Patient Stories: Dawn Miranda and Joe Maese

This story is from our own Dawn Miranda, Dankmeyer Prosthetist Assistant, who is also a below knee amputee. You can read Dawn’s monthly blog here on our website. This is a special first time ever, team patient story - about Dawn and Joe Maese and their experience together, which they call Amputees Supporting Amputees. They were accompanied on this adventure by Danny Weiser, Dankmeyer Prosthetic and Orthotic Resident who also happens to be a professional photographer. Danny took all the photographs for this story at Gold’s Gym. COVID safety measures were taken. All workouts at the gym were performed in a private area (thanks to other clients for clearing space to make this possible), all equipment was cleaned, and masks were worn except when spotting each other or working out alone, or for brief photos.

Brothers and Sisters

Brothers and sisters can be defined as more than blood. Brothers and sisters in our world are built of carbon fiber, aluminum pylons, tubing clamps, screws and silicone. Our bond is forged from trauma, disease, pain - lots of pain. It is these things that makes us a unique community, one that is unbreakable.

Our community is limb loss.  The parts that replace our flesh and blood give us strength, after first breaking us down. It is our journey, our shared stories, that make us whole again. We are mothers, fathers, doctors, lawyers, athletes, homemakers, truck drivers, trainers, farmers - our list could go on for days. The one thing we share that is undeniable is our stories. Whether it is in person, or online, we are amputees supporting amputees to overcome limb loss and find our new normal.

This week I had an amazing experience with a friend who happens to be a patient within our practice. We shared an afternoon of workouts, which was captured by our Prosthetic and Orthotic Resident and professional photographer here at Dankmeyer, Danny Weiser. The pictures tell it all:  two friends, amputees supporting each other through a tough workout. This was my first day back into a gym after moving here from San Antonio, Texas a little over a year ago.  We were at Gold’s Gym for this workout to show how amputees support each other.  There was a lot of sweat, iron, and laughter that filled our afternoon as Joe helped me through some weight training and Danny Weiser captured it with his camera and keen eye. 

I am no stranger to hard work as I was raised on a farm in upstate New York. My days began early and consisted of the gym mother nature provided. My gym in my early years consisted of hay bales, tractor tire repairs, wheelbarrows, and one of my favorites - the haymow rope. There was always plenty of snow to move to get to our barns as well. I have had health up and downs. I had a bad running accident at 18 that left me with a fused ankle and a total of 16 surgeries and later a total ankle replacement that sadly failed. Then between those years, two bouts of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (my toughest battle), which I won, but it created some hearing loss in the process.

Fast forward to three and half years ago when I needed to make a decision after all the surgeries. Everyone told me it had to have been the hardest decision to remove my left leg below my knee. I just responded that beating cancer was a lot tougher than that decision. My surgery took away the pain, terrible crippling pain, and gave me relief, like I was reborn pain free and given a second chance on life. After moving from San Antonio, I came to Dankmeyer as a relatively new amputee to start a new professional chapter in my life. It’s through my job as a Prosthetist Assistant at Dankmeyer that I met Josepi Maese - Joe as I call him.

Joe is a quiet man on first introduction, but once you get to know him he is funny and you can see his passion for helping people reach their goals to be their best, healthy versions of themselves. You can Google Joe and up comes a wealth of information. Many of you may recognize his name, as he was an NFL player here in Baltimore with the Ravens. He has a proud history of playing college ball, then he was drafted by the NFL.  Joe played many years of league football then went on to be a professional firefighter and EMT here in Maryland. Joe’s life changed a few years ago when he faced a traumatic motorcycle accident. This accident made him have to make a tough decision like I had to do - remove his left leg below his knee. This never stopped him. He tackled therapy and getting into his first prosthesis like a champion. Joe continues inspire people though his training business 59 Athletics. 

Gold’s Gym served as our space for our day of workout adventure. Joe has a sweet canine companion who joined us at the gym. Dozer is Joe’s service dog, but Dozer is more than a dog - he is family and he was happy to check out the action. We got set up and Danny suggested some great cross training and weight lifting sessions. We were two people who share the same difference but that day we were just two people getting our workout on!

