Rikst Bootsma from the Netherlands suffered amputation as a result of osteosarcoma in the left leg. Before the operation, the 17 years old girl was into sports, but she couldn’t continue with prosthesis covered by the insurance company.
“In 2019 I received my first prosthesis after an amputation that had to take place because of cancer. Before I became ill, I was very active. The last few years that wasn’t possible. I could only walk with that prosthesis and that was very different from what I was used to. In 2020 I went to the running clinic De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation and saw that you could do more with a prosthesis. I started exercising with a trainer and was allowed to borrow a blade with which you can run. That was such a special experience for me. Too bad I can only use that blade occasionally. It made me very happy. The focus on the cancer is gone, I can be active again! But the health insurance company does not reimburse a blade with which I can run and I cannot pay for it myself. Running means a lot to me”, said Rikst.
Red Line Foundation and De Hoogstraat Orthopedietechniek with common effort provided Rikst with sport prosthesis. Today the girl trains in Zwolle, where she studies. To attend these training sessions, which take place in all weather situations, she travels from her hometown and back for more than 2 hours at least once a week. In addition, she does exercises at home to improve core stability and muscle strength.
“New prosthesis is very nice, it is attached to my leg with a different system so that it also stays in place better. This prosthesis helps me with sports, making me feel better about myself. Especially now that I’m studying, I really like that I can run on my prosthesis for a while in the evening”, said the girl.