Amputee takes rehab over the top

“It’s crazy what I can do with one leg like balance on a ball and walk on a beam.  I credit every step to the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan,” says Jeff Terry.

Jeff was on Telegraph when he was side swiped. His car flipped and he was tossed in the back.  He looked down and saw that he was missing several toes and his foot was barely attached. 

“Oh man… that’s all I could think.  Then I looked out the window, and it got worse.  The car was on fire.”

Jeff launched himself out the back window.  A passerby dragged him from the burning car and Jeff quickly made a tourniquet out of his shirt.

“Just a few hours later I was told they were going to amputate from the knee down.  I begged the surgeon to keep more of my leg… all I could think about were those people in wheelchairs without legs.”  The surgeon said it was risky but agreed.

After recovering from surgery, Jeff went to the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. Therapists fit him with a prosthetic leg which was painful and hard to use.

“They were really intent on making it right. They were always asking me how I felt and they tried everything to make it comfortable.  They really had all the tricks to get me walking and walking without a limp.”

Because he has more of his leg than others and because RIM worked him so hard to strengthen both of his legs, Jeff healed fast.  Today he’s back jogging, running and working.

“You’d never know I have a prosthetic leg.  My therapists at RIM told me not to let anything hold me back and I don’t.  I’m ready to take on any workout and there’s no doubt I’ll do it well.”