Cutting Edge Prosthetic Ankle Joint Debuts in Oak Park

NBC5 recently featured a patient of John Angelico, CP in Scheck & Siress' Oak Park office who has been fit with the latest prosthetic device helping amputees walk.  With this computer-controlled ankle joint, the user can climb stairs easily and walk more smoothly on all sorts of terrain.  It's a huge advancement for amputees and John has fit the first on in Illinois.

Here is the link to NBC5's story:
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/health/robotic-ankle-illinois-biom-170561516.html

And you can get the local perspective on OakPark.com:
http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/09-21-2012/Man_gets_Chicago-area's_first_fitting_for_bionic_ankles_in_Oak_Park

Volunteers Go For the Gold at Daycamp Olympics

The Northwest Special Recreation Association's (NWSRA) Camp Connections summer camp for children with physical and mental disabilities ended with an Olympic-sized celebration in August.  Campers, most of whom get around in wheelchairs, were treated to a day of games, a special lunch and an awards ceremony with their families.  

Scheck & Siress supported the program for the second year by sending 7 employee volunteers for the day.  Since most of the NWSRA kids are also patients of Scheck & Siress, our employees feel a special connection to this camp and enjoyed celebrating with the group.  NWSRA enjoyed the help of several, well-qualified volunteers.   It's a community partnership that really makes a difference.

Challenged Athletes Clinic Held for Chicago Runners

Saturday, August 11th was a beautiful day - one of those days that make you feel guilty if you go inside.  It was on this sunny Saturday that Ossur, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Scheck & Siress and the Chicago Park District invited disabled athletes out to get some expert advice on getting active.  A running and mobility clinlic held at LaFollette Park in Chicago brought out about 30 people with disabilities, mostly amputations, to try walking, running and moving more efficiently and comfortably. Special guest coach, Bob Gailey, PhD, PT was on hand to help with training techniques, balance and maximizing prosthetic capabilities.  It was a big success!  Visit our website regularly to learn about upcoming athletic events and clinics: www.scheckandsiress.com.

Paratriathlon Nationals a Success for Scheck & Siress

Last weekend was a great one in Austin Texas for the Paratraithlon National Championships.  This year there were 65 para triathletes, up from 32 last year.  

Melissa Stockwell, Prosthetist at the Scheck & Siress UIC office, won her category and is the National Champion for the third year in a row. 

Hailey Danisewicz, patient of Scheck & Siress, placed second with a personal best time.  Both are qualified to go to the world championships.

Jean Draper, also one of the Scheck & Siress staff, competed and qualified for the world paratiathlon championships in Auckland, New Zealand in October, as well.

According to Triathlete Magazine, "Interest in paratriathlon is at an all-time high and the sport continues to grow following its inclusion in the Paralympic Games program. Paratriathlon will make its debut at the Paralympic Summer Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, a goal for many paratriathletes racing in Austin.

"This year’s race took place on Memorial Day, a day especially important to athletes with ties to the military. Stockwell was the first female American soldier in history to lose a limb in active combat and is now a national and world champion. The Iraq War veteran found a flag along the course and waved it as she crossed the finish line."

Melissa Stockwell, care of www.usatriathlon.org

International Conference on Scoliosis Treatment: SOSORT

David Speers, CPO of Scheck and Siress was invited to speak at the 7^th annual meeting of the International Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment, or SOSORT, in Milan, Italy.  

Speers states,  "My involvement with SOSORT has allowed me to stay current with the latest scoliosis treatment techniques from all over the world.  I am able to apply these techniques in my daily practice in Chicago.  Being invited to speak at the conference was an honor."

Milan, Italy where SOSORT conference was held in May, 2012

His presentations were entitled, “Comparison of in-brace correction between supine, molded, asymmetric TLSOs and standing, CAD, symmetric TLSOs" and "The effects of scoliosis bracing on parent and child perception of adolescent's quality of life". 

A newer organization, SOSORT is gaining recognition as a leading organization for the conservative treatment of scoliosis.  SOSORT will host their 2013 international meeting in Chicago.  To learn more about the organization and international conference, visit www.sosort.org.

David Speers is an orthotist and prosthetist in the Schaumburg office of Scheck and Siress where he specializes in pediatric orthotic care and general prosthetic care.  

A typical TLSO orthosis or brace for conservative scoliosis treatment

Orthotists work together with physicians  to correct scoliosis

Pain Management patient testimonial

The Pain Management Suit is the best thing that has ever happened to me. The chronic pain I experience has only been managed with pharmaceuticals up until now. Due to its affect on my mental functioning, I did not want to continue my life under the influence of pain medications. I have had illnesses all my life and I believe in having a normal life, not the life style of a medically ill person. The pain management suit gave me my active and pain free lifestyle back!

Scheck and Siress has provided me with the means to live my normal life style with the Pain Management Suit. The staff provided the highest professional service and truly cared about me. They spent many hours to fit the suit perfectly to my body. This was not easy due to other medical adaptive equipment I currently use. The staff at Scheck and Siress is the most wonderful, caring group of professionals I have ever worked with. I have received medical care at major medical centers throughout the United States, and they are by far the best!

