Episode Transcript
[00:00:03] Speaker A: Welcome to Life and Limb, a podcast from Thrive magazine all about living well with limb loss or limb difference. I'm Jeff Thiessen, publisher of Thrive magazine and your podcast host.
I have a couple of guests joining me this morning.
This episode, I should say, from Canada's birthplace of confederation, Prince Edward Island's Lucas Arsenal. And from America's land of 10,000 lakes and a lot of good hockey, Minnesota's Aaron Home.
Lucas, a former professional kiteboarder and national champion, is an above knee amputee. The result of a shark attack in Turks and Caicos just two years ago, he now channels that experience into keynote speaking, sharing his perspectives with audiences across the country.
Aaron is the head of consumer engagement for Ottobock Healthcare, a a global leader in not just prosthetics, but in medical technology and clinical care, too. With their Canadian office in Burlington, Ontario. And in his role with Ottobock, Aaron elevates our voices, us being users of prosthetic devices to attain and maintain independence in our daily lives. So welcome, guys. Aaron, first to you. How are you? How's your golf game?
[00:01:18] Speaker B: I'm doing well. And let's not talk about my golf game as far as how I'm doing. It's, it's been a rough start today, the year, but going to work on it a little bit more this weekend and hopefully hone in on some of the shots.
[00:01:32] Speaker A: That is the game of golf, is it not?
Lucas, how are you? What's going on on the island?
[00:01:39] Speaker C: I'm doing great. Things are finally warming up here on the east coast. Summers, full spring here.
Thanks for having me today. It's a pleasure to be here and looking forward to our chat.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: Thanks. Pleasure to have you both, for sure. So. So let's get into it. And Lucas, I want to start with you. So you lost your leg in probably one of the most uncommon ways that people lose limbs, but at the same time, likely one of the most highly publicized types of traumatic injury. You might say the media. The media.
Media frenzy, you might say, absolutely. But my question, as a professional kiteboarder, when you're making your living and spending so much time in the ocean, is a shark attack something you thought about regularly or something you put out of your mind or something you rationalize that it's never going to happen to me, what does that look like for a kite border?
[00:02:35] Speaker C: Well, it's a good question for sure. I mean, we spend a lot of time in the ocean, so I think that if anyone tells you they're not afraid of sharks, they're lying. It Definitely crosses your mind. And they're out there. And I always say if the water is salty, they're around, right? That simple.
But as a kiteboarder itself, it's not that dangerous. It's not something you think about because you spend most of your time out of the water, right? You're on a board and you're cruising along. Compared to surfing, for example, you're sitting on a surfboard with your feet dangling for hours and hours on end, right? So in terms of risk reward, it never really felt like a big problem. I've been in all sorts of waters around the world, and I never really thought about it more than that you see the odd shark. But, you know, if I would say that I never thought of it and I'm not afraid of it, that's a complete lie. Definitely. You see them out there, you think about it. Especially in areas where you're in sharkier waters, when you're, when you crash, you lose your board and there's a yard sale and you're picking up all your stuff in the ocean. And those moments you, you know, you kind of think about it, but it's not something that's ever been a problem or a fear of mine to go out in the water. But, you know, statistically speaking, if you spend your life in the ocean, you are on the higher end of the spectrum to this could happen to you. And, you know, it's a freak accident. It's not something that you ever think would ever happen.
I read some odds after my accident. I remember sitting in the hospital and we were looking at the odds, and I think I have a better chance of winning the lottery of getting attacked by a shark. So you can, you know, guess. My first day out of the hospital, I went to buy a 649 and no luck. Just in case, but just part of the process.
[00:04:10] Speaker A: You may have spent your luck surviving is where you spent your luck. Were you in the water at the time or were you on your board?
[00:04:17] Speaker C: Yeah, well, ironically, I wasn't even kite boarding. It was a noon windy day, so we decided to go snorkeling. And there was no wind, no waves. So best thing we could have done for that particular day was going in snorkeling, just, you know, spending time on the reef in the Caribbean, as I've done hundreds of times before. So nothing out of the ordinary, I would say, aside from just swimming. Weather was a little rainy that day. And, you know, you. You'd like to pick a pattern or something changed, but at the end of the Day.
These things are just freak accidents. You're, you know, you're in much of danger going down a set of a staircase of getting hurt seriously bad. Right? So it's not something I thought about. You just go out, live your life. And the big thing for me is luckily on my side is it happened. Living life, right? Happened. Just making the most out of life. So I, I can't live in regrets. I do it all over again. I, you know, knowing now what would happen. Obviously not. But the point is, if you put me back on that morning and the best thing that day was snorkeling, I'd still go out and snorkel.
