ExoSym Patient Spotlight: Dana

Today, I’d like you to meet, Dana, a Hanger Clinic patient from Canada who, thanks to the ExoSym (IDEO) device, feels as though her happy nature can finally shine through! ☺

All her life, Dana has suffered through the pain of her clubfoot condition and up until this point had not found anything or anyone that could help her. (To those who don’t know, clubfoot is a congenital condition in which the tendons on the inside leg are shortened and the bones are unusually shaped. The foot is rigid and the Achilles tendon is very tight. Although initially painless, if left untreated, can become crippling.) Beginning at the age of three, Dana began having surgeries every six months to lengthen her Achilles tendons. In an effort to keep her feet straight, doctors removed pieces of her heel bone in subsequent surgeries, which left her with debilitating arthritis and extreme stiffness. Although her feet may look normal to the outside world, her mobility is extremely limited and she is in near-constant pain. Unfortunately, Dana says the current treatment for clubfoot hasn’t evolved much from where it was 50 years ago, a combination of casting (holding the foot in a corrected position with a cast or brace) and surgery to lengthen the tendons. While these treatments can help to correct the look of the feet, they are not a cure for those who want to live a life of mobility.

Thankfully, through a wonderful stroke of luck, Dana heard about the ExoSym (IDEO) device from ExoSym patient, Lisa, on a Facebook Page for Adults & Teens with Clubfoot. Fundraising over 25K (Canadian funds) to make the trip + devices possible, Dana headed to the Hanger Clinic in Gig Harbor, WA in February of this year with hopes for a new future! As it turned out, the ExoSym ended up being a true blessing for Dana’s painful feet and she is very thankful to everyone who helped to make the devices possible for her. (Due to Dana’s condition, she requires a device for each leg, so Dana is a force to be reckoned with!) ☺

Dana’s advice to all the ExoSym ladies out there is to be comfortable with yourself and wear your ExoSym proudly. Her shoe brand of choice is Brooks (me too, Dana!) and she loves to show off her devices in tights! She is working out daily and hoping to be able to start running soon. To Dana, every day is a great day with her ExoSym. (Isn’t that the truth?) ☺

Probably one the most significant benefits of receiving the ExoSym device is the difference her friends and family have seen in her transformation. Just the other day, Dana’s band was playing when a friend came up to her to say that even though the band was awesome, he was more impressed by how much she was moving around on the stage for two hours! Quite a difference from her first gig three years ago when she sat on a stool for the whole show. #simplyamazing

Most of all, Dana wants Ryan Blanck to know how much he changed her life and that meeting him was one of the best parts of the whole experience. I think we can all agree with that. ♥ Dana’s story is proof that yet again, Ryan is changing the world, one device at a time.

Thank you, Dana for inspiring us all with your determined spirit. You are a remarkable lady and your story demonstrates that giving up is just simply not an option. When the world says “give up”, hope whispers “try one more time”.

#beYOU #beAMAZING #ExoSymplyAmazing