John

In the late 1980s, fresh out of high school In the upper peninsula of his home state of Michigan, John was a young man just starting to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Working in the food service industry seemed like as good a career as any. Teaming with an older couple, he opened a restau­rant and, although he had not been scholastically inclined in high school, was contemplating attending culinary school to further his career as a chef. 

His life took a turn when he developed symptoms that affected his dominant left hand. The doctors struggled to determine what was causing the symptoms and a medical course of action to alleviate the worst of the condition. By the time a vascular surgeon determined that John suffered from thoracic outlet syndrome, it was too late. His hand was gangrenous and he had already endured many surgeries to try and relieve the pressure that a small congenital defect, a vestigial small cervical rib near his clavicle, was placing on a major artery going to his left hand. One of these surgeries was incredibly traumatic, as Jolin,almost lost his life. 

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He regained consciousness three days after that troubled operation. This crucial event marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, with an alternate destiny and enormous gratitude at surviving his ordeal. 

"Whatever they need to do to get me stable and if they need to take the arm, that's fine," John said of his thinking at that time, "I never looked back or said that there was anything that I can't do. I've done more with one hand than I ever dreamed I could have done with two." 

In April 1987, during his 17th surgery, doctors amputated John's left arm, mid-forearm. He was immediately given a temporary prosthesis anp was en­rolled in an in-patient rehab program. He was soon kicked out·of rehab for trying to make his prosthesis, a hook, operate as his dominant hard. John rejected the idea that he couldn't still be left-handed and subsequently taught himself to perform everyday tasks, limited only by the restrictive nature of his prosthesis.

At one point, John wore a passive silicone hand that he liked the look of, but It was not functional enough for him and did not suit his active lifestyle. The silicone coverings on his previous hand were constantly ripping, causing aggravation and incurring expense. On a routine fitting with his long-time prosthet1st In Detroit, Michigan, he discovered a life-like cosmesis created by LIVINGSKIN. An appointment with the owner of LIVINGSKIN at the time, a clinician named Tom Passero, led to more information about LIVINGSKIN but also to his discovery of the latest in myoelectric prosthetic options. John's relationship with Tom has continued for many years and has led to John being a client with Tom's specialized clinical division, Handspring. 

With decades of experience with upper-extremity prostheses, a career working with specialty medical devices, and always in pursuit of cutting-edge technology, John has expertise and a specialized interest in developments in prosthetics technology. John thoroughly believes that it's time for prosthetic technology "to blossom" and his latest device Is helping to move John and other amputees down that path. The Michelangelo Hand from Ottobock Is the most innovative and unique prosthetic hand ever developed. 

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