[00:05:16] Speaker A: Right?
[00:05:16] Speaker C: It was the right thing to do for that day. So life happens.
[00:05:20] Speaker A: So when you wear the T shirt, you know, the, the, the A shark for amputees. So often we're asked what. What happened to us, right? And we get so tired of telling the truth, we sometimes default. Default to the shark story. But you're the real life.
[00:05:33] Speaker C: Well, that's so funny you say that because honestly, so many people think I'm full of crap, right? Yeah, I like, you know, someone's walking by the street. Be A lot of people just directly ask you, which I, I'm not shy of it. And I'm, I, I don't mind people asking because I'm proud of my story and I'm happy with how, like, how I'm doing nowadays. But when people ask, I'm always just like, yeah, shark ate it off. And they're always like, no, tell me the truth. You know, tell me what really happened. Especially kids. But yeah, it's kind of wild to actually have the.
That is the truth for sure. It doesn't feel like my life feels like a movie.
[00:06:07] Speaker A: Indeed. Well, thanks for sharing all that for sure. Aaron, you lost both legs above the knee in an accident 20 years ago.
So today, kind of a different stage of amputee life for you than where Lucas is at in, in his journey. And from what I know about you, right after your amputation, you, you started envisioning how you could help other amputees while you were still in a hospital bed, figuring out how to help yourself. Do I have that right?
[00:06:37] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, very close.
I think with a lot of people that have suffered a traumatic setback like we did, and I lost both of my legs above the knee, you know, thrown into this world of uncertainty that we were, that I was. My family was three young children, parents, you know, everybody was thrown in this same world of uncertainty, great uncertainty. We had never really had any health setbacks in our lives. And we had insurance, but we never really used insurance. And we didn't know really much of anything about the situation that I was thrown in, losing both legs above the knee. So dealing with maybe that uncertainty, maybe some of the bureaucracy that went in, being in the hospital and having so many questions that couldn't be answered, you know, that, that I think set that vision for the future of saying, okay, we're going to have somewhat of a playbook when we get out of this, and we are going to get out of this that hopefully we can share with others.
[00:07:45] Speaker A: And then came Wiggle your Toes, the organization that you founded.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: Yeah, and Wiggle I was injured in 2007, and, you know, within about four months I was taking first steps and five months swinging the golf club again and, and looking at getting back to work and back to family and the cabin and all the things we, we did as a very, very active family again with, with three children at the time, under nine years old, so very, very busy.
You know, I got back to walking, ambulating after identifying all these components that went into my recovery and, and executing and putting in the work and showing up and returned to work. And my head wasn't there. Right. My passion had shifted. It's like I need to learn everything I possibly can. And at the time, I was heading up an IT and engineering consulting firm, so it had nothing to do with my new situation. So I realized I had to learn everything I possibly could about something I knew nothing about. And that was this world that we live in now as, as individuals who depend on prosthetics and the, the passionate people that ultimately put us back together and the, you know, the, the prosthetists and the, the physical therapists and all the medical professionals that, that became number one in our lives for a period of, of recovery. So. Yeah, and, and I think we wrote a great book on my recovery. I was, I was very fortunate to have a phenomenal support team with friends and family who, who showed up and did the diligence and reached out to individuals and found companies and people that would be instrumental in my recovery.
And once I was back to that new normal, back to work, back to family, doing what I love to do, we decided to give back. And that's when Wiggle your toes was founded, just a little over a year after I was injured.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: And it does what, is it a resource? Is it a portal for information? Does it consult or counsel?
[00:09:49] Speaker B: Yeah, all of the above. The most important thing I think we do Is that advocacy work is meeting with others that are new in their journey and don't have the answers and forging a path to their recovery through the stories of others that we've supported over the years. Through my story, we were tearing down my house and putting. Well, I say we were, but we had a team, project manager, construction team, tearing down my, the walls of my home three days after I was injured and making it accessible, knowing eventually I was going to be coming home with a, with a wheelchair, you know. And 19 days after I was injured, my house was fully accessible. I was able to, you know, I was picked up by an accessible van that we had rented that had a ramp, you know, that I was able to get into. And the front seat would turn around so I could drive with hand controls. And there was a ramp from our garage going into the house and there's a stairlift getting me up to the, the bedroom level of our home where I that. That night, after 19 days, I was able to get upstairs and read the kids a book and tuck them into bed, you know, kind of starting that, that new normal. And we talked to so many people who ask those questions and, and we talk to people and I bring that up. It's like you've been in the hospital for three months now. What have you done to the home to, to make it accessible? So when you do return and they, you know that quite often the, the response is we haven't even thought about that. So just, just really filling in the blanks. Right. Helping people recognize and realize their full potential post limb loss by providing some of the guidance needed.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, what strikes me is how remarkably proactive you were, which is pretty unusual, right? That people.
