Employee Spotlight: Scott Porter

Technician, Scott Porter, has grown up working construction – it was what he knew and what he excelled at. Then, in 1996, Scott lost the lower part of his right leg in a car accident.  He tried to go back into construction, but the physical demands of the job were just too high.  That was when Scott became interested in the orthotic & prosthetic industry and asked his prosthetist if he knew of anyone who was hiring.

Scott was soon hired by Bracemasters Orthotic & Prosthetic Fabrication in Wisconsin.  Scott quickly found that construction was not the only thing he excelled at and was promoted to supervisor after just one year.  He continued to work at Bracemasters for another five years but still found something was missing. He decided he would like to give fewer orders and work with his own two hands.

Scott tried a few jobs; even attempted to go back into construction.  Fortunately, an old boss told Scott about Great Steps Orthotics & Prosthetics.  Scott became interested and was soon hired.

As a technician, Scott manages various jobs at Great Steps. He also coordinates with other technicians to assist clients that come in for repairs.  Scott’s favorite part of working at Great Steps is working directly with our practitioners.  Bracemasters was a central fabrication facility that made orthotics & prosthetics for multiple O&P facilities.  The ability for Scott to work directly with the practitioners not only allows him to learn more about what works for patients and what doesn’t but it also allows him to get his work done more efficiently by having the practitioners at hand when questions arise.

Scott’s favorite part of working in the field of orthotics & prosthetics is being able to help people.  Having firsthand experience with disabilities, Scott knows how challenging they can be, but also how to help others overcome them.  So, next time you visit Great Steps, be sure to say hello to Scott!

Great Steps New Employee Travis

“It’s so rewarding getting to help improve people’s lives.” - Travis Laudenbach

Great Steps Orthotics & Prosthetics is excited to announce that Travis has joined our team of practitioners. Travis is an ABC Certified Fitter of Therapeutic Shoes and will soon be seeking certification as an ABC Pedorthist. As an ABC Fitter of Therapeutic Shoes, Travis is certified to work with our Therapeutic Footwear Program here at Great Steps.

Travis is a St. Cloud, MN native. He loves the city so much he even went to college at Saint Cloud State University and graduated in December of 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science. He has always loved helping people as well as working with his hands and machinery, so the orthotics and prosthetics industry was a natural fit. It is very exciting to watch the changes Travis is making for the patients here at Great Steps. In addition to working with his patients, Travis loves working with the rest of the Great Steps O & P team - he has commented that he feels like the people he works with

are more like a family than his co-workers.

Travis loves all things sports. As a lifelong Minnesotan, he loves cheering for all of the Minnesotan teams. In addition to watching sports, he also loves playing sports. In the summer you will find him playing baseball and eating chocolate chip ice cream. In the winter he’s out playing hockey, both on skates and boots. Whether you are a patient of Travis’ or have a family member who is, he is here to help guide you through the Therapeutic Footwear process. Next time you are in the Great Steps office be sure to say hi to Travis!

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 Fred Kjorlien

Fred Kjorlien, an American Board Certified Prosthetist at Great Steps O & P, has been impressing his

patients since 2006 with his special designer sockets. Each socket Fred creates is made out of printed fabric that is customized to fit his patient’s personality and style. Not only does he make designer sockets for his patients, he provides encouragement and support.

At the age of 19, Fred lost a leg during the Vietnam War. Due to his young age, he fortunately bounced back easily and had a relatively quick recovery. His body learned to adapt to the prosthesis so well now that he has a hard time remembering what it was like to have his full leg. 

Fred’s decision to go into prosthetics happened when the owner of the limb company where he received his prosthesis approached him about getting in the field. At the time he was working at a machine shop and decided a change would be good. Fred loves the O & P industry not only because he has such a close and personal connection with it, but also because he truly enjoys helping people improve their quality of life.

It is important to Fred that people know that even though he has adapted to wearing a prostheses, he still faces challenges living in a world with most people having both limbs. Fred states, “Even though I get along really well with my prosthesis, there are still times when I get sores/pains associated with my amputated leg. I often cover up the pain and go about my daily routine as my life requires me to be mobile. I appreciate the fact that people who have not gone through an amputation can empathize with me; however, they really don't understand or know what it is like unless they go through it themselves. Fortunately, technologies have significantly improved the comfort of prosthetics and help alleviate the pain that often is associated with amputations.”

Fred also emphasizes that amputees will have life long relationships with their Prosthetists; people grow and change, but will still need to remain mobile. A Prosthetist like Fred will be there for the amputee not only to accommodate for the physical changes of the body, but to also help keep spirits up and help them remain positive. Whether you are a patient of Fred’s or have a family member who is, he is here to help guide you through the prosthetic process. Next time you are at Great Steps O & P, say hello to Fred!