August 15, 2005

BY ROYCE ARMSTRONG
The Mississippi Press

Tragedy, generosity pair up to help East Central High senior

HURLEY -- Sara Ashcraft may be able to dance at her prom next spring, something that was once only a dream.

When other infants are learning to roll over, sit up, crawl, walk and talk, Sara Ashcraft, now a senior at East Central High School near Hurley, was learning the agony of post-surgical pain and the fear of spending nights in sterile hospital rooms away from her family. When other little girls started school and began learning to "fit in," Sara was learning to accept being as "different," according to her father, Garry Ashcraft.
Sara Ashcraft, a petite, at-tractive brunette with a quick, shy smile, was born with multiple severe birth defects, including a leg that had to be amputated when she was an infant. Born without hands, she was also born with a mild learning disability.
But Sara Ashcraft wants no pity.

"I am not handicapped," Sara says about herself. "I just have a few parts missing."
For Sara, hardship and challenge have been lifelong companions. Her father is a totally disabled veteran and the family lives on Social Security, veteran's benefits and her stepmother Renee's income. Sara, though, appears to thrive on challenge. She has undergone 56 corrective or reconstructive surgeries in her young life, an average of three per year.

Through it all, friends, teachers and family say, she has exhibited tremendous courage and good humor. These are among the reasons she was selected as the ideal candidate for the generous donation of a C-Leg.

"Sara is an excellent patient," claims certified prosthetist Bobby Leaber, the owner of Adaptive Prosthetics of Gulfport. "She always comes in with a smile on her face. Even if she is not comfortable (with a fitting) it is hard to get it out of her. She never complains. She is a tough girl."

Computer technology is taking prosthetic devices to incredible new levels. The C-Leg is just one example. The knee is crucial to smooth walking and the ability to walk up and down stairs explained Leaber. In the past, the knee joint on artificial legs was spring activated. The wearer was forced to swing his or her body to move the leg. The wearer must concentrate to make each step and consciously move his or her body in such a way that the leg moves. Sara must also listen for cues, generally a clicking sound, that the leg is in a position that will allow her to stand.

"This leg is much easier on my back," Sara said. "I do not have to swing it out to the side. It also doesn't eat up my clothes like the other one did. This one is safer. I do not fall with it."

Aside from the conscious effort required for walking, Leaber continued, the wearer often back and hip problems from the unnatural motions required activating the leg.
"You can put a child on anything," Leaber said, "and he or she will get up and walk on it. But, as that youngster gets older, it gets harder and physical problems can develop."
Sara has outgrown and had to change prosthetics 15 times since infancy. Swinging a heavy artificial leg with her back was beginning to affect her spine.

The C-Leg is an electro-hydraulic artificial knee joint that is activated by a microprocessor. It can be programmed to function according to the weight and gait of the wearer, Leaber said. It reads signals from the ground, the surrounding area and then "thinks" 50 times per minute, using hydraulics to move the knee. Walking is much smoother, more natural looking and far easier than on mechanical prosthetics.
Tragedy and generosity came together to give Sara a mechanical miracle.
Brad Kimberly, the 27-year-old son of Michael and Dawn Kimberly, of New York, was fitted with a C-Leg, according to Tony Barr of the Barr Foundation. Kimberly lost his battle with cancer early last year. The Kimberly family donated the C-Leg to the Florida-based foundation. The foundation exists to assist amputees obtain needed prosthetics.
Leaber contacted the Barr Foundation for assistance in obtaining a C-Leg or similar device for Sara.

C-Leg manufacturer, Otto Bach Health Care in Minnesota, was persuaded to fit the C-leg device with a new pylon (shin) to fit Sara's height and weight, Leaber reported. Leaber assembled the parts and fitted the device to Sara. She received her new leg on July 27, days before school was scheduled to begin.

"Sara is a senior this year," her father reported. "Like all girls that age, she is concerned about her ap-pearance.

"This leg is like the difference between night and day from her other leg," Ashcraft said. "Now she can do things that she could not do before, things like pedaling her three-wheeler and going up and down stairs with much greater ease."
For Sara, the leg is a great leap forward.

"I can walk like a normal person. This leg is much safer. It keeps me from falling," Sara said. "Now, I will be able to take P.E. I want to learn to play basketball. I am going to learn to dance."

Her teachers have been pleasantly surprised with Sara's progress with her new leg.
"There is an obvious difference in the way she is able to function with this leg compared with her other leg," said Bertie Johnson, one of her teachers. "She walks much easier and much more smoothly. As she walks the halls, it's hard to notice any difference from the other students. Last year she was having a great deal of trouble with her other leg. They finally took it off and put her in a wheelchair. We had teachers and students that were shocked. They apparently did not realize. She never complains.
"She takes life the way it was given to her and runs with it," Johnson continued. "She never slows down."

Teacher Renee Carter is equally impressed with her student.
"You have to admire her courage," Carter said. "I recently asked my class to write down three things that make them an interesting person. Sara wrote: I am an interesting person because I 1) have a computer type leg, 2) because I only have three fingers, and 3) because I do really good with both my leg and my hands.'

"A great deal of the credit for her attitude comes from her parents," Carter added. "When her father first brought her to school, he told us to not treat her any differently than the other children. He told us to challenge her and to not treat her as if she was handicapped."

"Sara is a very sweet young lady," Johnson said. "She is studious and tries very hard. She lives her life normally and does not consider herself handicapped. She does everything the other youngsters do."

Life, for Sara, is a struggle for ac-ceptance and the C-Leg is another step in that direction.

"I want to thank the parents of that boy for helping me be normal," Sara said.
Reporter Royce Armstrong can be reached by e-mail at rarmstrong@ themississippipress.com or at (601) 947-9933.