[00:11:38] Speaker B: Yeah. And it was that business sense that I had. Like I said, I was running a business.
150 people in the field that we were managing and it was fast paced and you needed to think really, I don't want to say it, but on your feet. Right. Quickly. And I think we just incorporated that into my recovery and said, okay, this is something again, we know nothing about. We need to figure it out. And then really we broke it down to 10 components that we needed to focus on over the next weeks, months, hopefully not years of my recovery and focusing on those components were, were incredibly instrumental for the success of my, you know, recovery rehab.
[00:12:19] Speaker A: Is there one thing that you've seen over the past 20 years that has pleased you and that it's changed or maybe frustrated you and that it hasn't for, for amputees?
[00:12:31] Speaker B: Well, you know, especially working for Ottobock, I. I get to see the technology, right? And, and technology is changing so fast for, for Lucas and I, people that. That will depend on these products for the rest of our lives.
And that's exciting, right? And right before I was injured, the microprocessor control knee, the sea leg, was introduced into the market. So that was like five years before I was injured. This microprocessor controlled knee was brought to market. Insurance companies were not covering them at the time and. And fortunately I was injured. It was a work accident. I had nothing to do with my job. I was in a suit and a tie, but I was helping a co worker of mine who had a flat tire on the side of the highway. I went out to pick her up, and in the process, I was struck by a vehicle and pinned between two vehicles and lost both legs above the knee. So that was deemed what we call work compensation, workers compensation in the US And I knew nothing about that. Right. I didn't know how beneficial that would be to my recovery.
But the technology is leaps and bounds even since I was injured 20 years ago.
What Ottobock and other companies are bringing out or making available to people with disabilities, both on orthotic side and the prostate prosthetic side of the world, is phenomenal. So I think that's the number one thing that has changed and continues to change is the. The technology that has been incorporated into these prosthetics.
[00:14:06] Speaker A: Fantastic.
[00:14:07] Speaker C: It's great.
[00:14:08] Speaker A: Lucas, you're a professional speaker now, and I want to talk to you a little bit more about that, but I know you talk to your audiences about. And I like how you put this, the life you woke up to after the attack, looking nothing like the one that you had built for yourself. And you were 27 at the time, if I have that right. So young guy, as you say, no right leg, no. No career now, and no idea who you were anymore. So the question is, who are you today? And how has your recovery and being a prosthetic wearing amputee and getting back into the ocean, how has that all sort of shaped or molded you today? And maybe what have you learned about yourself or life in general from. From the accident?
[00:14:51] Speaker C: It's an experience that definitely changes who you are as a person in many ways that I never thought would have happened. And if I back up to early in the recovery and, you know, waking up looking at the world, not really knowing, as you both know, you've been through it. And I feel, to be quite honest, sitting here like a minor Amputee, next to both double amputees. But, you know, when your world is turned upside down, it just feels like that was my true rock bottom. That's the, like, real first time that I hit it to the point where I've had challenges and ups and downs in life like anyone else. And you build this life, you know, step by step with a lot of hard work and putting things together and all that stuff. And it just felt like when this happened that I didn't deserve it. And at the end of the day, nobody ever deserves anything like this happening. And until you accept it and realize that, look, I can't change what happened. I can't change the past. I have to accept it and move on until I got to that point. That's when things really started turning. And there was a couple of pivotal moments along the way where I started, you know, kind of a mindset change of. It's not about what I lost anymore, just about focusing of what you have left and what you can do. And I think even listening here to Aaron's story and myself, there was a lot of support around me and a lot of people helping me out. And the support makes you realize that you have so much more to do. And it kind of opened up a new world of awareness to me in a sense that, you know, what, things are tough. There's going to be some challenges along the way. You're going to hit some rope, you know, some bumps along the road. But it's that mindset of looking around you and saying, what can I do with what I have left? What can I do from here? And that shift in personality to me has opened up a whole new avenue in this world. Right. Brought me into speaking now. Speaking something I would have never thought of doing in a million years. I think I would have rather been attacked by a shark than getting up in front of an audience and speaking now. And all of a sudden it's starting to get comfortable here and, you know, you get some reps and, and you build that confidence, but it's taught me so much more than your mind and your body are capable of so much more than you do credit to. And I. I'm certain that if I ask both of you that same question, you know, you've exceeded your expectations of what life thought it could be. And to me, when I woke up that day after the surgery, the picture I thought I was going to live doesn't look anything like the picture I'm living right now. And if, when I talk to people now, I just Want to show them the future is bright and there's lots of opportunities out there. And it's a matter of how you see that problem and how you want to solve it. And I love listening to Aaron's little story there because, you know, you attack the problem and you find a solution, and it all really comes down to your mindset. Like, you're walking around with no legs and you're living life happily. Like, that's incredible. That's insane to me. And when you back up, if you told. Someone told me that that first day in the hospital, like, look at what I'm doing. Look at what you're going to be able to do.
