The emphasis of Mr Nieveen’s presentation was to reinforce the importance [...]]]> Richard Nieveen was invited to an international meeting in Marseille France last week, to present a prosthetic paper.  The session titled “Projet de Vie” was a two hour session with speakers from many other countries.

The emphasis of Mr Nieveen’s presentation was to reinforce the importance of the patient/prosthetist relationship and that fundamental to any prosthesis is socket comfort.

An independent body HAS is evaluating prosthetic and orthotic devices that are provided on schedule by the social security reimbursement scheme in France.  The concern in many prosthetic clinics in France is that the purchasers of services understand prosthetic rehabilitation,  that prosthetic hardware is not the most important aspect in prosthetic rehabilitation, but it is the prosthetist’s contribution that is crucial.

The photographs above show Mr Nieveen with Marcel Berthet, Secretary of ISPO France and Mr Jean Pierre Lissac, President ISPO France.

Stefanie grew up [...]]]> ProActive Prosthetics are delighted to announce their support of Paralympian Stefanie Reid. Over the run-up to 2012 Richard Nieveen, Prosthetist will work with Stefanie to develop the best prosthetic sports limb to support Stefanie’s bid for a medal in the 2012 Paralympic games.

Stefanie grew up as an active, sporty teenager. She was passionate about rugby and planned to join the national team. But at 16, her life changed forever when she lost part of her leg in a boating accident.

Four years later, while watching the elite athletes training at Queen’s University in Toronto, she knew she wanted to try running again. Adjusting to her new running prosthesis and increasing her training times paid off when she won a place in the university’s varsity team.

In 2006, after representing Canada at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, UK and the IPC World Athletics Championships in the Netherlands, Stefanie made the decision to begin training full-time and devote everything to her sport.

Stefanie says her experience at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games taught her a lot about competing in front of huge crowds. She finished a disappointing fifth in the long jump, but made a great come back and won bronze in the 200m sprint final.

Her favourite quote from the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, is etched onto her running prosthetic: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Follow Stefanie’s progress on our website and on her website www.paralympians.com.

Kevin has worked in the field of clinical prosthetics since 1984 when, as an engineering graduate, he joined Chas A Blatchford as a trainee Prosthetist [...]]]> We are delighted to announce that Kevin Shaw has joined the prosthetic team at ProActive Prosthetics as a Prosthetist.

Kevin has worked in the field of clinical prosthetics since 1984 when, as an engineering graduate, he joined Chas A Blatchford as a trainee Prosthetist based at Roehampton. He went on to graduate in Prosthetics and Orthotics from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, spending the next eight years with Blatchford within the NHS.

Now, with many years experience of working in a private prosthetic clinic, Kevin is passionate about delivering the highest possible standards of care and quality within an entirely patient-focused environment.

Kevin has a keen interest in professional affairs and has served on a number of committees relating to the field of prosthetic rehabilitation, including a period on the executive committee of BAPO. He gives regular talks and presentations to various bodies on the subject of clinical prosthetics.

Kevin is a member of BAPO and ISPO and is registered with the Institute of Expert Witnesses.