On June 14, 2007, while on his third deployment to Iraq, Master Sergeant David “Davey” Lind’s vehicle activated a pressure plate IED. The resulting blast left him a double amputee, with one above-the-knee amputation and one below-the-knee amputation.
Though Lind initially felt emotionally lost at this sudden life change, he quickly began working with a physical therapist and prosthetist with a goal in mind: walking down the aisle at his friend’s wedding. With hard work and determination, he took his first steps on his new prosthetics just two months after his accident and accomplished his goal.
Retired since 2009, Lind has become the first double-amputee CrossFit trainer and is also a motivational speaker.
“My legs can help describe me, but they don’t define me,” says Lind. “I hope that when people see me for the first time, they look at me and realize that anything is achievable.”
Lind was originally featured in our short documentary, The right fit: Century College serves the orthotics and prosthetics industry, from our Do Something Awesome series. You can visit the link to see our original story and also watch the video at the end of this article.
Learning tech skills with an open heart
More than 1,500 military personnel lost a limb as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Rebuilding the lives of patients who suffer limb loss or a lack of mobility takes someone who cares, someone who is deeply involved with matching the needs of patients with the technology that can enable them to reach a new normal.
Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota has dutifully served the orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) industry for 44 years by teaching beyond the technical skills. The school’s Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics program ensures that its graduates are prepared to enter the workforce with an advanced skill set and an open heart.
To find out more about the Century College Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics program, click here.
For more information about O&P programs in your state, visit the National Commission on Orthotics and Prosthetic Education website.