I'm out on the water kiteboarding. I'm out on the. I can go golf. I can do all the sports I want. I might be a little bit slower than I used to be. I might not be the professional athlete, but I have the privilege of doing the things that I love. The equipment's amazing. The technology is incredible. Nowadays, truly, if your mindset's positive and you're looking for the opportunities instead of the set, instead of the setbacks, you're going to see that, you know, life is a good journey and there's still lots left to live. It's not the end of the journey. It's just taught me that, you know, this is a part of the process. You learned some amazing lessons through this throughout this process, and I wouldn't change it for the world. At this point, even two years later, I'm a happier version of myself, more fulfilled and excited to move forward in life, honestly and truly.
[00:18:24] Speaker A: Yeah, interesting. Like, one of the. The favorite questions that I get asked is if you. Me, if I could have my hands back, would I take them, you know, well, on a silver platter, no conditions? Yeah, absolutely. It would take a couple of hands back, but if there were conditions and I had to, you know, relinquish or give up the experiences that I've had, the people I've met, you know, this morning, for example, with you two, I. No, I don't think so.
Life has been quite rich and different and unique because of it. And, you know, for me, it's opened, I think, a lot more doors than I know than it. Than it's closed.
[00:19:02] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:19:03] Speaker A: Yeah. I want to keep going with your speaking because I've found myself on stages in front of a lot of audiences over the years, and I've kind of resisted the. The. The notion of me being an inspirational speaker. I like to be more of an educational speaker. And that's what I gather from. From you, too. And I'll tell you what I mean, because, you know, inspiration is sometimes quite fleeting, and.
And sometimes we in the disability community are found to be inspiring for doing rather mundane, everyday things.
We certainly can be inspiring when doing stuff like both of you have. I find that very inspiring. But I like the way that you talked about. You're not as much about hype or motivation or inspiration, but really getting audiences to see their own challenges differently, putting things in perspective, a different perspective, encouraging gratitude for things that often go unnoticed. Small victories is something that I often talk about, and I really appreciated that. So how would you frame that life advice, if that's what it is, for an amputee audience? So for our amputee listeners, as opposed to probably your corporate audiences mostly, I would think.
[00:20:16] Speaker C: Absolutely. Yeah. So you nailed it on the head. For me, it's exactly the same way. I don't feel like motivation.
I'm not trying to be an inspirational motivational speaker. I'm trying to share my journey and really show the public of what life can be, you know, and at the end of the day, it's hard for everyone in different versions. And my worst problem is the same as anyone else's worst problem. It's their worst problem. And how do you deal with that and how you move forward? And when it comes to amputees, it can just seem overwhelming. You know, it just seems like, man, the world is going to be so much harder to live. There's going to be all these challenges in the future. I was thinking, like, how is my body going to move as I get older? Am I going to be strong? Am I going to be able to lift the groceries from my car to their fridge? Like, all those little things that wonder. But the big thing looking back is it's just taking things one day at a time and keep moving forward with those steps. You know, quite literally, you lose legs.
Just one, you know, just take the next step, right? And at the end of the day, it's all about being positive.
[00:21:17] Speaker A: And I.
[00:21:18] Speaker C: And I hate to say that in a cliche way, we've all heard someone say, be positive, right? Talk, think positively, and things are going to work. But if you look at things negatively, if you look at the world, when you're looking at your prosthetic leg or arms in the morning and you're staring at it and you're thinking, I don't want to put that on. I hate that thing. Right? But you're giving yourself an excuse for every challenges that are coming your way day after day. You don't want to run, you don't want to do whatever the next thing is. You always have an excuse because life's not fair and I didn't deserve this. But when you accept it and you choose to move forward and you look at things positively, all of a sudden, you start seeing those little opportunities and those small, little wins, like you mentioned, every single day. Sometimes you don't see it day on day, but every now and then, you have those reminders where it's like, hey, last month I couldn't do this, and now I can. Right. And you see those little progress along the way. So for me, it's really, hang in there, you know, chat to the other amputees, try to. Try to have good conversations and learn along the way, but just have the mindset. Yes. You know what? This is my challenge. It's visual.
