Ann Daniels

When Ann Daniels got a blister on her toe, she thought nothing of it. As a floral designer for weddings and special events, she was used to being on her feet for hours at a time. Diabetes was never on her mind.

At age 59, she was rushed to the hospital after going into diabetic shock. Doctors had to amputate her leg. “I didn’t even know I had diabetes,” said Ann. “I just thought the fatigue was me just getting older and still working outside in the heat under tents. Diabetes does not even run in my family.”

It took a complete stranger to let Ann know her original prosthesis was not working. “Honestly, I was walking into a store, and I saw a man walking over to me from across the parking lot. My prosthesis was not computerized, so it was easy to tell I was an amputee by the way I walked. He asked me, ‘Where do you go to? I’ve had a prosthetic leg since I was 17, and you need to find yourself a new prosthestist.’”

Ann had heard of Matt Bulow from a few people in Nashville. One evening as she was driving home from work, she saw the sign in front of an office building for Bulow BioTech Prosthetics. “I called them first thing Monday, was in the office on Thursday for my appointment, and had my new computerized C-Leg^® by that next week,” recalled Ann.

“My original prosthesis I had to swing and lock, swing and lock, so I developed a walk with that swinging motion,” described Ann. “Computerized legs are so much easier. You have a more natural gait. It’s simply amazing, and I’ve gained so much freedom not having a leg where you can catch yourself.”

Ann is one of the thousands that have benefited from the Otto Bock^® C-Leg^® technology. Using the latest in prosthetic technology, it gives the user more control of the knee’s hydraulic function and allows the user to perform even the most complex of motions.

For Ann, not only was it about finding the right leg, it was about finding the right people. “Matt and his staff, from the receptionist to Scott (Moore), everyone is always upbeat and energetic,” said Ann. Moore is also a prosthetist at BBP with a background in physical therapy. “The most important thing is that when I go in for a visit, I never feel rushed or treated like just another patient. They will sit there and listen for as long as I need to find out how they can help me.”

Even at age 63, Ann is as active as ever. She drives, goes to movies and plays, and still designs flower arrangements and works on-site. Her newest accomplishment has been to learn to ride a bicycle.

“When I explained to Matt I was having trouble learning to ride my bike because the back of the leg catches on the seat, his response was, ‘I’m going to bring my bike to work, and I’m going to watch you and see where you are sitting. We will cut the casting down until it is not a problem.’”

“Matt wants to see his patients as active as they want to be. I feel like if you walked into his office and said, ‘I want to drop out of a plane.’ He’d say, ‘Let me think about how we can make that happen.’”