Hello and happy summer to you all!

Sorry it’s been so long since we’ve posted an update. It doesn’t happen often but we’ve been rendered quite speechless by how fabulous you all are! Since our last update the Legless fund has more than doubled. We are continually amazed by how generous people are and by all the hard work and imagination people have put into fundraising. Thank you so much!

We have been busy behind the scenes though. A couple of months ago, we realised that we were getting close to our target and so Emma started talking to private prosthetics clinics. Our original estimate for a Genium X3 had been provided by Em’s NHS prosthetist and when she started talking to the clinics we were shocked to find out that it was quite a way under what it will actually cost. The estimate that we have been given now is £67,000. Initially we were a little worried about the jump in cost but, adding in the monies from some of the fundraising and generous donations that are saved in an offline account, we are still in a great position. Currently our total is around £51,000. There are also a number of other events coming up so we are hopeful that we should have enough to cover the cost for Em’s new leg! We are sticking with the £45,000 target on this website, as with the offline funds we would reach our goal.

Since our last update Emma has been using the C-leg, the one with a microprocessor knee financed by recent NHS funding changes for above knee amputees. There is no-one better than her to tell you how it’s been going and what difference the Legless funded Genium X3 could make to her and the family’s lives. So over to you Em…

“I’ve been getting on really well with my NHS C-Leg. I already feel that my walking has improved and that I'm much safer than I was on my old mechanical knee. I can manage slopes and rough terrain better. However, the technology in the Genium X3 is a lot more advanced than the one in the C-Leg. It is more responsive, and even safer, and should allow me to do much more.

I had a really exciting and useful appointment at Dorset Orthopaedic Clinic where we talked about what would work best for me. I found out lots more about the Genium X3 and got to have a look at one (it’s very ‘Terminator’!). The prosthetist I saw said that the idea is that I should be able to do everything I want without having to think about it first. As time goes on, I am starting to be more aware about the limitations of life with a prosthetic and the idea of being able to potentially do whatever I want is amazing. We were in Cornwall over half-term and I ended up staying in the car one day while the rest of my family were on the beach because I was worried about getting the leg wet and sandy, and I didn’t feel safe on the steps down to the beach. The Genium X3 is waterproof and very sturdy, so that wouldn't be an issue, and would mean that I could do lots more with Mark and the kids.”

To give you an idea of what the Legless fundraising will cover, the Genium X3 refers to the micro-processor knee unit, which is the main bit of a prosthetic if you are an above-knee amputee. On top of that you also need the rest of the leg - a foot, an ankle, and all the other various other components that fit them together, as well as a good socket. Also included in the cost is a residential rehabilitation programme, run by the Dorset Orthopaedic Clinic, which allows for the intensive physiotherapy. Emma feels it would be incredibly beneficial to have support to learn how to get the best out of the new leg, and we agree! If you want to see more about the Genium X3 and the difference it makes in peoples’ lives take a look at this video - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RL44NGCy0u0.

Following from her appointment, we have decided that the best plan would be for Emma to have a trial of the Genium X3 to check that it will work for her. We are hoping that it will be able to happen in August, so that she can try it out in the summer holidays with the kids around - maybe even getting onto a beach and into the sea! We will keep you updated and hopefully have some photos so that you can see how it's working and what she can do with it. We are all very excited and more grateful than we can express to you all for helping to make this possible. Thank you!

Love Legless@40 x