Everybody else is going through individual challenges. And I know this for a fact. The more, you know, resistance you're going to face, the more resilient you're going to become, the better person you're going to become. It's just a part of being a human being. Right. So accept the challenges as the tough moments come. To me, it's just an opportunity to learn and grow. Right. When you see those challenges come, doesn't matter how hard they are, it is an opportunity for you to grow as a person and be a better person. And for me, I've learned more in these past two years, hands down, than I have in the 27 years I have lived before this. Right. Through challenges. And I'm sure you would agree with this. You'll learn so much more, and it brings you to a happier version of yourself. And that's the biggest advice I would give amputees, is, look, you're in a tough spot. You can't change it. Accept the challenge. You're going to learn a lot along the way, and you're probably going to look back 5, 10 years and appreciate everything that's come from this.
[00:23:12] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, those small wins become big ones.
[00:23:16] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:23:17] Speaker A: Down the road. Right. That's. That's great advice. Thank you.
Wow.
Aaron, back to you. Tell me a little bit about leading consumer engagement for. For Autobot. Are you working with end users, with practitioners? Both. Are you embedding your lived experience into the role?
What? Yeah. What's your job? What. What do you do?
[00:23:38] Speaker B: Yeah. What do I do? Yeah. The easiest way. All of the above. To answer your question, I'm working with practitioners. You know, people that I worked with, putting me back together when it. When I was, when I was ready for prosthetics and, and then. But, but. But the number one thing that I tell, I tell people all the time that, that my role at ottobock is to ultimately be the voice of the consumer into what we're doing at, at Ottobock North America. You know, it's, it's a, It's a small world.
We understand it. The three of us here totally understand it now. We've lived it and, but a lot of people don't. Right? Ottobock is like a lot of company. We don't have a lot of amputees. We don't have a lot of people that are dependent on medical devices working for us. Right. We hire the best people out there, and it's huge bonus if they're depending on one of our products. But, but it's just reminding everybody within the, the organization that, that it's all about the consumer. If we consumer, everything else is going to fall into place. And we all believe that. We've said that a million times. But what's really cool about ottobock is they have me in place to continue to remind our colleagues that, that, that it's. It's about the consumer keeping that voice of the consumer into what we're doing, breaking it down a little bit more. Government affairs has been a big part of my world at ottobock, and, and we've done a lot in the United States and we can talk a little bit about what we're. We. We want to do in Canada as well, but creating maybe just breaking down some of the barriers that consumers face, that, that professional space when they're prescribing products to individuals like us that, that depend on these products. You know, it's, you know, you think of a prosthetist that they can see the, the light at the end of the tunnel. They can see somebody like Lucas walking in the door, wheeling in the door, crunching in the door or whatever and saying, okay, if I could get this product, if I could get these components, if I could get this care aligned for Lucas, I can see in three months, taking his first steps, in six months getting back to doing what he loves to do, maybe even less than that. But in between that vision and reality, there are so many barriers that get in the way. Creating access to the consumers is what I've done through government affairs for, for Autobox. So that. That's a big part of it. We work with the champions, individuals that are representing Us on a global scale, a lot of Paralympic athletes that are wearing our product and doing amazing things. So just. Just working directly with the consumer side of the business and, and making sure we're represented.
[00:26:17] Speaker A: All right. Yeah, thanks for that. I mean, consumers can mean a couple of things. Prosthetists or end users. Right. It's an interesting layer in, in this profession.
[00:26:27] Speaker B: In my world, it's the users, it's the people who will depend on these products for the rest of their lives. For. For, number one, daily ambulation, you know, back to work, back to life, back to family, school, whatever they. They were doing prior to the loss or the setback. And then. Then the recreational stuff comes in play as well. So just making sure people understand and creating access.
[00:26:52] Speaker A: Right, right, understood.
Okay, let's turn this conversation to something that a lot of amputees are similarly challenged with, and that's. That's funding and, and funding for the prosthetic technology that can really change our lives beyond the. The standard issues of feet and ankles and knees and, and hooks and, and elbows, which most can access in some way. But it's that. It's that equipment that seems to be a carrot, that higher, higher end, more technological equipment that can be a carrot for us sometimes. Lucas, let's start with your story, which is, even on this topic, a bit unusual because, again, the publicity around your injury no doubt contributed to how you paid for your first leg through donations. Right? If. If I got that right?
