Earlier this year, Bobby and his mother visited our offices to learn more about the Step-Smart Drop Foot Brace and try one out for himself. We are excited to share his story and this inspirational video with you!
Meet Bobby:
Bobby developed a drop foot after an accident. During his recovery, he was told by doctors that it was unlikely that he would run again. With the help and support of his mother and family, Bobby did not accept this as his truth and continued to work towards recovery with an open mind and positive attitude.
He was prescribed a carbon fiber toe-off brace to assist with his drop foot. This worked for him during his recovery process, but as he gained strength and mobility, he found that this carbon fiber brace was starting to hold him back. The mobility he worked tirelessly to regain, was hindered by this brace so much, that it started breaking. Having gone through two braces in under a year, Bobby and his mother decided to learn more about other drop foot AFO options.
Their search led to the Insightful Products’ website and the Step-Smart Brace for Drop Foot.
After discovering that our small company, was just a few states away, Bobby and his mother decided to make the drive up to our headquarters in Maine!
After a fitting with Ian Engelman, Bobby was pleased to find that the fit, shape, and size of the Step-Smart Drop Foot Brace worked well with his shoes and felt comfortable to put on and stand in… but now it was time to put it to the test!
Bobby’s Success:
After a fitting and lesson in how the Compression Components on the Step-Smart Brace work, Bobby was ready to start walking. After walking around our offices for a bit, Bobby was ready to get outside and try picking up his pace!
Immediately we could see that Bobby was adjusting very quickly to the Step-Smart Brace. Often, when a patient switches to the Step-Smart Drop Foot Brace, they will find that it can take a bit of time to adjust to a new gait. The old brace that Bobby was using lifted his toes well, but locked up his leg and limited his range in mobility which ultimately led him to the Step-Smart Brace. Bobby states that after trying the Step-Smart Brace, he felt more capable and less prohibited.
In well under an hour, Bobby felt so comfortable in his Step-Smart, that he decided to try running in his new Step-Smart! Starting with a light jog, Bobby graduated to a full sprint within minutes. Both Bobby and his mother were elated to see a brace effectively addressing his drop foot, but not holding him back from being able to run. Despite the loss of muscle mass in his calf during recovery, Bobby was ready to start moving forward again in his training.
Watch Bobby’s video below to see his successful Step-Smart experience for yourself!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp0AdnuEib4[/embedyt]
Thank you to Bobby for coming to our offices and for allowing us to share his inspiring story!