The warm urban setting was a perfect backdrop for Danny to capture our day. We were socially distanced away in our own areas in the gym and only came near each other’s space for safety when spotting. We cleaned after each use of our equipment as you should always do. Our workout was full of kettle bells, pull up bars, squat racks and battle ropes. We flopped tractor tires too.  As we were finishing up, Danny suggested pushups. Joe came up with one better! He suggested a push up but with me standing on his back!! When Danny showed me our pictures for the first time, with Joe balancing me on his back (he with his prosthetic leg providing a base of strength for him, and me with my leg balancing with stability on his back) I knew then we truly were amputee supporting amputee in both a physical and emotional way. Thank you, Joe, Danny, Dankmeyer and Gold’s Gym for a day I think we all will never forget. 

You can read a previous story from Joe Maese about his experience shortly after his amputation by clicking here. After reviewing the slideshow below, if you would like to know more about Danny Weiser’s inspired photography, you can visit his website by clicking here.     
















Patient Stories: Kenneth Braitman

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The more I can move, maintain balance, and minimize harmful movements, the more I can appreciate life, expand my horizons, and maintain a good quality of life.  These are the basic tenets which guide my own choices in how I live as a bilateral below knee amputee.  I lost both legs below the knee while serving in the Marine Corps in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of ’68. The Veterans Administration has been incredibly supportive and helpful in responding to my prosthetic needs.  I recognize that not every amputee has the support I have received from the VA, my prosthetists, and family.  I am quite fortunate in these ways which allow me to pursue my adventures and life.

For over 52 years, I have seen great strides in the development of prostheses.  However, from a personal perspective, the most significant improvement has been the Pro-Flex foot. (The particular foot described is the Pro-Flex Low Profile Torsion version of the Ossur Pro-Flex foot family.)

The Pro-Flex foot has made movement potential significantly more diverse than with any previous foot I have had, including Flex foot and BiOM (from BionX and now known as Empower).  More importantly, I have found that I have had to retrain my muscle memory built over the last 52 years since I was wounded.  In fact, without thought or intentional effort on my part, I experienced a point at which I found myself using muscle memory from pre-1968.  As a former athlete, it came quite easily.

I now wish to develop increased movement, improved balance, and a more “natural” way of moving.  I have found that some principles and modified techniques from Tai chi have helped me in this effort.  For example, as a bilateral below knee amputee, I found it almost impossible to balance on one leg and do anything else.  Now, with these new feet, I do exercises which facilitate this ability along with movement of the hips and knees which I could not easily do before.  I practice this, along with relaxation, multiple times a day.  Whether I’m trimming a horse’s hoof (holding his hoof between my knees while filing or cutting) or carrying 50 lb. bags of grain, or pushing a wheelbarrow with 200 lbs. uphill, I focus on balance, directing energy to my legs, maintaining a good and solid base, and relaxation.  I’m far more able to do these and more with relative ease because of this practice and increased foot mobility and balance dynamics.

I have a brother who has been practicing Tai chi for decades and he has provided some guidance on how to accomplish these practices.  I have modified some of the routines due to the limitations of having prostheses, but they all focus on directing energy, maintaining good balance, being relaxed, and having a solid foundation. ( The Mayo Clinic has an excellent reference on Tai Chi. Click here.)

The ability of the “ankle” to move a few degrees has made achieving balance much easier than ever before.  It also permits a flat foot on slight inclines.  So significant is the articulation of the foot that I feel as if I have a “ball of the foot” to use for balance and power depending upon my movement.

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Most importantly, I regularly focus on my movement and monitor what is happening allowing me to experiment.  Further, I do exercises several times a day where I plant my feet shoulder’s width, turn from my waist and move it around in a circle facilitating greater flexibility.  If I keep my shoulders in line with the front of my chest while turning and maintaining a solid foundation, I can more easily lift objects without doing injury.  I then practice shifting weight from one leg to the other while doing these same movements.  In this exercise, I place all my weight on one leg while the other is "empty."  This permits me to reach or bend and pick up or leave objects, often with great weight, without straining.  Upper body flexibility and strength is also part of my routine since it makes up for reduced capability of my “legs.”

