{"id":11192,"date":"2024-08-02T09:17:32","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T14:17:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=11192"},"modified":"2024-08-02T09:17:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T14:17:32","slug":"leaping-forward-how-uwls-new-program-transforms-lives-of-amputees-and-pt-students","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/leaping-forward-how-uwls-new-program-transforms-lives-of-amputees-and-pt-students\/","title":{"rendered":"LEAPing forward: How UWL’s new program transforms lives of amputees and PT students"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Photo<\/a>
Walter Van Roo, of La Crosse, walks around the UWL Fieldhouse track with physical therapy student Casey Breunig, a volunteer for the LEAP program. Breunig was hooked after his first session assisting amputees with exercise plans. \u201cThis program shows there is a real need for the degree we are pursuing,\u201d says Breunig.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Walter Van Roo faced significant challenges after losing his legs to a brown recluse spider bite in 1995 and later being struck by a drunk driver while in his wheelchair. Despite medical predictions that he would probably never walk again, Van Roo has defied the odds.<\/p>\n

On a Thursday afternoon in May, he finished three laps around the UWL Fieldhouse track, supported by encouraging\u00a0UW-La Crosse Physical Therapy (PT)<\/a>\u00a0students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve boosted me up again,\u201d remarked Van Roo. \u201cI\u2019m very impressed with the students on this campus. They\u2019ve made me feel good \u2014 like I\u2019m succeeding. Why give up now?\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Roo is a participant in the new Lower Extremity Amputee Program (LEAP) at UWL, designed for community members with lower extremity amputations. In this program, PT students create personalized exercise plans for each client, track their progress, and provide physical assistance, all under the supervision of Inga Cluppert, PT, DPT, a clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at UWL. The program initially ran for 12 weeks during the spring semester and is now being offered for six weeks over the summer at the UWL Fieldhouse. A certified prosthetist from LIMB LAB in La Crosse joins the group weekly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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New fieldhouse inspires community program<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Maddie Graefe, a second year PT program student, works with client Allen Olson in the LEAP program. Seeing how physical therapy helped her grandfather, an amputee, was inspiration to work with this population.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The program started after Cluppert envisioned the new fieldhouse, with its expansive second-floor walking track, as the perfect location to aid amputees learning to navigate with prosthetics. She shared the idea for the program with students in her UWL Physical Therapy Health & Wellness class and four students enthusiastically stepped up as part of their hands-on activity for the class.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"
Inga Cluppert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maria Turco, one of these students, was particularly motivated by her mother, an amputee and former Paralympic downhill skier.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom\u2019s mentality that a disability doesn\u2019t have to be disabling was really empowering for me, and something I wanted to inspire other people to feel too,\u201d says Turco.<\/p>\n

Clients in the program have made significant progress, from returning to hobbies like gardening to relearning how to climb stairs. Van Roo initially aimed to walk one lap around the Fieldhouse track but quickly exceeded this goal, realizing he needed to set higher aspirations. \u201cIt was a slap in the face because I realized I didn\u2019t have realistic goals,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Likewise students are making progress toward their future PT goals.<\/p>\n

Maddie Graefe and Kaelyn Wagner, both second year PT students, were eager to work with this population as they see it meeting an important community need. \u201cMy grandpa was an amputee and seeing how much PT helped him really inspired me to work with this population,\u201d says Graefe.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve learned that each client has specific types of injuries and prosthetics, so no textbook method can be used to find success, explains Wagner. Instead, they develop individual goals for each patient with specific plans for care.<\/p>\n

Second-year PT student Elise Durrie highlighted the importance of listening and respecting patients\u2019 goals and boundaries. \u201cYou can learn all you want about teaching someone to walk or climb stairs, but working with patients with different gait mechanics is where you truly learn,\u201d Durrie explained. \u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot I wouldn\u2019t have considered if not a part of this program.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Social connection has been key<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Doug Worman, left, and his wife, Sharon, talk with student Casey Breunig. Another client Randy Gran connects with a representative from LIMB LAB, Ryan Fejedelem, CPO, pictured far right. Social connections through the program have been one of the best parts for participants.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the biggest takeaways for Turco, was seeing how an amputation isn\u2019t just a physical injury, and so care isn\u2019t just about teaching exercises.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much in their lives that has changed,\u201d says Turco. \u201cBeing able to talk to people, listen to their story and empathize is a big part of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program has also fostered new social connections among participants. Many arrive early to chat and bond over shared experiences. \u201cWe understand what we\u2019ve been through,\u201d Van Roo noted. \u201cThere are a lot of mental changes, and it\u2019s comforting to be with people who understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharon Worman and her husband, Doug, of West Salem, learned about the program after meeting a PT student while shopping. Initially uncertain if Doug would be able to walk with his prosthetic, Sharon has since watched him build strength and confidence, walking up to 30 meters. \u201cThis program is really helping. The PT students are amazing\u2014so patient and encouraging,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are so blessed to have this in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The future of LEAP<\/h3>\n
\"\"
PT student Kaelyn Wagner, right, connects with client Mary Davis. Participants call the program a win, win with both students and participants learning from one another.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cluppert hopes to turn LEAP into a year-round program, with new PT students coming on to facilitate each semester.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a patient population that is becoming more prevalent in certain areas of the country \u2013 La Crosse being one. And students don\u2019t necessarily get contact with these clients in other ways,\u201d says Cluppert. \u201cI\u2019ve seen their confidence level jump leaps and bounds from day one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Roo calls the program a win, win. He can\u2019t get into physical therapy through his healthcare provider as often as he would like and this program is offered at no cost and with great support from students.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are learning at the same time we are helping them, and they are learning at the same time they are helping us,\u201d says Van Roo. \u201cNot being part of this would be kind of silly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Written by UW-La Crosse University Marketing & Communications<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uwlax.edu\/news\/posts\/leaping-forward\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Walter Van Roo faced significant challenges after losing his legs to a brown recluse spider bite in 1995 and later being struck by a drunk driver while in his wheelchair. Despite medical predictions that he would probably never walk again, Van Roo has defied the odds. On a Thursday afternoon in May, he finished three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":11195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[104],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-11192","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-la-crosse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/11192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=11192"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=11192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}