Dave's C-Leg 4 Story

Sociable and outgoing, Dave 33, from Birmingham always enjoyed taking up new hobbies which gave him the freedom of the outdoors. As a keen hiker he travelled across the world to challenge himself over new terrain and raise money for charity in the process. It was this passion for trying new things and the outdoors that led him to taking up motorbiking, where he enjoyed overseas biking trips with friends.

It was during a motorbike trip that Dave at the age of 25, had his accident. Dave and his group of friends were riding across northern Spain heading for Barcelona. They had been riding all day and were an hour from their designated campsite for the night when they encountered a huge storm. A momentary lapse in concentration combined with the weather conditions led to Dave hurtling over the top of his bike and colliding with the central reservation. His right leg was amputated at the point of impact and he suffered multiple significant injuries.

Dave was immediately put into a medically induced coma and underwent 7 hours of surgery, during which the surgeons established that they wouldn’t be able to reattach his leg. He spent 2 months recovering in hospital in Barcelona and a further two weeks in hospital in Birmingham once he returned back to the UK.

16 weeks after being discharged from hospital Dave received his first prosthetic leg. As a result of his accident Dave had suffered a lot of damage to his pelvis which led to paralysis of his residual limb, impacting his balance. ”I’d got pretty good on crutches over the four months before I got my first prosthesis, I could sprint down the halls to the physio! As soon as I got my prosthetic leg I had to slow right down,” said Dave. “I had to work really hard on my balance and learning to use my lower body instead of relying on my arm strength.”

A few months after he received his prosthetic, Dave proposed to his girlfriend. With the wedding date set for the following year, Dave was determined to walk down the aisle without the use of his walking sticks. “I was good at setting myself small goals. At first they were day by day goals and as I got more confidence and strength I could set week by week goals,” reflected Dave. “I finally managed to get rid of the last walking stick 2 weeks before the wedding.”

Although he was walking unaided his mechanical knee limited the hobbies and activities he could take part in. After the arrival of his first child these limitations grew; “I refused to carry my daughter up and down stairs”, Dave remarked. “If I even slightly scrapped the floor with my foot my prosthetic leg would give way and I’d fall. I didn’t have the trust in the knee.”

Thankfully, only a year after the birth of his first daughter, Dave heard about the new NHS England MPK Policy. The policy provides NHS funding for Microprocessor Knees (MPKs) to support many hundreds of people living with limb loss every year. “As soon as I heard about the policy I spoke to my prosthetist about it” said Dave. “After a few months I got an appointment with a consultant and prosthetist and they agreed to the funding for the C-Leg Microprocessor Knee. I was so excited, I went home and read the manual at least ten times!”

“Those first two days on the C-Leg were quite tough getting used to my new leg but on day 3 something just clicked. It was like the leg had learnt how I walked and I learnt how the leg moved and I haven’t looked back since”, Dave reflected. “It’s made a huge difference to my home life. Even though I stumble a lot my C-Leg catches me every time, I have full trust in it. I carry my children and can be a more hands on father now.”

The C-Leg 4’s strengthened stumble recovery support means that the user can take every step with confidence. The intuitive stance function recognises when the person has stopped and dampens the knee in a flexed position to offer maximum stability and comfort. Providing greater mobility, the C-Leg 4 adapts to all walking situations in real time, whether on level ground, stairs, ramps or varying surfaces.

Dave’s new level of mobility combined with his confidence in his C-Leg also opened up opportunities to try new outdoor hobbies. A friend of Dave’s suggested he try mountain biking, “the first time I went out on a mountain bike I managed about a mile and I was absolutely shattered,” laughed Dave, “but that feeling of being outdoors again, it’s like a feeling of freedom to me, I loved it!”

It wasn’t long before Dave bought himself an electric mountain bike and was taking on some of the more physically and technically demanding trails. And its not just the mountain biking that Dave has tried since getting his C-Leg. “I like to challenge myself, so each year I try something new,” said Dave. Whether it’s taking on the treetop challenge at GoApe or challenging his balance with rock climbing there’s nothing he hasn’t been able to do.

This year, Dave marked his 8 year ampuversary by completing the 02 Walkover with the charity LimbPower. At a height of 52m, the O2 Climb involves an ascent and descent of up to 30 degrees giving an adrenaline-pumping experience for all thrill-seekers. “I entered the Ottobock ballot and won the sponsorship for a space. It was really physically challenging climbing up and down the 02, but I was determined to do it and it was a great way to mark 8 years since losing my leg! I’ve come a long way since my accident.”

Reflecting on the past 8 years, Dave has this advice for anyone going through a similar experience, “Slow yourself down, especially in the early days. Try not to focus on the end goal, start small. Perfect the little things first and then the speed and confidence will come.”

What’s next for the father of two? “I’m looking forward to keeping up with my girls as they get older and sharing my hobbies with them,” said Dave. “I’d also like to really push myself, so I’m going to set myself the challenge of reaching Everest base camp one day.” No doubt with his drive and determination, along with his love of everything outdoors, Dave will achieve his goal.