The story
Before his accident, Mukhtar lived a very active life in the city, and loved travelling the world, socialising and playing sports. That was until a serious road traffic accident in 2017 left him hospitalised for 2 months, and the devastating result was the amputation of his right leg. Following his amputation and long recovery, Mukhtar was keen to regain his old life and quickly began his search for a prosthetic clinic to help him achieve his goals.
The solution
Before visiting the London Prosthetics Centre and meeting the team, Mukhtar was uncertain of the future and what long-term mobility would look like. However, his mindset quickly changed when he started working with Abdo, the lead Prosthetist, who explained to Mukhtar that he would be back doing what he loves in no time. And Abdo wasn’t wrong. After several sessions at the LPC, Mukhtar was able to walk again and took back control of his life. Abdo expertly designed and hand-finished an extremely comfortable and easy-to-wear socket, allowing Mukhtar to perfect his walking and running techniques. Along with the expertise of the in-house personal trainers and specialist amputee therapists, Mukhtar has gained so much confidence – so much so that he plans to complete the Superheroes Triathlon this year!
However, limb loss doesn’t come without its challenges. Mukhtar kindly shared how he’s had to adapt his life as an amputee, such as changing his praying position at the local mosque, building his muscle strength, and finding the right prosthetic foot that gives him flexible ankle movement, so he can wear almost any style of shoes.
The turning point
Mukhtar’s turning point came when he walked across the shore in Abu Dhabi, knowing he’d managed to achieve his main goal of getting back to travel and enjoying the experience of snorkelling with his swim limb and new flippers. This was partly down to the team at the London Prosthetics Centre, who, combined with his own determination, got Mukhtar back on his feet, doing what he loved. With the help of Abdo and the team, Mukhtar has learnt to love his new prosthesis and regained his confidence.
Furthermore, Mukhtar shared his desire to help others and a more recent goal to become a Volunteer Visitor at the Limbless Association charity, where he recently became a Trustee. He went on to say that “having a sense of direction and speaking to someone who had been through it really helped to build my confidence. To anyone in a similar position to me, please remember: There is life after limb loss.”
