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..