Ali works as a porter at a recycling plant in Houston, managing the bins. During an on-the-job accident that involved a waste management container, Ali lost the end of his ring finger above the middle knuckle on his dominant right hand. “Yeah, the accident was so bad that it ended up severing the finger and it was impossible for them to reattach those nerve endings within the finger. So, they had to give me a partial amputation. It's a little bit shorter, maybe like a half an inch shorter than my pinky.” When Ali was in the hospital, he knew that his injury could lead to amputation. “I don’t want to say that I knew I was gonna be an amputee, but there was so much waiting around and looking at my hand, I just kind of made my peace with it before I left the hospital.”

For people who haven’t experienced an amputation, they may think to themselves, “Well, it’s just part of one finger – what’s the big deal?” But for many of our patients, they have let us know how big a deal it can be. Ali: “I took some time off from work, rightfully so. I went through a life-changing period, and the healing process had just started.”

Ali knew he wanted to explore his prosthetic options and had an appointment set with our Houston center. “But as the appointment grew nearer, I found myself dreading the session. For one thing, my poor finger had been poked and prodded so much that I didn’t want more of it. I also didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t know much about prostheses, so I wasn’t sure whether what I was fit with would even be helpful. There was just a lot of unknowns, so I felt very anxious about my appointment, and I was afraid of being disappointed. But I went.”

Ali Sharpened 1x1
Ali's amputated finger can be seen in this photo.

When Ali arrived, there was very little poking and prodding and a lot of explaining. “Scott and Tim (our Houston prosthetist and clinical therapy specialist) explained everything in great detail, and I thought, maybe I should continue to look into this. They provided me with pamphlets, brochures, and general information on what they do and what they offer. You know what really got me was their sincerity. They were really willing to help me change my life and that was something that, at the time, I wasn’t getting elsewhere, like from my employer. It was heartening. They really made me feel comfortable and confident. And I remember asking Tim, do you guys have any more information about this? And I guess the inquiry kind of just set them on fire. They said, 'Sure-here's this, this and that,' sparking my interest more than you’d believe.” Once Ali was home, he started searching for information on prostheses and anyone who was struggling with an amputation. “I felt like I had lost my confidence. So doing this research and realizing that I wasn’t the only one with questions – that helped a lot.”

Having the guidance of our Houston clinical team and examples of other patients who have continued with their lives and achieved their goals helped as well. “When you lose an appendage, you’re looking for help. You’re looking for someone to say, ‘It’s going to be alright. Life is going to continue and you have help.’ There are definitely people out there who don’t think it’s possible that life can continue, or that there are tools, like prostheses, that can help them get back to their regular daily activities. That was my concern. My job is so manual, I wanted to know if I could go back to work.”

Ali was fit with three prostheses. One was a Naked Prosthetics PIP Driver, which you can see him wearing in his patient progress video below:

Ali was also fit with a custom silicone restoration and a protective cover. “The restoration – when I’m out and I’m wearing it and my coworkers see it, they always comment on how they forget that I’m missing a part of my finger, that it looks just like it used to. That one is my favorite [pictured below]. And the protective cover is helpful because the end of my finger is so sensitive. It helps with gripping items like hammers. But the PIP Driver is really helpful at home because, after my amputation, when I discovered I couldn’t use my right hand to pour cereal – quite the anguishing situation. You’ve poured cereal your whole life, and then you discover in that moment that you just don’t have the stability, and you don’t have the hand strength that you’re used to. It’s like ‘Wait a minute – I can’t pour cereal, what else can’t I do now?’ So, you keep trying to do stuff and you find you can’t grip a broom, you can’t hold a frying pan. That’s where Tim, the occupational therapist, and Scott, the prosthetist, came in -- they determined what I needed, and then once I had my devices, they helped me with correct body mechanics for doing these tasks.”

Andwele Custom Silicone Restoration

While Ali has only had his devices for a matter of months, we still wanted to ask him for his advice for people who are just starting out on their journey after an amputation. “Be patient with yourself. Research what feels right and comfortable for you. Don't let anybody tell you what they think you should need or anything like that. Stand firm in your position when advocating for yourself and for your needs, especially when you may be in a delicate mental state, such as after losing an appendage. Take your time with yourself and do your research. Try not to beat yourself up, and even if you do, that’s part of the process, just give yourself grace."

We’re so glad that Ali has not only received the prosthetic care he needed to get back to feeling confident in his life, but that he’s also been so willing to talk about his experiences. “Anything that I can do to help someone or give someone some hope – I’m so happy to help and so happy to get the word out. I really enjoyed working with Tim and Scott and getting what I needed. I want others to get that same level of care.”

If customized prosthetic care is something you or someone you know would like to experience, please contact us. We offer both in-person and telehealth consultations with our clinical teams. If you would like to leave a comment regarding this article, or one for us to pass on to Ali, please do so below.

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