CLEARWATER, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- She may be the only dolphin to
lose her tail and survive. Now her progress in the water is helping amputees on
land. The research behind the one-of-a-kind prosthetic is making life more
comfortable for others who've lost a limb.
Winter the dolphin doesn't realize it, but she's a role model. She lost her tail
to a crab trap nearly three years ago. She beat the odds and not only survived,
but is thriving thanks to a prosthetic tail. The latest model allows her to swim
while protecting her spine from injury.
"By using this prosthetic, she's able to move in a more natural way, the way
dolphins were intended to move in the water," Abby Stone, head trainer at
Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Fla., told Ivanhoe.
From water … to land, Winter is helping humans too. The new rubber-like gel
developed to keep the dolphin's tail secure underwater is working well for
active amputees like prosthetic designer Dan Strzempka.
"Either golfing or working, the perspiration was always an issue," Strzempka, of
Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics in Sarasota, Fla., told Ivanhoe. "They asked
me, why don't you go ahead and try it on yourself. I thought, sure, I'll try it
and give them some feedback. It ended up vastly improving my lifestyle as far as
keeping the leg on."
Winter's progress not only inspires science but the people who need it. Brandon
Saunders lost his leg in a boating accident and now works with the miracle
mammal.
"I felt like we had something in common because we both had our accidents in the
water and we both have prosthetic legs," Saunders told Ivanhoe.
It's a working relationship that's benefiting a new generation of amputees.
The new gel used in Winter's tail is already widely available, helping a growing
number of human prosthetic patients around the world. As for Winter, though
she'll never wear her prosthetic 24-7, trainers plan to increase her therapy
time with it to improve her strength and prevent injury.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dan Strzempka
Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics
(941) 377-5765
