Last February, at the age of 63, golf enthusiast John Simpson was able to walk unaided for the time since childhood after being fitted with a bionic leg brace.
Mr Simpson, who lives in Surrey, suffered from polio as a child. The disease left his nerves so damaged he was unable to walk and, despite multiple operations, physiotherapy and treatments, he relied on a locked-leg brace to help him move around. He predicted that the C-Brace exoskeleton, from prosthetic and orthotic company Ottobock, would change his life.
Nearly a year after he became the first person in the UK to be fitted with the “revolutionary” creation, Mr Simpson continues to marvel at being able to walk naturally at last.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “I remember walking down the street before and seeing my reflection in a window. I couldn’t believe I was walking the way I was – now when I see myself, I do a double-take, I’m walking so much more normally.”
There has been a psychological shift for Mr Simpson too, he said. “With the old splint, falling was always in the back of my mind. I used to think about every step I took. Imagine doing that.” Now, he added, it’s only “the odd time” he is conscious of walking.
Mr Simpson, who is married with three adult children, has also been learning how to play golf once more – this time with a bent leg. “It’s completely different,” said Mr Simpson, who runs a charity, the On Course Foundation, which teaches injured servicemen and women how to play golf. “I can bend and lock my leg the same as my good leg. It’s very exciting.
“I remember for a long time thinking, if only someone could invent something like the C-Brace. I envisioned it and all of a sudden it became a reality. It’s like a dream come true.”