[00:27:42] Speaker C: Yes, that's correct. 100%.
So, you know, I had no idea, entering this world, the cost and the reality of. Of being an amputee. When I first landed in the hospital, I, I just assumed, like, you lose your leg, you get equipment. Right. I thought it was just part of the process, especially in Canada.
But over time, people started talking to me like, hey, do you know the reality that's coming in front of you and all this stuff, you know, we're going to be facing some pretty severe costs if you want to have the best technology out there and having the story be pretty public. And I think everybody's thought about a shark attack before. It's something we all think about and can relate to to some degree, and the career in kiteboarding and, of course, being from Prince Edward Island. And I don't know if either of you have been to the island before, but it's a very small place and the community supports everybody very well.
So once my story made it out, you know, through GoFundMe, they were able to raise enough money for me to Buy my first leg, you know, and get, and get going. And that was such a cool feeling. And I'm so grateful for that flexibility because early on in my recovery I never had to like think I need to think about this budgeted leg. I can pick the technology that I need and want. And when I look back, one of the things that would be the hardest mentally for me was not, would be not being able to access the best technology for me to excel at the lifestyle I want to live. Right. And it's been a total game changer for me and a shock just to find this out. And you know, one line that Aaron, I remember you said in one of our previous calls is you don't feel, you know, disabled when you're wearing your leg. And I always relate that back. That was a great comment, I thought, because myself, I feel the exact same way when I wear my leg. I truly don't feel disabled. I walk around, I do everything I need and there's no moments in a day where I'm like, I need something better. This does the job. And I'm so happy, you know, so it's such a critical piece of infra or it's such a critical piece of happiness and mental well being for amputees. So for me it's been a total shock. I have to shout out the people that supported me. It's made a great start to life. And not only that, I also want to shout out the war amps as well because they've helped me out tremendously throughout my first leg here to get the ball rolling. But as a new amputee, the cost is pretty significant.
Especially that not only do you get injured, but you get slapped in the face with a giant bill. So not only that, you're hitting financial debt all at the same time. It's like a, not just a life physical change, it's a life financial change all of a sudden. And it doesn't just end here. And I'm turning 30 next year and I'm an amputee for as long as I live, so these costs are going to build up as you go. But now, you know, I'm planning ahead and trying to stay on top of it, but it's just a big topic to me that's close to home. I know it's a smaller minority of the community, but it's an essential part to life. We shouldn't, you know, you have the rights to have your, your limbs working as good as possible.
[00:30:35] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, it's a, it's a big topic and there's a bit of contention to it too. And Aaron, you're living that, you know, funding for prosthetic devices, that it's a big priority. I know, for, for what you do, for what ottobock is doing now and taking a lead role potentially in the US here in Canada too, and championing for, for better funding. So talk about what that looks like right now and what you're an ottobox vision for for the future, what it could look like down the road.
[00:31:05] Speaker B: Yeah. And as you mentioned, we're committed to trying to make things better for individuals in Canada with disabilities who would benefit from, you know, greater access, better access to the, these amazing products that are available.
And Lucas's story was phenomenal. We had a connection, I think about a little, maybe a month ago or something, and, and just him sharing his story and, and stating what he just said is like he had access because his story got out there and people stepped up and provided support.
And now he realizes, and he said, you know, in five years from now, whatever it is, four years from now, when he needs something else that's not going to be there. Right. And that's when reality will really kick in, similar to how reality is kicking into someone that might have been injured a month ago. Right. They're, they're, they're, they're thrown into this crazy world that we were all thrown into, that world of uncertainty I mentioned earlier and realizing that, yeah, I've never really depended on health care and in my life. Right. And all of a sudden it's the biggest part of my world right now to get from A to Z or A to B, even just, just getting back to doing some of the things you were doing days prior, months prior to that setback. So ottobock is committed. We're doing a lot on the government affairs team in the United States and have been for long before I joined forces with Ottobock 1112 years ago. But historically, we've always been at the table and front and center with not only research and technology, but getting approvals with things. In the US we have a coding system, so our reimbursement team heads up a lot of the coding conversations for products that are, are launched or trying to get better coding, better reimbursement system in place. And we're doing that in Canada. We are kind of in a discovery stage right now. We've had amazing conversations. Lucas mentioned war amps. We were on a call with them weeks ago and a lot of the support groups and advocacy teams throughout Canada and doing the Discovery, making sure that we're not getting in anybody's way, but educating ourselves on how we can support any movement that's out there right now.
