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I can’t believe this little boy is now in his 4th set of below the knee prosthetics. Today is day one and he is running around like he didn’t just magically grow over an inch and two shoe sizes bigger overnight. There’s been the occasionally tumble today but this little rockstar is doing great! Sweet blessings I’m letting settle over my momma heart.

The team at Next Step Bionics and Prosthetics in Newton, Ma always do a fantastic job and this is no exception. They are timely, invested fully in Cade’s care and give their whole hearts to making this process go well. We could not be more thankful. We started this process about a month ago and 3 appointments later have a new set of bilateral prosthetics. It takes a little bit of time between coordinating the insurance approval (of which insurance covers 80%, we pay 20%), castings of Cade’s legs to the actual completion of the prosthetics.

At the first appointment, Arthur measures his legs to make sure we get the appropriately sized liners.

The right size liner is then rolled onto Cade’s leg, wrapped in saran wrap and then marked at his knee area with a marker.

Mr. Arthur then rolls on the casting strips. A cast is made of each leg in order to make the next prosthetic, exactly fitted to the specifications of his unique legs. Cade has gotten very good at sitting still for the casting materials to harden but Mr. Arthur is great at distracting little hands with epic balloon gloves.

At the second appointment Cade tries on the “test sockets” to make sure they fit well. This is the first time Cade gets the more advanced foot since he is now big enough. It has a more realistic look, is composed of WAY stronger material and has some flex to it to improve mobility. The only drawback we’ve noticed is hunting for wide enough shoes in the toe area.

It is this test socket that is then used to make the final prosthetic. This appointment is filled with lots of fun playing. Both boys love Next Step. They’ve got great toys, a ramp to roll trucks down and all sorts of stuff to climb on and swing from–perfect for spidermen in training.

It is at this appointment we also hand over our fabric choice, usually a pair of pajama bottoms to be adhered to the prosthetics. We ordered a few different pairs and momma was rooting for the navy dinosaurs. No such luck. Cade fell in love with a pair of tractor pajamas. I knew it was a lost cause when he grabbed the pants, hugged them and exclaimed, “I am so in love with my new leggies.” Well fine. Next time maybe.

At the third and final appointment we get to try on the finished prosthetic in all its fresh, unscuffed glory. This time around a giant snow storm meant Mr. Arthur made a house call. Next Step Bionic and Prosthetics’ customer service is unbelievable. We love you Next Step!

Look how far this little boy has come and the miles he’s already walked! We are thankful for each step. How proud we are of you Cade!