Loc

Loc has a stable job and a tight-knit family, but his new prosthetic device has given him something he had missed for the last eight years: the ability to walk and exercise without pain.

Loc was run over by a public bus when he was 17 and after a lengthy rehabilitation process, he received a low-quality wooden device. “I tripped a lot and it hurts when I walked,” he said.

After high school, Loc trained for two years at a university in Saigon to become a photoshop expert and now works the night-shift at a photoshop service company. He enjoys his job and the stability, but his health declined over the past several years due to the sedentary nature of his work.

Eventually, Loc was able to find a much more comfortable device through a clinic that worked with Penta. With this new device, Loc is now able to walk and exercise when he is not at work, some days for up to 8 hours. Additionally, his new device has allowed him more comfort in other areas. “I am also more confident when I hold conversations in public,” he said.

Despite how his accident changed his life, Loc has been able to form a close group of friends in the amputee community. They regularly meet up and exchange tips on using their prosthetic devices. While amputees still carry a stigma in Vietnam and often find themselves treated as pariahs, Loc has been able to open new doors socially through his disability.