Dream Team hosts Bilateral Life Camp in Duncan

Sep. 21—With courage and confidence, there's no limit to what can be accomplished in less than a week.

For several years, individuals from across the world have traveled to Duncan to participate in Dream Team Prosthetics' International Bilateral Amputee Summit Life Camp. During this three-day camp, participants are able to work on training exercises and mobility goals.

Chad Simpson, BS, BOCP, LP, and clinical director, said during the camp, they have three intense days of introducing independence for those with bilateral above the knee prosthesis, as well as some who have multiple limb injuries.

During the week, they work with attendees to introduce them to foreshortened prosthesis, also known as stubby prosthesis.

He said the goal is to help those participating in the camp get back out into the community by showing them how they can gain independence.

"It's a great opportunity for people to get together, meet one another and share a common bond and trade tips and tricks about how they make their way through life utilizing prosthetics," he said.

Shannon Davis, from Connecticut, said she's taken part in Dream Team's program for a little over a year.

"Coming here, it really made a difference in my life, my independence," she said. "I have a lot more functionality during the day."

While being apart of Dream Team Prosthetics, Davis said she's been able to function more in her career, especially when it comes to walking down the hallway with a colleague, or in her personal life now that she can attend more activities with her family.

"I can go to soccer games, where before I couldn't cross the grass field to get there," she said. "It's really made a difference there."

Marci Cirell, from Pennsylvania, said she's worked with Dream Team for three years.

"Every time you come to one of these camps, you learn something new," she said.

Christoph Van den Bossche, from Belgium, said he had an accident May 17, 2021, and came to this program for the first time in 2022.

Van den Bossche said it's great to see everyone who was apart of the camp last year return and share stories.

"We learn a lot," he said.

First time participant, Mariuz Podgórzak, from Góra Kalwaria, Poland, saw Dream Team Prosthetics on social media and joined the program for six days prior to the camp.

"I like the fact that I have to do everything myself," he said.

Seth Alexander, certified prosthetic technician, said his role is to build and fabricate the prosthesis whenever they're needed, from above the knee, below the knee, above the elbow or below the elbow.

The camp allows participants the opportunity to work on daily life obstacles, from navigating ramps, to going up and down the stairs, and stepping up and down on curbs.

According to Alexander, the reason they do these exercises is to bring everyday obstacles to light and work through them.

He said they really just like to show attendees how to use the technology, "whether it's the foreshortened prosthesis, stubbies — or if it's a microprocessor knee."

Alexander said they want to be able to arm individuals with the knowledge to utilize and operate their prosthetic devices.

"The way the knees operate is, they have a lithium ion battery within them that helps to regulate and operate the microprocessor," he said. "The battery has a five-day battery life and then the microprocessor within the knee unit, it is connected to sensors and ... motors within the hydraulic unit."

He said the microprocessor takes in all of the information via two sensors and it processes the information 100 times per second.

"That is what it tells the motors to either open or close," Alexander said. "It's not fully open or fully closed, there are varying degrees in there, so that's what allows us to safely and effectively walk down ramps and stairs."

During the training exercises, Alexander demonstrated how to change from the microprocessor knee to the foreshortened prosthesis or stubbies.

He said the stubbies are good for getting used to the prosthesis, as well as to build strength and endurance prior to increasing their height to eventually wear the microprocessor knee.

According to Alexander, with all of the maneuvering they do, the stubbies will pretty much be transferable to the knees.

"The way you walk down a ramp is going to be really similar to how you would with knees on," he said. "The only variable is going to be stairs, because you don't have anything articulating on the stubbies, so you have to go down sideways."

Alexander said they continue to serve people within Duncan and the Southwestern Oklahoma community, as well as people all over the world and in the United States.

"We treat all amputation levels," he said.

He said the three-day camp is open registration for anyone in the world.

"We just love what we do," he said.

For more information about Dream Team Prosthetics, LLC, visit http://dreamteamprosthetics.com/ or contact Simpson with Dream Team at 580-255-2100.

Dream Team Prosthetics is located at 7111 Nix Drive in Duncan, with business hours from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.