Kathleen J. Krakar

ABC 7 Report: Helping Developing Countries' Disabled

Range of Motion Project, a non-profit organization co-founded by Eric Neufeld of Scheck & Siress was featured on ABC 7 news. ROMP regularly brings volunteers, including John Angelico CP, to Guatemala, Haiti and Ecuador to provide almost no-cost prosthetic care to the countries' disabled. Donations of unwanted prosthetic components are taken by Scheck & Siress throughout the Chicago area. To learn more about how they are used, visit www.rompglobal.net.

View the entire ABC 7 story at this link:

http://tinyurl.com/3xfahzq

She's here! Post-Mastectomy Fitter, Benita Santillanes

Benita Santillanes, CFm is now working in our Lincoln Park office, providing a full range of post-mastectomy prostheses, forms and garments.
Insurance and Medicare often cover these services.
Call Benita at 773-472-3663 to schedule your appointment or for more information. You can view Benita's brochure by clicking the file name below.

http://www.scheckandsiress.com/Newsroom/downloads/241-0.pdf

High Schooler is a Soccer Star in Her Prosthesis

Gena Keszai is getting a lot of attention lately. Her high school's JV soccer team, the Marian Knights, is playing a 10-1-2 season. Gena, a freshman, is doing it with one prosthetic leg. Full of talent and inspiration, Gena's is a story you should know. Read the full story by ESPN and WNDU 16 here:
http://rise.espn.go.com/girls-soccer/articles/2010/10/00-Gena-Keszei.aspx

Scheck & Siress Serves Haiti

S&S practitioners, John Angelico CP and Michael Oros CPO, traveled to Haiti in August to provide prosthetic and orthotic care to victims of the recent earthquake tragedy there. Other volunteers were Heather Bava, Daniela Duran, Heidi Behnke from Weiss Hospital, Dawn Hudson and Julie Lanphere from RIC. The trip was organized by Range of Motion Project. To learn more about ROMP, visit: www.rompglobal.net.

Melissa Stockwell Wins Paratriathlon Worlds in Budapest

She did it again! Scheck and Siress' very own Melissa Stockwell travelled to Budapest to compete in the 2010 Paratriathlon World Championships and wonher division. Keep up the good work Melissa!

http://budapest.triathlon.org/en/athlete_info/age_group/results_-_ag_sprint/

Today's Daily Herald features the US Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, made up of amputees and players without use of their legs. Chicago's Scheck & Siress Orthotics and Prosthetics has a special interest in a Gold a gold medal for this US Paralympic hockey team.

Burt Constable writes, "The U.S. Squad will get a boost from th addition of some new sleds, specially made by Scheck & Siress, a Chicago orthotics and prosthetics firm with centers in Bannockburn, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, Schaumburg and throughout the suburbs.

" 'We made three custom buckets for people missing both legs above the knee,' says David Rotter, 41, chief clinican and lab manager at Scheck & Siress' laboratory at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The firm also made sturdy, custom veneer shells with t USA logo for all 15 sleds.

" 'They worked great and will hopefully give the guys a competitive edge to beat Canada,' Rotter says.

"Taking molds of the player's bodies, Scheck & Siress spent six days to make the three sleds, and donated much of that labor and design work, Rotter says. Each sled weighs less than a 16-pound bowling ball."

Read the whole story at http://dailyherald.com/story/?id=361090

Expressing Thanks For Our Great Patients

We have a new series of posters that we are excited to share in this space. Soon, the ones you see here--as well as a few others--will be making their debuts in our offices in Chicago and throughout the region.

Each poster spotlights a remarkable patient with two photographs and a brief description that tells some of the basic elements of their story. And each one ends with words that emphasize these are ordinary people doing some extraordinary things, "with a little help from Scheck & Siress."

Now, that's no false modesty on our part. Certainly, we take pride in being caring, competent professionals. We have a storied 55-year history which, at its center, consists of helping improve the lives of thousands of individuals and, by association, their families.

But we couldn't do it without our patients, whose amazing fortitude and indefatigable spirit we are privileged to witness. On a daily basis, they humble and inspire us as they look adversity in the eye and keep moving forward.

And they even go out of their way to thank us, as you can see from a sampling of Scheck & Siress patient testimonials.

So as we approach Thanksgiving, we want to express how thankful we are for the wonderful patients who entrust us with such an important role in their lives.

From everyone in the Scheck & Siress family, here's to a Happy--and Healthy--Thanksgiving!

"New Technology" Seminar a Big Success

Three weeks ago, we provided a preview of "New Technology For Active Amputees," a free seminar at our Hickory Hills location.

As we hoped, there was a strong, enthusiastic turnout of more than 40 guests and nobody left disappointed.

Both Dr. Michael Pinzur, a renowned orthopedic surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, and Melissa Stockwell received heartfelt ovations for their presentations.


Stockwell's inspiring talk was "Road to the Paralympic Games.” It culminated with her being the flag bearer during the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremonies. In addition to being a patient, Stockwell has been a resident with Scheck & Siress.

A U.S. Army veteran, Stockwell was the country's first female amputee from the Iraq War.

