Definitely!! I remember actually
looking forward to my amputation because I had faith that it was a means
to an end, and that my life was about to change for the better. I was picturing
everything I was already able to do, and thinking how wonderful it was going
to be to do all those things better, as well as picture the things I had
yet to do, such as; go up and down stairs foot-over-foot, run without skipping,
kneel on two knees, bend my leg in the car, on an airplane,
at the movies, at hockey arena's etc..
Through my life, I have tried to live above my circumstances, not under
them. A path was placed before my parents and I when I was a child, and
to this very day, I feel we made the right choice. If I never got my leg
amputated, I know I would still be able to live a somewhat productive life
wearing a brace, but I would often be wondering "what if?". Now, I feel blessed
to say my situation has gotten better. If only that Doctor who said I would
be confined to a wheelchair could see me today.
I realize that not every case is the same because there are different types
of PFFD 's. I hope my story inspires anyone who reads it and I encourage
corrective surgery for those who "need" it.
You can contact Marc at
MJCASTARWARS@aol.com