ROCK HILL, SC (WBTV) - Tito Alvarado is a 37-year-old father of three taking 16 hours of classes at Winthrop University this semester. He says he walks around 3 miles a day when going back and forth to class.
Three years ago he was working at a local food distributor, and 10 seconds changed his life forever.
"Two forklifts collided together and I was caught in between," said Alvarado.
The bones in his left leg were crushed.
Nine surgeries later to try and safe his leg Alvarado had to make the decision to amputate his leg just below the knee. The doctor gave him some encouraging news.
"He said with how technology has come along with prosthetics because of the war, within two to three months you could be walking," said Alvarado.
At the Prosthetic & Orthotic Institute in Rock Hill Kelvin Jones creates and designs prosthetics and orthotics. He helped build Alvarado's new leg.
Jones says because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan Jones says Prosthetics have come a long way in 10 years.
"Those soldiers are now being fitted with the most up to date contemporary technology and what it's doing is raising the standard for prosthetics in this world," said Jones.
Jones says micro processors in prosthetics help knees and ankles bend more normally.
"Stumble recovery features to help someone catch his or herself, then it can calibrate my fall to relax a fall, to slow down a fall and to break a fall," said Jones. "With this one, (pointing at a prosthesis without a micro processor he or she would have no control if they stumbled or stubbed their toe."
Even Alvarado was fitted with for a new bionic foot to give him even more mobility.
Because of the sacrifices military personnel have faced by losing limbs in battle to make it possible for him to lead a more normal life Alvarado wants to give back. He's studying Health Management at Winthrop to help others learn to lead normal lives with missing limbs.
"I want to make a difference. If I can show somebody you can take life by the horns and you can control it don't let life control you I've done my job," said Alvarado.
It's estimated the number of people living in the U-S who are missing a limb is same as the population of Salt Lake City.
In addition to creating prosthetics - the institute also does orthotic work, that's when someone's limb is still there, but not working correctly. They can build braces to help. It's common in people who have Cerebral Palsy or Scoliosis.
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