Product Spotlight: WaterGait WaterLeg
Laurel Kanse is a super-active, outdoorsy, take-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of lady who is also a transtibial (below knee) amputee. She has been since the tender age of seven.
“I’m well-adjusted and consider myself to be reasonably athletic,” she said. “If I were given three wishes, none of them would involve my leg.”
But when prosthesis fabricator Lee Shirer came to her with his new invention, the WaterGait WaterLeg, everything changed. With this comfortable, lifelike, waterproof—rather than just water resistant—swim leg, a whole new world of pool parties, dips in the Lake Michigan and other water activities opened up to her.
“It’s the best quality-of-life investment that I’ve ever made,” Kanse said.
“I invented the unique WaterGait WaterLeg to fill the need for a great-looking and fitting, fully waterproof swim leg that’s affordable,” said Shirer. It doesn’t rust, absorb water and, at around $2,000, it’s an economical alternative that “enriches and improves your life as you give yourself the gift of fun in the water.”
Unlike a standard prosthesis, the WaterLeg is a laminated socket, bonded to a hollow hard plastic shell, custom shaped to match your natural leg and covered with Skinergy™ Silicone cosmetic skin or a custom-sprayed nylon skin finish. Shirer utilizes his patented DupliCone to create a clone of your good-fitting prosthesis. With this process, you are assured that the fit will be as good or better than your current leg, so you’re not sacrificing comfort or appearance.
“I don’t have to hesitate to join my kids when they get in the pool,” said WaterLeg user John H. “I also love being able to stand on two feet in the shower for the first time in years.”
Now that pools, rivers, lake, oceans, water parks, water skis, showers, hot tubs, saunas and more are no longer deal-breakers, Steven W. of Jacksonville, Florida summed his feelings up simply, yet emphatically, saying, “These legs are awesome!”
To sweeten the deal, WaterGait offers a steep discount to those whose insurance does not cover the prosthesis. “I’m on a mission to let other below-knee amputees know that getting back in the water—on two legs—is possible and affordable,” said Kanse. “If you are or know a below-knee amputee in the Chicago area, please stop by Booth #508 at Abilities Expo to see firsthand how WaterLeg can transform lives and make waves!”
For more on WaterGait WaterLeg, visit www.watergait.com.
