Brett Bolton - HD

Brett  bounds into the room, a six-year-old bundle of high   energy!  He has places to go and things to do! The first thing you would notice about Brett is his thousand watt smile, and then, if he slows down for a minute, you might see that he is wearing a prosthetic leg.
  

Brett  Bolton was born on April 8, 2006 in Henan Province, China.  Although born without a left leg, he was blessed with the spirit and determination necessary to overcome any obstacles that might present. His parents, Cindy and Russ Bolton, first learned of Brett through an on-line adoption search/support group. They were used to receiving emails with photographs of children looking for families, and Cindy would usually peek at the child’s photo and pray he/she would find their family. But when she opened the photo of Fu Gao Sheng, she knew something was different…her heart told her he was her son. Soon the Boltons were working at high speed to complete the adoption process and bring their son home. At the New Day Foster Home outside Bejing, Brett always found a way to do what he wanted.  He participated in races, swimming, swinging, and even drove a scooter!  The Bolton’s marveled at his ability to adapt, and looked forward to providing him with a prosthesis which would allow him to become even more independent.

One year, and a lot of prayers and paperwork later, Brett joined his new family in Orlando.  They had been preparing for his arrival, which included the selection of a facility to make Brett a prosthetic leg. Through an acquaintance met on their adoption support group, they  were put in touch with POA, and in September 2009 we began the process of making his first leg!

Because Brett was born with just a small nub of tissue where his femur should have been, he needed to be fit with a hip disarticulate design prosthesis. Throughout the fitting process, he and his family anxiously awaited the day Brett would take his first steps.  The first day he managed to take a few steps by swinging his hips. He was fascinated by his new foot, complete with five toes which he enjoyed counting!  Brett and his family returned to POA on a regular basis throughout the next several weeks for adjustments and  gait training. His parents also dedicated themselves to working with him at home, and their efforts paid off.  Soon Brett was walking independently on his own two feet, and he hasn’t stopped since! Between attending pre-school, playing with his sisters and many other activities, Brett rarely has time to visit us anymore, but does come in for an occasional tune-up. His strong will and sweet spirit are infectious, as evidenced in these photos and video. 

"When you can't change the direction of the wind - adjust your sails." - H. Jackson Brown