Heaven's gait; Cape man walks again after medical advancement

How do we not rejoice when medical advances take someone from wheelchair to walking? Joe Brashears is enjoying a miraculous gift of technology. After falling from a ladder in 1999 and crushing the lower part of his left leg, it didn't look good for him, but thanks to a hydraulic brace from the Hanger Clinic in Cape Girardeau, Brashears is up and moving, doing what he hasn't been able to do in years.

"It was happy tears." This is how Brashears described his reaction to trying out the brace. For 10 years, he hadn't been able to walk without a locked left leg, but the brace, which he has worn since October 2015, bends his leg naturally.

How does this device, which Hanger certified orthotist Timothy Nieder said reminds him of something from "RoboCop," actually work? According to what prosthetist Andrew Stritzek, also Hanger-certified, told the Southeast Missourian, "The hydraulic motor that sticks out the side of the brace is connected to a microprocessor and sensors at Brashears' left foot and ankle." He added that "the processor registers information from the two sensors to adjust to Brashears' gait."

Following his fall, Brashears had several surgeries, followed by reflex-sympathetic dystrophy syndrome which induced pain so intense he begged doctors to amputate his leg after pain killers were unable to stop the pain. The progression to recovery entailed a wheelchair, crutches, a cane and now, the hydraulic brace. The brace has improved his mobility so much, he has gone duck hunting and built much of his own home, among other activities.

Though others could benefit from the C-Brace, its price tag is $60,000 to $90,000. Brashears is one of only three in the area using it.

The change was drastic for him from the start. He knew immediately that life was about to get much better. "When I first got this, it was like I was zooming around on a skateboard," he said.

We're ecstatic for Brashears, and amazed at what innovation can do. We wish him a lifetime of doing the things he loves most.