Dolphin is role model for amputees

Clearwater isn't too far from where I live, so when a friend from NYC came to visit us back in April, my housemate Cay and I took him to see the dolphins at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, including Winter. She really is a remarkable 'phin with very beautiful eyes. It's too bad the CMA is so small, but the dolphins there are all invalids one way or another. In a funny twist of fate, Cay, who dives with a monofin, is thinking of going there to help Winter learn how to use her prosthetic flukes! I'll post some photos when I get a round to it.)A dolphin is helping millions of amputees feel more comfortable on their feet.Staff Writer9:51 AM CDT, May 20, 2009She may be the only dolphin to lose her tail and survive.Now her progress in the water is helping amputees on land.The research behind the one of a kind prosthetic is making life more comfortable for others who've lost a limb.Winter the dolphin doesn't realize it, but she's a role model.She lost her tail to a crab trap nearly three years ago.She beat the odds and not only survived but is thriving thanks to a prosthetic tail.The latest model allows her to swim while protecting her spine from injury."And so by using this prosthetic, she's able to move in a more natural way, the way dolphins were intended to move in the water" says Abby Stone the head trainer at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.>From water, to land, winter is helping humans too.The new rubber-like gel developed to keep the dolphin's tail secure underwater is working well for active amputees like prosthetic designer Dan Strzempka."Either golfing, working, the perspiration was always an issue. They asked me why don't you go ahead and try it on yourself, just thinking, sure I'll try it, and give them some feedback. It ended up vastly improving my lifestyle as far as keeping the leg on."Winter's progress not only inspires science but the people who need it.Brandon lost his leg in a boating accident and now works with the miracle mammal.Amputee Brandon Saunders says "I felt like we had something in common because we both had our accidents in the water and we both have prosthetic legs."A working relationship that's benefiting a new generation of amputees.The new gell used in Winter's tail is already widely available, helping a growing number of human prosthetic patients around the world.As for Winter, though she'll never wear her prosthetic 24-7, trainers plan to increase her therapy time with it to improve her strength and prevent injury.Copyright © 2009, WQAD-TV