On Oct. 7^th, world-renowned certified prosthetist Kevin Carroll provided free evaluations to local amputees at Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, 260 State St. Clients were given a 30-minute session with Carroll.

The prosthetist is known both for his work with replacing lost limbs for people, and animals.

Carroll first came to the U.S. from Ireland in the 1980’s as an exchange student. Growing up near a hospital in Ireland sparked his interest in helping people.

He has been in the prosthetics business for over thirty years, developing and fitting artificial limbs. He travels all over the world treating challenging amputations. Working with wounded soldiers and disabled athletes over the years has been rewarding for him as technology changes daily.

Many people might think that wounded soldiers are the main clients to wear prosthetics, but that is not the case. Carroll said that over 80 percent of the cases he has seen over the years were due to diabetes.

Vascular disease also produces high numbers of clients who are in need of prosthetics. One client was a man who at 105 years old lost his leg.  He lived with a prosthetic until he passed away at age 108.

Besides his work with people, Carroll has designed prosthetics for dogs, an ostrich and even a duck. Carroll has appeared on Dateline, 20/20, CBS Early Show, NBC Nightly News, ABC’s Good Morning America and the Discovery Channel.

Working with the wildlife and endangered animals is another passion of Carroll’s. Recently, he received positive press for successfully developing the first prosthetic tail fluke for an amputee dolphin. The same production company that produced the movie the “Blindside” will be making a movie about this dolphin. Harry Connick Jr. and Morgan Freeman are set to star in the movie.

According to Carroll, many people who find themselves in a situation where a limb has been removed ask the question, “why me?” It is a fair question to ask, but unfortunately, there is no answer, Carroll said. Your life changes dramatically when wearing a prosthetic. Everyday life becomes a challenge. Your body needs to relearn how to do basic activities.

Once the physical aspect of wearing a prosthetic settles in, emotions come into play. How you see yourself or what you think others see can play into your recovery. Investigating all available options and treatments will help how quickly one can heal from this ordeal, according to Carroll.

Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics is the leading provider of prosthetics & orthotics in the United States. They help amputees and individuals with musculoskeletal disabilities and injuries improve their quality of life and regain self-confidence. From artificial limbs, braces and orthotic shoes, Hanger offers a complete range of products and services to get patients back on their feet. There are over 600 patient care centers across the United States. Hanger maintains a few guidelines when doing business: convenience, dependability, advanced technology and dedication to clinical excellence. For more information on Hanger, visit www.hanger.com