JIM ALWAYS KNEW THAT HE WANTED TO HELP PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AFTER
BEING CALLED TO SERVE AS A
MORMON MISSIONARY TO THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. BUT BEFORE HE COULD DEPART,
DOCTORS DISCOVERED A BONE TUMOR.
AND JIM FACED A LIFE-CHANGING
DECISION.
DECISION. >> I WAS 19 YEARS OLD THINKING I
WAS GOING TO END UP LOSING MY
FOOT FROM THIS BONE TUMOR AND
THEY TOOK THE BONE TUMOR OFF.
IT WAS NOT CANCEROUS.
THEREFORE EVERYTHING WAS FINE.
I WAS ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND TO
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AS A
MISSIONARY AND THE WHOLE TIME I
WAS THERE I JUST NOTICED THERE
WERE AMPUTEES EVERYWHERE.
EVERY STORE THERE WOULD BE
SOMEBODY MISSING AN ARM OR LEG.
THAT REALLY -- I JUST HAD A
CLOSE CALL.
CLOSE CALL. I WAS MORE AWARE EVERY IT.
>> RETURNING HOME, JIM COMPLETED
HIS EDUCATION AND BEGAN A CAREER
IN MEDICAL RESEARCH UNTIL AN
UNLIKELY ACCIDENT CHANGED HIS
COURSE FOREVER.
COURSE FOREVER. DURING A SKI TRIP JIM SUFFERED
FROM DEVASTATING FROSTBITE AND
DOCTORS WERE FORCED TO AMPUTATE
HIS LEFT LEG BELOW THE KNEE.
>> YOU CAN EITHER DECIDE TO
TRIUMPH OVER IT AND MAKE YOUR
LIFE BETTER BECAUSE OF THIS OR
YOU COULD GO DOWN THE PATH OF
FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF OR
FEELING THAT SELF-PITY.
SO I DECIDED THE BEST WAY TO
MAKE THIS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE,
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.
>> YIM STARTED MENTORING -- JIM
STARTED MENTORING OTHER AMPUTEES
IN THE AREA HELPING THEM
TRANSITION IN THEIR OWN JOURNEY.
HE STRUGGLED FINDING A
PROSTHETIC LEG THAT WOULD LET
HIM ENJOY THE LIFESTYLE HE
ENJOYED.
ENJOYED. >> I NEEDED TO BE BACK DOING
THAT.
THAT. SO THE ONLY WAY I COULD SEE TO
DO THAT WAS TO MAKE MY OWN LEGS
AND DO IT THE WAY I COULD FEEL
THAT IT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
I DID QUIT MY JOB AND MOVED TO
LOS ANGELES, WENT TO THE
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FOR
PROSTHETICS, GOT MY DEGREE, AND
THEN SPENT A COUPLE YEARS
WORKING FOR DIFFERENT PLACES,
FINISHED MY RESIDENCY UP, AND
THEN ENDED UP OPENING MY OWN
CLINIC HERE IN BLOOMINGTON,
INDIANA.
INDIANA. AND LOOKING BACK, THAT WAS THE
BEST THING I EVER COULD HAVE
DONE.
DONE. IT'S ALLOWED ME TO HAVE THAT
ABILITY TO HELP HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE HERE TO GET LEGS THAT ARE
COMFORTABLE, LEGS THAT FIT, LEGS
THAT WORK SO THAT THESE PEOPLE
CAN ATTAIN THEIR POTENTIAL THAT
THEY HAVE.
THEY HAVE. >> BUT AS JIM GREW HIS PRACTICE,
HE WAS HAUNTED BY THOSE FIRST
AMPUTEES HE HAD ENCOUNTERED IN
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
FOR SOMETHING AS MINIMAL AS A
BROKEN BONE CAN LEAD TO
AMPUTATION.
AMPUTATION. AND WHERE LIMB DIFFERENCE OFTEN
LEADS TO UNEMPLOYMENT AND
HOMELESSNESS.