And you know, at OPC in a couple months we've got, our global CEO is going to attend as, as well as leadership from North America. And we want to continue those conversations face to face with, with individuals that, that are making change, are interested in making change. And, and even going back to the initial conversation with Lucas, he said where do I, where do I start?
And you know, I, I just mentioned, you know, who's your Member of Parliament? Do you, do you know, just discover that short term who, who represents you? And he, he made a comment about somebody that, that he knows that's a member of Parliament that has shared or followed his story. And it's like, let's have a conversation with them. They can tell us to go away or they can say I really want to hear you out and see what, what we could potentially, what, what impact we could potentially make for my constituents. And, and that's typically the conversation, right? I go back to the day before I was injured, minutes before I was injured, I knew nothing about this world that, that is number one in my life right now. Right. This prosthetics and the technology and the people.
So having that conversation and introducing members of Parliament to this world we depend on and showing them the outcomes that can be created if access is granted, if, you know, Lucas was granted phenomenal technology to depend on and he was back to life. I was, same thing with me. I was fortunate to get these prosthetics and I was back swinging the golf club and hanging with the family and back to work, contributing to society short term. And that's not the norm. Right. So let's get closer to that norm. Let's try to move the needle. So getting the word out, getting some advocates like Lucas and stories to share about, about the way things are happening right now and just building awareness and educating individuals on, on this small world that we live in, but ultimately showing them the outcomes, they, they typically will say that's pretty cool. Let's, let's figure out what we can do.
[00:35:32] Speaker A: So if we call this a movement just for sake of argument and from the soldiers standpoint, card carrying amputees like, like Lucas and I here in Canada, does it need a Lucas who has that public profile, that, that influential voice to help carry this or can the typical card carrying amputee have impact in, in the movement as well?
[00:36:01] Speaker B: Yeah, I always say everybody has a story whether It's a prosthetist that got into the business because they're passionate, they member that maybe was an amputee and that's how they were introduced to it, the outcomes that they're providing as a prosthetist. Some of the kiddos that are keeping up with their, their buddies on the playground because they had access to a, a running leg.
Everybody has a story. Lucas has, you know, happened to be in the spotlight in Canada and he's willing to step up, but I, I think everybody can contribute to this. And, and when you have a day on the Hill is what we call it in the U.S. you know, where, where we have a showing at, at Parliament and have amputees walking around and sharing their story, everybody has that story. So everybody can help. It certainly helps with the world we live in now, social media and creating a buzz around something, a movement like you mentioned, you know, that certainly helps. So we're, we're identifying in Canada, every province or territory, one or two individuals just to step up and, and maybe members of Parliament to hear this podcast and say, what can I do? Because this is new to me. I had no idea this was going on and, and say, maybe I can hear you out and maybe I can be that voice inside Parliament to, to try, to try to create some fires in here. So I wouldn't rule anybody out. I think the more people that we can get involved and engage and work towards the same solution, it's going to be easy.
Okay, not easy, but.
[00:37:40] Speaker A: No, maybe not, but it will be more rewarding in the end. Lucas, like, what motivates you to, to be part of this education, this, this, this change for, for all. Like you said, your first leg came unexpectedly, but the money was there. But you also said, yeah, I got a life ahead of me. Right.
[00:38:03] Speaker B: Lucas is thinking, wait a minute, how did I get involved with this? What did Aaron just say?
[00:38:08] Speaker A: No, I just assumed you signed up, Lucas.
[00:38:11] Speaker C: No, but I wanna, I wanna do my part because I honestly truly feel privileged in so many ways and I, I just feel like I'm the one. 2% of amputees out there that got lucky to be, to have all this support to start with. And I know that's not the case. I have several friends that are not in the same shoes at all. So for that reason, and I know myself, you know, having this lifelong uphill battle ahead, I want to contribute to anything I can to move the needle. And I know it's not a.
You, you've been an amputee for both of you for far longer than me. And, you know, it's not a quick solution that just gets solved, but I just think it's a basic human right to some degree to have access to good technology, to live your life at the best, you know, at that point. So for me, just, it's a. It's a lifelong journey of being part of this now. And if I can pull the rope and do my little part and, and move something, I'm gonna do everything I can to be. To partake here and, and make it better for either the people that are behind us or the people that are already part of this process right now. It's only a net positive for everyone at this point. And I don't think, like, I don't think it's asking for too much to, to have support, to have a leg back or an arm back or whatever that thing is. It's pretty simple at the end of the day, but again, I realize it's. It's a big task, monumental task. But again, small little actions, conversations like this and, and moving forward in the right direction is going to make things happen in smaller, you know, in small little ways. So I'm all in.
