We were very sorry to have to cancel the March 21, 2018 date of the Amputee Walking School. The sudden snowstorm that day kept everyone home. We will hold the next session of this popular event on June 20, 2018. As soon as registration is open, we will post the information. In the meantime, let's get on with spring!
March 2018 CANCELLED due to Weather!
3/20/2018 - We are sorry to announce that due to weather, the March 21, 2018 session of Amputee Walking School is cancelled. As soon as we get a date we will announce that rescheduled date.
Are you ready to register for the first Amputee Walking School session of 2018 on March 21, 2018?
Todd and Dennis will be there as Dankmeyer co-hosts with the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute (UMROI). More formally known as Advanced Gait Training for Individuals with Lower Extremity Amputations, Amputee Walking School features two segments. The afternoon segment is a learning session for professionals, followed by an evening session where those with lower limb loss and their families come to work with the pros on various kinds of exercises.
Registration for professionals can be found by clicking here. Space is limited, so don't wait! This session starts in the afternoon at 1:30PM and goes through the evening session when you will be joined by those with lower limb loss.
Attendance is free for those with lower limb loss and their families, but please let us know you are coming. The session lasts from 5pm - 7pm. Register for the event by clicking here.
You can read all about prior sessions and see a LOT of pictures by scrolling through our AWS news below.
2018 Amputee Walking School Dates
We have some dates for you to put on your calendar! For 2018, we have four dates scheduled for the very popular Amputee Walking School. As soon as we have more details, we will post that information here. In the meantime, pencil these in so you don't miss the fun:
- March 21, 2018
- June 20, 2018
- September 19, 2018
- November 14, 2018
Todd and Dennis will be there as Dankmeyer co-hosts with the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute (UMROI). More formally known as Advanced Gait Training for Individuals with Lower Extremity Amputations, Amputee Walking School features two segments. The afternoon segment is a learning session for professionals, followed by an evening session where those with lower limb loss and their families come to work with the pros on various kinds of exercises.
You can read all about prior sessions and see a LOT of pictures by scrolling through our AWS news below.
Amputee Walking School November 2017
Another Amputee Walking School come and gone! Wednesday, November 15, 2017 saw the final session of 2017 take place. Co-hosted by Dankmeyer, Inc. and the staff from the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute (UMROI) at the UMROI campus, the third session of 2017 was well attended. This event, more formally known as Advanced Gait Training for Individuals with Lower Extremity Amputations, features two segments. The afternoon segment from 1pm -5pm is a learning session for professionals, followed by a session from 5pm - 7pm where those with lower limb loss and their families come to work with the pros on various kinds of exercises.
All of this is under the guidance of the founders of the Amputee Walking School, which is designed to bring Paralympians and self-styled “professional amputees” Todd Schaffhauser and Dennis Oehler together with other amputees and their families, physical therapists, prosthetists and support staff. The goal is to teach and practice training exercises for lower limb amputees. Todd and Dennis, both lower limb amputees, co-founded the Amputee Walking School (AWS) in 1989 to take amputees beyond traditional rehabilitation.
Previous attendees know that these two guys know how to have fun while they are teaching and encouraging participants in all this hard work! This session was no exception. They lectured in class, they demonstrated exercises, and then moved around the room to work with attendees individually. And boy was it fun! With the emphasis on "boy"!
We almost always have a few young people with limb loss come - and by young we would be speaking of the under thirteen crowd in this case. Sometimes these young people are far more interested in things like kicking a ball, running, or obstacle courses than their adult counterparts are. Todd and Dennis know how to make these juniors feel right at home, with exercises designed to hold their interest and channel some energy, too!
This time one of our regular young attendees, Emerson Spekis, welcomed eleven year old Julian Maldonado. Unlike Emerson, Julian was very new at this prosthesis stuff, having become an amputee in January after surviving necrotizing fasciitis and a coma. Julian had actually come quite a way to attend, flying in from Corpus Christi, TX especially for Walking School, with his mom Jennifer and his physical therapist Mandy Alaniz. He came because he wants to learn to run because he wants to play baseball, and he also really enjoys wade fishing (check out his socket design.)
Jennifer and Mandy spent some time chatting with Dankmeyer Practice Liaison, Toni Robinson, who has attended every session of AWS for the past few years. Toni learned some amazing things that they shared with us. This young man:
—Had necrotizing fasciitis...30% chance of survival, he had 21 surgeries in 60 days.
—Was in a coma for 5 days. His family worried the entire time about how to tell him that he would be an amputee when he woke up. Julian's mom Jennifer shared that she was so afraid that he would cry and be upset. Instead, he said, “I understand, they have to take my leg to save my life.” He never shed one tear.
—Since his amputation Julian has gone to the hospital and talked to a little girl with a new amputation to let her know that it is going to be ok.
And what does this young man have to say about it? “Everyone is strong, they just don’t know it!” Wisdom from an eleven year old.
Todd and Dennis give Julian a lift!
Jennifer Maldonado, Julian Maldonado, Toni Robinson and Mandy Alaniz.
Amputee Walking School November 2017
Yes, it is time to gear up for the fall edition of the event known as the Amputee Walking School. This November 15, 2017 is the last event of 2017. After two earlier successful events in March and June, November's session will bring the same great opportunity for professionals to attend the day long session, joining with those with lower limb loss in the evening for exercises and practice sessions.
Everyone always enjoys these events! As always, Amputee Walking School is designed to bring Paralympians Todd Schaffhauser and Dennis Oehler, self-styled “professional amputees”, together with others with lower limb loss and their families, physical therapists, prosthetists and support staff - to teach and practice training exercises for those with lower limb loss. Todd and Dennis, both lower limb amputees, co-founded the Amputee Walking School (AWS) in 1989 to take amputees beyond traditional rehabilitation.
Registation is open for both events. The evening is FREE to those with lower limb loss. Professionals get low cost CEU's for their participation. Come and join the fun! Click here to visit our Events page, where there are links to all registrations.
Here are some pictures from the June event! 2018 dates coming soon!
