“I can already walk four steps!”
“I can already walk four steps! But I want to be able to do much more. That’s why I’m here!” This is how little Elias greets us. Together with his mum, Claudia, he has travelled a long way to receive physiotherapy from gait analysis instructor Kirsten Götz-Neumann as part of the “Biomechanics 1+2” course.
The seminar took place at our German headquarter. One of its aims was to reassess a wide range of examination and therapy methods on the basis of the latest research findings. The programme also covered the entire kinetic chain of the lower limbs and its influence on pain and dysfunction.
Ultimately, this was also the key question for Elias: how could his therapy be improved to help him achieve his goal of walking more independently?
A wonderful relationship between the family and our field sales representative
The idea of introducing us to the young boy came from our German field sales representative, Christina Reibold. She has known the family, who have Portuguese roots, for a long time and has become a welcome visitor in Weilbach, where Elias lives with his sister and parents.
A live therapy session during the course
A key element of the demanding biomechanics course is a live therapy session that puts theory into practice. Elias was not the only one to benefit: the almost 30 participants, some of whom had travelled from beyond Germany, also gained valuable insights. They were able to see first-hand how quickly well-founded knowledge can help patients make progress.
A quick visit to production
Before the serious work began, however, Elias had one big wish.
“I really want to see where my tricycle was built!”
Nothing could have been easier. During an exclusive tour of the company, the four-and-a-half-year-old quickly charmed everyone he met. When Elias meticulously tested the bells fitted to the momo. range, our colleague responsible for quality assurance told him:
“The job is yours!”
“I couldn’t have done it any better myself,” he added with a smile.
“What is my chair doing here?” Elias asked his mum, Claudia, when we stopped at the smilla.assembly area. It soon became clear that the Kissel Marquez household is home to several Schuchmann products.
Claudia smiled and shrugged: “We have one of your bathing supports, the therapy chairs and the tricycle.”
Elias was born healthy
“Our son had a stroke in the incubator two days after he was born. He was born healthy,” explains Claudia Kissel Marquez.
“Since then, we have had to fight many battles – with the hospital, for certain aids and for access to therapy. But we don’t give up.”
The strain is evident.
“I don’t want Elias to receive any therapy at nursery. His time there should be purely for playing. Every week, we travel hundreds of kilometres in the afternoons to make sure Elias receives the best possible support. That is why we did not hesitate to make the journey here as well.”
The visit was well worth it
The treatment with Kirsten Götz-Neumann proved extremely valuable. She gave Elias and his mum a number of useful tips. Among other things, she
recommended treadmill sessions and suggested that the bright young boy could best internalise the correct movement sequence by practising sideways walking.
A tightly scheduled daily routine
Armed with this new knowledge, mother and son set off on the almost five-hour journey home. Their suitcases were already waiting to be packed again, as the pair were due to attend a rehabilitation programme in Cologne.
We wish you all the very best and are delighted that you came to visit us. Thank you for giving us an insight into your lives!
