Patient Stories

Martina

When Martina was 1 year old, she had surgery and suffered an allergic reaction to the anesthesia. She developed a systemic infection, and her body responded by shutting down circulation to her extremities. Martina’s limbs began to die. Both her legs and most of her fingers had to be amputated. Martina’s parents brought her to our clinic to see if there was anything that could be done to help her. Martina’s skin was very sensitive. Her legs were a mass of scar tissue; she could barely tolerate being touched, let alone the contact of a prosthesis. PPW gave a temporary pair of prostheses to Martina’s parents and told them to help her build up a tolerance for it. 1 year later, at the clinic Martina had built up a tolerance and was wearing the prosthesis. PPW’s team was able to perform surgery on Martina’s legs and fit her with a permanent pair of prosthetics legs.