SAFO Testimonials
Jenny Woods
A new lease of life: Jenny Woods explains how her SAFO helped correct her walking after contracting polio in 1957.
"I contracted polio in 1957 when I was fifteen, just before I was due to be immunised. I spent a month in isolation and another seven months in Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton.
The illness badly affected my right leg. However, I made some progress with physiotherapy and the hospital discharged me with elbow crutches. I was later fitted with a toe-spring – a very unglamorous aid – which I did not use for long. Eventually, I decided to manage without any devices.
My main problem was a lack of any muscular power below the knee. This caused me to hitch my leg from the hip, putting strain on that joint and causing me to trip over my toes.
In 2003, I saw an advertisement in the Polio Fellowship magazine for Dorset Orthopaedic's SAFO. It seemed to be just what I needed. Indeed it was, helping me walk more comfortably and giving me the confidence to cope with daily activities, particularly stairs and public transport, which is important for a non-driver.
Now that I have developed arthritis in my 'good' knee, my SAFO has become even more important. I regard it as an essential part of me!"