I'm here to stay. As long as I'm around, I'm going to be hobbling around here and, and trying to support this, this movement in this group and anybody I can.
[00:39:42] Speaker A: There you go. Aaron, I think you just signed up.
[00:39:44] Speaker B: I think. I think so, too. You got that recorded, right?
[00:39:47] Speaker C: Yeah, I do.
[00:39:49] Speaker B: Okay, we just need 20 more. Let's go. No, I'm just kidding. But, but that, that's awesome. And, and the fact that you mentioned, you know, you know, a member of your parliament, and it's that simple, right? And maybe you don't, but, but it's. Are you willing to reach out? Are you willing to have a conversation if, If I reach out and say, hey, I've got a member of Parliament, somebody you're a constituent, would you have a. Be willing to have a conversation with them? But it's people. A lot of these members of Parliament are neighbors. We've had conversations with former members of Parliament. It's like, you know, it's just having that conversation, you don't need to understand politics. That's one of the biggest pushbacks that I get is like, I hate politics. I don't want to get involved. And it's not politics. It's your life, right? It's what you depend on or what your child depends on and will depend on for the rest of their lives, unless Some incredible medical technology is popping up with it without us knowing behind the scenes. But we're not going to grow our limbs back. So why not knock down some of these hurdles that, that, that consumers have, patients have, prosthetists have for fitting their patients. And again, just a simple conversation.
[00:40:59] Speaker A: I like that. Start with those conversations with, yeah, those that may or may not be interested, but let's, let's see if we can bring them in. Right, guys, I, I appreciate this. This has been fascinating. And Aaron, I know how passionate you are about this topic and warned me that maybe you wouldn't always use church words. Today. You did.
[00:41:22] Speaker B: I did good, didn't I? I mean, I don't remember swearing.
[00:41:26] Speaker A: Kept it clean. Thank you very much.
And Lucas, your perspective is, is awesome, too. I mean, yeah, Aaron's 20 years. I'm almost 50 as an amputee, but it's, you know, the younger generation that is, is going to help us push this forward, and you are a valuable contributor to that. So thanks very much for being here.
[00:41:46] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:41:48] Speaker C: Both of your journeys inspire me as well, because seeing, you know, living well, 50 years down the road, 20 years down the road encourages me that, you know, there's brighter days ahead, too. So it's all beneficial in ways that you don't even see it. So if we can pass the torch to more people to be positive and, and realize life's not over, I think it all goes a long way. Right. If it's always worth helping one person at the end of the day. So you guys, both of your stories, you know, amazing, inspires me. I learned a little bit about you, Jeff, in this process, too. And, you know, all the things you've done in sports as well, it's, it's totally amazing. So congrats to both of you and happy to know, you know, both of you and what you're doing for the industry and everybody. So thank you to both of you.
[00:42:32] Speaker A: Our pleasure. Thank you. That was really nice.
[00:42:33] Speaker B: Thank you. Yeah, great connect with, with both of you as well. And I just would encourage anybody who hears this or first of all, to share it with others who might be instrumental or who might want to step up. But get a hold of us. You know, we, we want as many people as we can to step up. And again, we're in discovery phase, so we want to know what else is going on so we don't get in the way.
That's important to us. How can we fuel an existing fire per se, that's taking place in one of the provinces or territories in Canada. But we want to help. We want to support for anybody who depends on an orthotic any medical devices.
[00:43:14] Speaker A: Thanks, Aaron. Yeah, that's a good point on the pencil for us here.
[00:43:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:43:21] Speaker A: With that this has been life and limb. And thanks everybody for listening.
For more information about Lucas, to connect with Lucas, do that through through his website at Lucas Arsenault ca on the island. Everyone would know how to spell arseno. Maybe not for for our listeners across the country. So that's L U C A S as in Lucas and all one word A R S E N A U L T dot ca and to connect with Aaron, you can do that through Autobach or through his organization Wiggle your Toes Ottobock is autobok.com and wiggle your toes is just that. Wiggle your toes.org thanks again guys. For our listeners, you can read about others who are living with limb loss or limb difference and plenty more at Thrive Mag Ca and you'll find our previous POD podcast episodes there too. Until next time Live Well.
