Step-Smart Success Story – Brad V.

Video Transcript:

Hello, I’m Sandy Potter for Insightful Products and I’m happy to bring you another Step-Smart success story. Joining me is Brad Van Gilder, he’s an oil manager for an energy company in Virginia, a personal trainer, and a long-time user of the Step-Smart Brace for drop foot. Welcome Brad, and thanks so much for joining us.

Oh, thanks for having me, Sandy, it’s awesome, it’s my pleasure.

It’s wonderful to meet you in person.

Absolutely, finally, thank you yes.

Well, I guess let’s start at the beginning and we can talk about your drop foot uh journey and when were you diagnosed Brad?

I was actually it was January 2015 uh I was in a head-on car collision. A guy swerved on a straightaway, he swerved over and hit me head on. I actually took like an over 100 mile an hour impact and he hit me actually so hard that my Jeep stopped and pushed me backwards. He ended up near a guard railing and they had to fly me to Fairfax Hospital. So I was airlifted, I had internal bleeding and I had a shattered hip, that’s what caused the foot drop. My jaw was all jacked up, I had shattered teeth and a lot of a lot of multiple injuries so I’m blessed to be here. So I basically was kind of gone for like seven days in like a coma and then you know they had to bring me you know basically all brought me back to life because I was just I was at I was that bad off. So it was a touch and go time there for a while so I’m blessed to be here so that’s why I’m always so happy I guess.

You are always so happy, wow, that’s an incredible story. I got goosebumps when you were telling the story, that’s incredible. Well, we’re so happy that you’re that you’re here and that you’ve been doing so well for many years and I know over those years you’ve tried many different types of braces and afo’ s for your drop foot. What are some of the different kinds you tried? What was your experience with those?

Yeah, the ones they gave you in hospital were just the metal um you know the metal ones that are stiff and that’s what you kind of get that’s basically what you get. You walk out like Frankenstein because you’re just you just you can’t move you know and I think I know that everybody with this this problem or the foot job feels the same way you just can’t you can’t function and you’re just you’re just getting you’re moving along. So yeah, that’s just it was horrible yeah. That kind of led me to finding out about what happened was after a while of having this thing and struggling in it my wife said you know there’s got to be something better. So, she helped me get on you we got on the on the computer online and looked and that’s what we discovered your all’s brace, the Step-Smart Brace and uh I thought gosh that is so cool just the look of it and I thought that’s just if it works you know then that would be the super. So, I went to order one and fell in love with it I mean it just like it just it literally does I mean it changes your life. I mean just to be able to walk and to move again normally it feels like you’re you know more normal walking and those types of things, so it was definitely an amazing find. I’m happy we found you guys.

Aww, that’s incredible. Well, what are some of the features about this Step-Smart specifically that you enjoy compared to some of the other braces that are out there?

It’s just it’s just the mobility of it and the flexibility that you can do so basically you can just do everything that you normally did. Like I body build, I used to compete years ago and competitions and things so that was always in my in my heart and one of my passions. You know to be able to do that again once I got better once you know basically like I said I had to learn to walk all over again and so once I got you know on you know to walk again uh just to just to be able to train again and to work out and just to feel normal again have that normalcy back it’s just phenomenal. I mean so it’s just great. I mean just like there’s no comparison out there, no other brace that I that I know of that would do that, that would make you feel like you know you have that normalcy back and you could continue your active lifestyle and do things that you want to do.

And that’s what it’s all about, that’s wonderful, I’m so happy to hear that. Nothing stops you that’s for sure never.

No, no, no, it never will that’s right just keep on pumping that’s exactly right I love it.

That’s fantastic, and recently you actually volunteered to be a beta tester of sorts for us. You’ve been trying out the new strapless version of the Step-Smart and I’m really curious to hear what your impressions have been of that so far.

I love it I love it it’s um it’s so much more comfortable. It’s uh it’s you know it’s easy to get on and off obviously without having to mess around with the straps. It’s very comfortable. So far it’s great. I’ve been having a really good time. It’s very tough, anything they can put up with my crazy workouts has to be built tough. It’s just it’s a great brace. so far so good. it’s working really great for me so I love it.

That’s great news! Well, we know you’re going to continue to uh you know try it out for us and continue to give us feedback and we’re so happy to have you be part of that process. And you know one of the things that Ian and our whole team love to do is to really work with each individual person to find the best comfort level for them and I think that’s what makes Insightful Products such a special company too is because we’re very small and we can take the time to really talk to the customer and the customers become friends. So that’s really special

Absolutely, I agree, I totally agree. You all make me feel like family and I really appreciate that I really do and I really do I mean every time you know we talk change this bills like says y’all make me feel at home and like you’re saying have that personal touch of being able to help like in a situation like that or something doesn’t feel right or you know then hey you know you’re right there to answer it so I think that’s wonderful that’s huge thank you very much.

Well thank you so much, yeah, that’s what it’s all about. Again, Brad, we can’t thank you enough for uh sharing this story with us today and truly you’re a Step-Smart success story. I know that it’ll help others who are thinking about trying the Step-Smart and uh we appreciate your time and obviously wish you continued health and the best as you go forward and of course as we like to say as you know “walk on”?

Amen. Thank you, we will continue to do that thank you so much Sandy it’s my pleasure.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.