At 73 years of age, I continue to lead a very active lifestyle and wish to continue to do so for some time to come.  I wish to challenge my limitations, but respect them at the same time.  I wish to not let my absence of lower legs limit my goals, but rather find alternative ways of achieving them or persist on their progress while paying attention to my health.  As we all know, we must be able to determine whether or not discomfort or pain is leading to tissue damage so we know whether to block the pain and continue, or stop and pay attention to the issue causing the discomfort.

I believe the approach I describe above can be used by anyone.  We all are different and have different ways of dealing with the world and our own circumstances.  It’s important to know yourself and what is best for you.  That way, you can modify techniques and approaches to what is best suited for you.  It’s also important, in my view, that we stay healthy, balanced and strong.





Patient Stories: David R Clark

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“Join the Navy and see the world!” That was a popular slogan for Navy recruiters at one point. David Clark didn’t need to join to see the world. Between his mom (Army) and his dad (WWII Navy, Korea Army, and then Air Force – but that’s another story) David did a good bit of “seeing” before he did join the Navy. With a long family tradition of military service, covering all the military branches between he and his siblings, David served for 11 years as a Navy Corpsman. He tells of once serving on two aircraft carriers and has travelled to many countries all over the world.

The native of Junction City, KS (where his mom was posted at the time he was born), has made his home in Western Maryland for 40 years. His mom originally came from Oldtown, Maryland and David’s wife’s roots run deep in the area as well. With two children and six grandchildren, they still love to travel, but not too far away from home!

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Since his military service, David has earned three different degrees: Oceanography and Aquatic Biology; Banking and Finance; and then Nursing. While he is now retired, his wife Sandy is Assistant Director of Nursing for Allegany College of Maryland. It was during David’s nursing career that he met Mark Treasure, CP, BOCO when they often crossed paths at the hospital and patient homes when David worked Home Health. When David needed some treatment for his Charcot foot, he met with Mark at Dankmeyer to get a prescribed orthosis called a CROW Walker (Charcot Restraint Orthotic Walker). Charcot runs in David’s family – it is a disease that attacks the bones, joints and soft tissue of the feet. The CROW Walker would provide some support to ease the stress on the foot.

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David knew that this would buy him some time before more radical treatment was required. The CROW Walker kept him going for 1.5 years before the condition worsened. David got ulcers on the foot and the foot collapsed. He determined that elective surgery to remove the foot was the best way for him to move forward and regain mobility. Three days before his appointment with the surgeon, the foot got septic because of the ulcers and in February 2020 he began his journey with a below knee prosthesis.

A very active outdoorsman, David has already been back in the woods with his temporary prosthesis. He uses a longbow to shoot for fun but prefers shooting firearms – even using his leather crafting skills to make a new quiver for arrows and holsters for pistols. Camping and bushcraft are activities he particularly enjoys and plans to travel to visit his brother out west in the near future for camping. A pre-COVID activity was teaching young people about bushcraft and survival skills and he is looking forward to resuming that training.

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David says that being inactive is not an option. In his nursing career, he saw amputees who were content to sit in a wheelchair, and that was not for him. He has lists of things to do and more travel is on that list. Restoring a farmhouse and cutting brush, his grandkids, leatherworking and camping are only a few things on his list that require attention. “Do everything you can! Besides, my wife would kick my b#$* if I wasn’t motivated and active!!” 

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Patient Stories: James McCarter, Jr.

Meet Mr. James McCarter, Jr. This young man is continuing to do his “homework” while he is at home during the pandemic, learning to live with his new Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis. Marlies Beerli Cabell, CPO, delivered the device in late March. Mr. McCarter has a spinal cord injury and the brace helps provide sensation so he can feel his foot on the floor. He is very confident and determined and has already met his first goals!

He came in for a followup appointment last week, ready to show Marlies his progress. He wanted to share some words of encouragement to anyone who is getting through the COVID-19 pandemic:

COVID-19. I was working with my leg brace, even though I didn’t have PT every week. I push myself to work on my brace even though there is COVID-19. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.


Getting positioned on the parallel bars.

At the other end and ready for the return!