Over the 4-plus hours, which concluded with a boxed lunch provided by Scheck & Siress, more than a dozen company staff members as well as exhibitors turned out for the event. In the accompanying photos, you can see some Cindy Hausner with Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (top photo) and Emily Horn (below) with Ossur, a manufacturer of prosthetic components.

The purpose of the seminar was to provide resources, support and education to amputees who are or would like to be active in sports and exercise. Attendees said they enjoyed meeting other amputees and gained inspiration and resources to become as active as they once were.

Based on the day's all-around success, stay tuned for similar programming that we will be holding in the future. To offer topic suggestions for future seminars, contact Emily Frederick, marketing director, at 773-606-9356.

With Deep Gratitude, On Veterans Day

Every day, we ought to extend our gratitude to the men and women whose sacrifices have helped ensure our freedom and way of life here in the United States.

In particular, Veterans Day brings to mind the ultimate price that so many have paid--with their very lives. Others, through physical and other wounds, continue to render an ongoing sacrifice. Among them is Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois Veteran Affairs Director who lost both of her legs in combat during the war in Iraq.

In the photo above is Tammy, with President-elect Barack Obama, during a solemn salute to veterans Tuesday. They were at the bronze soldiers memorial between the Field Museum and Soldier Field in Chicago.

As we've noted previously, Tammy is a patient of Scheck & Siress prosthetist David Rotter.

Originally known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day marks the anniversary of the Nov. 11, 1918 signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.

Paralympic Games Airing on TV This Week

A reminder to those who did not have a chance to travel to Beijing and see the Paralympic Games in person: coverage of the competition is airing this week on USN.

The NBC Paralympics special aired on November 9 and from Monday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 16, coverage goes from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern on Universal Sports.

As noted on the Team USA website, "for exciting video highlights and images of the 99 medal-winning performances and other amazing moments from the 2008 Beijing Paralympics," visit here.

Melissa Stockwell, a resident at Scheck & Siress, was among those who competed as a swimmer in the Paralympics.

WalkAide: Scheck & Siress Proud To Provide Patients With Gait-Way To Improved Quality of Life

One of the significant developments this year has been the rising prominence of WalkAide.

It's a transformative new technology that is helping people whose neurological deficits had severely hindered their ability to walk, get up from a chair, climb stairs and take other simple actions.

Our patients have received coverage in the Chicago Tribune, the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest and The Daily Chronicle of DeKalb.

To get a sense of the impact that this device has had on our patients, see the below footage of Joanne Schutt, profiled in one of the stories. While under the care and supervision of Scheck & Siress prosthetist Dan Hasso, Schutt demonstrated her gait with and without the WalkAide.

Without the WalkAide




With the WalkAide




As you can see, the device restores the signal between the brain and the nerves that control the movement of the ankle and foot, enabling people to make great strides in improving their gait.

To learn more, contact our Oakbrook Terrace office at 630-424-0392.

Coming Nov. 8th: New Technology For Active Amputees

We are excited about "New Technology For Active Amputees," a 4 1/2-hour free seminar that we are hosting on Saturday, Nov. 8 at our Hickory Hills location.

The session starts at 8:30 a.m., lasts until 1 p.m. and includes a free boxed lunch.

Dr. Michael Pinzur, a renowned orthopedic surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, will discuss “Ground-Breaking Bone-Bridge Surgery,” the pros and cons of a controversial technique, called a “bone bridge.”

It is used to prepare the residual limb in below-the-knee amputations. In this technique, the amputated ends of the tibia (shin bone) and fibula are fused with a bone bridge.

Also speaking will be our very own Melissa Stockwell, a resident with Scheck & Siress and U.S. Army veteran who was the country's first female amputee from the Iraq War. She will share her "Road to the Paralympic Games,” which culminated with her being the flag bearer during the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremonies.

If you like sports or working out, this one's for you! To reserve a space, contact Emily Frederick at 773-606-9356.

Our facility in Hickory Hills is at 8641 95th St., in the Hill Creek Shopping Center. You can read more about the day at Triblocal.com..

Melissa Stockwell Speaks at Book Kick-Off

On Thursday, Melissa Stockwell will be speaking at a kick-off party for a book on wounded veterans. A story posted at The Earth Times states the book, released by Praeger Security Press, is called Returning Wars' Wounded, Injured, and Ill: A Handbook.

"Proceeds from the book's first year of sales will be donated to The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project to provide athletic activities towounded service members as part of their rehabilitation," the story states. " Their motto is `If Ican do this, I can do anything.'"

As anyone who has followed Melissa's journey knows, she perfectly embodies that motto.

Safe & Smooth: Proprio Foot Provides Boost To Amputees As They Walk

When we walk, 40 percent of the time our legs are swinging through the air. In those moments, an amputee—or anyone else, for that matter—is at risk of tripping.

Such a stumble can lead to a host of other problems, especially for amputees who may already face other health difficulties.

That is why Steve Thorstenson turned to Scheck & Siress for a prosthetic advancement called the Proprio Foot. At Triblocal.com, the companion website to the Chicago Tribune, you can read a more in-depth profile about Steve and the role that we have been able to play in his journey.