Frank Schaller
"There are days like these that you will never forget. For me, in addition to some important family events, January 19, 2005 was such a day," says Frank from Germany.
"Actually, everything was normal on this working day at a large dealer for building materials in our region. I was among other things responsible for purchasing, sales and warehouse management and I also operated a lot of heavy equipment (e.g. the forklift truck and the crane)."
"The fact that I would fall from a simple ladder and break my heel bone is something I really didn’t expect."
No regrets
After his work accident and the following surgery, Frank's surgical wound, unfortunately, got infected. The infection had worsened, making it impossible for the leg to heal properly. What was going on inside his mind at this point, Frank recollects rather soberly:
"I only had to take a look at my roommate with a similar clinical picture to understand that I didn't want to expose myself to such a life in a hospital bed. The patient with whom I shared my room at the time had been in the hospital for almost a year and had evidently given up. "
In order to put a quick end to this nightmare, and return to his life, Frank decides to have an amputation.
"I knew that my wife and children and also our friends and neighbours would support me unconditionally."
To this day, Frank is often quoted by friends and loved ones when it comes to the reason for his decision at the time: "Frank will be Frank – the only change will be that he is missing a bit of his leg." To this day, he has never regretted his decision.
Team with a dream
After the amputation wound had healed, Frank received a so-called transitional prosthesis in 2006 that was intended to help his residual limb get used to wearing a prosthetic socket.
Barely a year later, Frank, with the support of his innovative orthopedic technician, becomes a 'prosthesis pioneer'.
"I was the first person in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany, who was given the opportunity to test a prosthetic foot named Proprio Foot®. I was lucky, because not only was I able to return to work, but I was able to resume my various leisure activities without exception."
The fact that, bike riding, motorcycling, voluntary work in a fire brigade and competitive bowling were among his activities still leaves people speechless.
"In addition, there are our trips to the Baltic Sea several times a year as well as various musical performances where I play a brass instrument."
Moreover, even the Dekra test commission has cleared Frank for driving cars with manual transition, proving once again that there are no limitations for him.
"At the time, they thoroughly checked my operational capability on behalf of my employer and found me absolutely fit to drive all vehicles."
All of this, according to Frank, is possible because his prosthetic Proprio Foot is a true all-rounder.
Whether I have to adjust the prosthetic foot to the heel height of my footwear when changing shoes or lower the tip of my foot to the floor when sitting down - the processor-controlled foot obeys my word.
„It has to, because in my everyday life – even now as a retiree – my foot is constantly challenged.“
Without a shed of a doubt, from the start, the 69-year-old decided against a cosmetic foot cover, whose main purpose is to simulate a near to natural skin appearance.
"I am fully convinced of this advanced technology, so I have no reason to hide it, but I understand that such a cover might help other users to feel more comfortable."
“Frank will be Frank – the only change will be that a piece of leg is missing.”
Frank Schaller
Enjoying retirement
As the grandfather of three incredible grandchildren and the proud owner of a small poultry farm consisting of chickens and geese, there is hardly a boring moment in the retiree's life.
"Just feeding and caring for the animals as well as watering the garden is always coming up with new demands on my Proprio Foot."
Always fascinated with water activities, Frank encounters water almost every day.
“In addition to our large property with all the animals, there is also the maintenance of our cars and garden accessories as well as the grandchildren's fun pool to be taken care of - not to forget: swimming in the Baltic Sea two to three times a year.”*
The future is waterproof
Keeping this in mind, it goes without saying that Frank praises his new waterproof Proprio Foot that accompanies him into fresh and salty water up to one meter deep.
"As in any other high-tech field, there is, of course, still room for improvement in the development of prosthetic devices. As far as I am concerned, waterproof prosthetic solutions are the future. Anyone who, like me, is dependent on a prosthetic device in their prime should benefit from the highest possible range of functionalities“
Frank's advice
„I would like to emphasize once again how important it is to have a trusting relationship between you and your orthopedic technician. My technician Jens and I have grown closer together over the years and don't want to miss each other anymore.„
And … as said before: Frank remains Frank, with just a little piece of his leg missing.
Name: Frank Schaller
Occupation: Retiree
Location: Germany
- Enjoying time with my family and grandchildren
- Taking on new activities
- Playing music and compete in bowling
*Proprio Foot only allows for full immersion into 1m deep water for 30 minutes and is not recommended to be used in chlorinated water.