HOMELESSNESS. >> I ENDED UP GOING DOWN TO THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN JANUARY OF
2004 TO JUST SEE IF IT STILL IS
THE SAME, IF THERE'S STILL THAT
MANY AM PEW TEES IN THE COUNTRY
AND IF THERE'S ANYPLACE HELPING
THEM WITH PROSTHETICS.
I FOUND A PRIVATE OFFICE, BUT
THEY WERE FOCUSING MOSTLY ON
BRACES BECAUSE THEY WERE EASIER
TO MAKE, CHEAPER TO MAKE WITH
PLASTIC, BUT TO MAKE PROSTHETICS
IS VERY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THEY
WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE FEET AND
EVERYTHING FROM GERMANY,
SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE OR THE
UNITED STATES OOP EYE TOOK TWO
SUITCASES FULL OF USED
COMPONENTS, OF FEET, KNEES AND
PARTS AND TALKED WITH THEM ABOUT
WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD LIKE TO
DO SOMEHOW TO BE ABLE TO MAKE
PRAWS THET IKDZ THERE TO HELP
THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE. AND THEY WERE VERY SKEPTICAL IF
I WAS EVER COMING BACK.
I BROUGHT THE CASTS HERE TO MY
OFFICE, AND AT THE SAME TIME
SEEING PATIENTS HERE, BUT
SPENDING THE NIGHTS HERE MAKING
THE ONES FOR THE DOMINICANS, AND
THEN I TOOK THEM BACK, GOT THE
PATIENTS BACK IN, GOT THEM FIT
AND THEY BROUGHT 20 MORE PEOPLE
IN AND I CAST 20 MORE PEOPLE.
NOW AFTER 10 YEARS OF WORKING
TOGETHER WITH THEM, WE'VE BEEN
ABLE TO MAKE OVER 500 LIMBS FOR
PEOPLE, ALL FOR FREE, TO HELP
THESE AM PEW TEES REGAIN THEIR
LIFE.
LIFE. >> THANKS TO SPECIALIZED
TRAINING FROM JIM, CLINIC
TECHNICIANS ARE NOW ABLE TO DO
CASTINGS ALL ON THEIR OWN, USING
FINANCIAL DONATIONS TO COVER THE
COST OF MATERIALS AND FA
FABRICATION.
FABRICATION. JIM MAKES MULTIPLE TRIPS A YEAR
DELIVERING THE MUCH-NEEDED
COMPONENTS HE HAS COLLECTED FROM
MANUFACTURERS ACROSS THE U.S.
>> MY GOAL AND THE MISSION IS TO
CONTINUE TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HAVE
ACCESS TO QUALITY PROSTHETICS.
IT DOESN'T REALLY HELP ANYBODY
IF IT'S JUST AMERICANS THAT GO
DOWN AND FIT THESE PATIENTS AND
THEN LEAVE.
THEN LEAVE. IT'S BETTER TO GO DOWN AND WORK
WITH THESE GUYS THAT ARE VERY,
VERY TALENTED PRAWS THETICS
WHERE THEY CAN PROVIDE SERVICES
IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND I TELL
PEOPLE HERE THAT TRY TO
UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT.
WHEN SOMEONE IN THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC LOSES A LEG, THE
THOUGHT OF THEM EVER BEING ABLE
TO AFFORD OR GET A PROSTHETIC
LEG TO WALK AGAIN IS ABOUT LIKE
ME THINKING MAYBE NEXT WEEK I'LL
JUMP ON A SPACESHIP AND GET UP
ON THE MOON.
WHEN THEY GET THAT, IT'S LIKE
GIVING THEM SOMETHING MORE
VALUABLE THAN ANYTHING.
SO... TO SEE A KID WALKING
AGAIN, RUNNING AGAIN, OR TO SEE
THE PARENTS, THEIR REACTION,
THERE'S THE -- THE EMOTIONS,
FEELINGS THAT GO WITH IT ARE
VERY HARD TO EXPLAIN.
THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME GOING.
THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME COMING TO
DO WHAT I DO, TO DO THIS FOR
PEOPLE, IS IT'S A REAL BLESSING