Producer's Blog: i-Limb bionic tech and the triumph of human perseverance

For me, the most memorable stories are the ones that introduce us to everyday people, making extraordinary impacts despite the obstacles they face in life. Both Jason Koger and Katie Walker are etched in my mind as examples.

Jason, a bilateral amputee lost both of his arms in an electrical accident on his family's farm. "TechKnow" contributor Phil Torres and I flew into Nashville, and then drove the additional 134 miles across state lines to rural Owensboro, Kentucky. Here, in the town of roughly 116,000 people, Jason is a hometown celebrity.

He is the second bilateral amputee in the entire world to be fitted with the i-Limb Ultra Revolution prosthetic. The fact that Jason was chosen by Touch Bionics, the manufacturers of this technology, is a testament to his commitment to live his life to the fullest although he no longer has his forearms or hands.

Jason's mother, Nancy Koger, shared stories of her wild child with our production crew over barbecue mutton, a traditional lunch for the family. To say she had her hands full raising Jason, I feel safe to say, would be an understatement.  For city dwellers such as myself, learning to drive an RV at seven is not a rite of passage. But this, as well as gun stands and hunting farms, make up the fabric of Kentucky farm life. Early on, Jason showed an aptitude for every outdoor activity imaginable.

It was these childhood pastimes that became adult passions and fueled Jason's determination after his accident. His amazing wife Jenny, as well as his parents, friends and the entire Owensboro community, expected nothing less. They provided endless support during the retraining process and considerable patience during Jason's early garage experimentations in homemade prosthetic attachments.

Much of Jason's continued, long-term success is due to his finally finding Advanced Arm Dynamics. This clinic and rehab facility helps custom design and fit clients like Jason with a wide array of prosthetics.  When we visited AAD's facility outside Dallas, we saw client amputees working alongside occupational therapists and even lab technicians to create innovative attachments for every conceivable task, from riding a motorcycle to lifting dumb bells at the gym.

Clinical manager Rod Dodson explained that simply building the right attachments for patients doesn't guarantee successful use. Occupational therapy as well as the patients' refusal to settle for a modified life is key.

Paralympic hopeful Katie Walker was hesitant to use prosthetics. Born a unilateral amputee, this was not at all uncommon. Dodson told us many born unilateral get so proficient at using just one arm that the prosthetic could feel unnatural and cumbersome if not perfectly fitted.  

Growing up a tomboy with two brothers, Katie is the definition of adaptation. She was born in Taiwan and abandoned by her mother her at an early age. Katie spent the first years of her life in a state run orphanage. At two years old, she was adopted by a family in Ohio.

The unconditional love of family encouraged Katie to play baseball with her brothers and shaped this young woman into a person who doesn't look at her athletic abilities by what she can't do.

We met Katie near her training facility at University of California San Diego (UCSD) in La Jolla, California. Along with her tennis shoes and workout gear, Katie brought a bag with her various arm attachments. At the UCSD track, Katie slipped on her prosthetic showing off the part made specially to fit the starting blocks. Later, during her baseball game, Katie -- who plays center field and is a leadoff batter -- used a brand new attachment that allows her to eject the bat after hitting so she can run to first base unencumbered.

She scored a run! It became apparent to me that Katie is a highly valued player just from watching the competitiveness on the field. In some ways, it seems like Katie having to adjust to only one arm has given her a tremendous physical agility, particularly in the outfield where we watched her stop multiple runs from the opposing team.

The technological innovations in arm prosthetics are truly amazing. The next phase of research and development is essentially working to recreate the neuromuscular connection to the brain.  However, both Jason and Katie remind us that, when technology meets human tenacity, the result is unstoppable.

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