Bionic Leg Helps Local Woman Stay Active Despite MS Diagnosis

New technology and a positive attitude keeps a Freehold woman active, despite her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Some 23 years ago, Donna Milano began experiencing numbness in her left leg that sometimes caused her to trip. After talking with doctors, Milano learned that she was suffering from “foot drop”, a side effect of MS.

Geared with a positive attitude, Milano did not allow her MS diagnoses to interfere with her life. However, as her son became more active she began to see her MS start to slow her down.

Since her diagnosis in 1989, Donna had been dealing with her “foot drop” by swinging her leg out in order to walk. The constant swinging would throw her hips off and cause her to become fatigued after walking short distances.  After years of swinging out her hips, Milano’s life changed after she watched a segment on the Today show that told a story very similar to hers.

“I was watching the Today show one day and a girl came on that has ‘foot drop’ like me and now she is climbing mountains because of this new technology,” explained Milano. “I did what I had to do and then when I saw that this technology had come out, I figured I would do a trial. I was able to then rent it for two months and my family couldn’t believe I wasn’t struggling. This device allows me to walk without swinging my leg out, which was throwing my hips off."

The technology that Milano is now using is called the Bioness L300. The device, which many people refer to as a “bionic leg”, is designed to help people with certain neurological conditions walk more naturally and with increased speed and balance. The technology, made up of three components, consists of a leg cuff, a gait sensor and a hand-held remote. Together, all three components work together to assist patients walk with ease.

Milano began using the Bioness L300 in December. After renting it for a couple of months and seeing such a change in her daily routine, Milano purchased the technology.

“My whole family has noticed a difference, in fact my sister-in-law started crying because I wasn’t struggling to walk and I’m no longer as fatigued as I used to be.”

The combination of assistance from the Bioness L300 and Milano’s strong personality has allowed her to continue to stay active and independent despite her MS diagnoses.

“I don’t like people feeling bad for me. My son is 16 and while he was growing up he would see me taking my injections but I never made it like it was a big deal. To this day, because he has never seen me cry, he’s never seen any of that from me, he doesn’t think it is a big deal that I have MS. I still drive him around and take him to the gym and other places, I am never in the house, I’m always running around.”

More information about Bioness can be found by visiting www.bioness.com or calling the toll free number 1-800-211-9136.