Lauren's American Girl Doll Wear's AFO's Too!

Lauren first came to Great Steps Orthotics & Prosthetics (Great Steps) at 10 months old when she received her first pair of AFO’s (ankle foot orthoses) from Josie Johnson, CP/BOCO. With the help of the AFO’s, Lauren was able to begin crawling and at 18 months, she took her first steps on her own. Lauren’s mom and dad had never been so proud of their little girl. Over the years, Great Steps has created many AFO’s for Lauren, but this Christmas, Lauren received something special from Great Steps.

This Christmas, Lauren’s Nana and Bopa gave her an American Girl Doll named Ruthie. Ruthie is a very special American Girl Doll however, because she too now wears AFO’s. The AFO’s were the first thing Lauren noticed when she opened Ruthie and her first comment regarding the doll was, “look, she has braces just like me.” 

Lauren began noticing differences in herself and other children at about age 4. Both that she wears AFO’s and that others have unique qualities as well (i.e., a friend that uses a wheelchair). To help celebrate her unique qualities, Lauren’s mom and dad thought of this great idea. They had always appreciated the quality moral stories that American Girl Dolls promoted and they felt like they celebrated differences as well (i.e., you can purchase wheel chairs, hearing aids, etc. for the dolls). With this in mind and recognizing that the small AFO’s that Lauren used to wear looked like they may be able to be put on a doll, this inspired them to ask Great Steps staff if they would be willing to make an AFO for their little girl’s American Girl Doll. 

Since then, Lauren’s Nana has made the Ruthie doll her very own hospital gown as Lauren had surgery in January 2014. They used Ruthie as both a comfort item and somewhat of a teaching tool.

“I think definitely, anytime that a child has a difference, and that difference can be celebrated by someone who can relate, even if it is a doll, it helps to make the differences the norm. We encourage Laruen to ‘check out the cool design on friends AFO’s as well” stated Lauren’s mom.

Stories like Lauren’s are what make working in the O&P industry so rewarding! We hope her story inspires those with children that have disabilities to embrace and celebrate their unique qualities as well.

**NOTE: Anyone interested in a custom device made for their child’s American Girl Doll can contact Heidi at Great Steps by phone: 320-258-0115 ext. 31

Meet Josie Johnson!

Anyone who knows Josie knows she has a kind and caring nature about her. Josie greets everyone she meets with a warm smile. When you have your appointment with Josie, you can tell she truly loves what she does. According to Josie, “ I love working with a wide variety of people; knowing that you can help make a person’s life better is very rewarding.”

Josie grew up in a large family on a farm in northern Minnesota. She was the fifth of nine children. When Josie was five years old, she was in a farming accident and lost her left leg below the knee. She caught her leg in a grain auger and from that point on, Josie has needed to wear a prosthesis. This accident did not stop her from reaching her goals however. Even as a child, she strived to ‘overcome her disability’. Growing up Josie was very involved in sports. She participated in volleyball and excelled in basketball; becoming a member of both the US National and Paralympic wheelchair basketball teams. During her time playing sports, she met many wonderful people that taught her that your disability does not define who you are. Now Josie spreads that message to her patients at Great Steps O & P.

Before becoming a Great Steps O & P team member, Josie studied at the University of North Dakota. In 1996, she received her Bachelor of Science in Recreation Therapy. With this schooling, Josie worked as a recreational therapist, coached local youth wheelchair basketball, conducted peer amputation consults and did motivational speaking. Josie later decided to continue her education. Josie completed a one-year residency in the prosthetic department at a children’s specialty hospital and in 2003, she received her Prosthetic Practitioner Certificate from Century College. Josie was now ready to start her career in the prosthetics and orthotics field. She worked as an Orthotist and American Board Certified Prosthetist for eight years and in 2009, she joined the Great Steps O & P team. Josie has since received her BOC Orthotist certification and excels at seeing both Orthotic & Prosthetic patients. Josie’s favorite thing about working at Great Steps O & P is all the people. Josie explains, “It’s great having so many practitioners with many years of experience to learn from and work with.”


Josie has an open mind and is always interested in trying new O & P technology. She is able to do this by trying products herself and sharing her experiences with her patients.
Josie married her high school sweetheart, Aaron. They will be celebrating their 18th anniversary at the end of this year. They have two children, Gretta, who is eight years old and Seth, who is five years old.

If you ever need someone to talk to about your amputation or just a warm smile to brighten your day, Josie is the person to go to. Next time you are Great Steps O & P say hello to Josie!