APC Client Stories

My story, and in many ways my new life, begins at Ryde Rehabilitation Hospital (RRH) following the below knee amputation of my right leg and 1-2 lumbar fusion operation performed at the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH). Although my case is vascular related to diabetes, I had great expectations because I realised that a prosthetic limb would enable me to walk again.

The first time that Ms. Amber Gorman, a Clinical Prosthesist at APC Prosthetics, visited me at RRH I was still weak, but managed to begin what I call the symbiosis with my new limb. Watching Amber working the moulds, castings, bolts and measuring my “foot” for sizing with that professional calmness gave me that vital self-esteem essential for the process of rehabilitation. I was hospitalised for 7 months and I knew it was not going to be easy. Nevertheless, with a bit of sense of humour and even learning to laugh about myself I decided to fight the depression, wave that page and hope for improvement.

Today, 7 months after being discharged from the RRH, I do not need to mobilise with my wheelchair or frame. They were instrumental for rehabilitation, but I now stand on my prosthetic leg. Sometimes I still need to use my stick, however under no circumstances I will give up on my faith to be able to walk without aids. I put it this way because I see my prosthetic limb as my own leg. I am also very keen and proactive in negotiating with the NDIS the option of getting a water leg. From being bedridden to scuba diving down the coast, who knows what I can do with my new prosthetic leg. The sky is the limit.

Most importantly, I owe this rehabilitation to a lot of professionals who masterly enable a patient to sew its life again. Although too many to mention, I will acknowledge in this story my indebtedness to APC Prosthetics for all the past and ongoing treatment of my condition.

I have worked hard all my life and in 2012 I lost both my legs below knee due to the meningococcal disease. Losing my legs made me feel helpless, but I had constant support from my wife and kids throughout this time.

APC Prosthetics changed my life and gave me my legs back. Nic, Charles and all the staff at APC have been such great help, they are all very nice to speak to and always figure out any issues with no worries at all.

I can now do anything and everything, I walk up and down ladders, go fishing, snorkelling and I even drive all different types of manual trucks. I couldn’t be happier with my legs made by APC and the service that they provide.

My situation is congenital. I have been going to prosthesis makers since I was 2 years old. It wasn’t until through a stroke of luck I was referred to the Bankstown Clinic where I met Cameron Ward. This meeting changed my life as far as proper limb fitting goes. Cameron always goes the extra mile to make sure things are just right; his persistence and knowledge assured that I was to suffer less pain than I had in the past. I can’t speak highly enough for all the support that Cameron has given me over the last years. I am so fortunate that the meeting at the Bankstown Clinic took place, thank you to all the gang at APC.

I have been a grateful patient of David Howells from APC’s very beginning. He is, without a doubt, the pre-eminent prosthetist in Australia and I believe that he is largely responsible for APC’s outstanding success. But I also acknowledge the very considerable skills and dedication of many of the other prosthetists (to name a couple, Stefan and Cameron) who have from time to time afforded me excellent service. Thank you all and please accept my very best wishes for your 20th birthday.

I first met the team at APC prosthetics after a work place accident where I lost my left arm below the elbow in 2008. I have worked with the team at Broadmeadow in Newcastle for the past 10 years where the team has always helped me in so many ways. Being still fairly young (40 years) and still pretty adventurous, I was not going to let the loss of my arm stop me from doing things that I loved. With the help of APC, I became the 2nd person in Australia to have an i-Limb arm built for me. To this very day, I still wear the prosthetic. With the love of surfing in my blood, I worked with the team to design and create a prosthetic surf arm that allowed me to paddle and get up on my board. It was great being a part of the design process and I could see the team excited to build the arm as it was something new and challenging for the. I am thankful that it has now gotten me back to the sport that I love. I currently live in Wollongong, but still travel to APC Broadmeadow to have any new arms created, as I know the team at APC will be there to help and create the attachments that I need. Happy 20th Anniversary, APC Prosthetics. Thanks for being there for the last 10 years and I look forward to the next 50 years of working with you as I still have a lot of adventurous activities to achieve on my bucket list.