Author: Linus Månsson

Who are you?

My name is Sydney Marshburn and I am a recent above-knee amputee and the newest edition to the Lindhe Xtend Ambassadors! I am currently the Events & Outreach Manager at the Range of Motion Project (ROMP) and an amputee mentor at Click Medical.  My life goal is to qualify for Team USA’s Para Alpine Ski team.  

What’s your story?

Before my amputation, my body had been dealing with multiple life-threatening conditions and had been in survival mode for years. Four months before I became an amputee, doctors told me I would have to accept being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. As a 22-year-old, this news was hard to process. Prior to my medical conditions becoming severe and unmanageable, I was a competitive swimmer from age nine to my senior year of high school; I led a very active lifestyle. In 2017 I was formally diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a progressive genetic condition caused by a defect in collagen. From that point on, my life revolved around hospital visits and surgeries. Ehlers-Danlos complications and its co-morbidities ultimately led to the amputation of my left leg.

In 2017, I had my first spinal fusion surgery. The operation was successful but left behind a rare complication called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in my left leg. I was being burned alive from the inside out. CRPS caused infections that would last 7 months at a time and would be made worse by the EDS (every time I dislocated/subluxed my left ankle or knee I would be left on fire for months). This happened for 4 years: ages 18 to 22. It got to the point where I couldn’t even sleep in my own bed or wear pants because having anything touch my skin made it burn even more. My condition progressed no matter what we tried. Doctors initially dismissed me but my blisters, swelling, and pain became too intense to ignore.

In August 2021, my leg became infected (due to the CRPS) and it started spreading. My surgeon said he would not be able to save my knee or anything below it and it would have to go ASAP, as it had become life threatening. 36 hours later, I lost my leg.

What does Xtend Your Life mean to you?

To me, “Xtend Your Life” is a mindset that means I have the tools necessary to live my life to the fullest.  I plan to make the most of any situation that comes my way.  The Lindhe Xtend prosthetic foot allows me to expand my limitations and adventure further than I ever could with two human legs. 

Follow her on instagram @Sydneym87

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Who are you? 
I’m Diane Pollock, a boat captain with a BAEd degree in Education with a specialization in Math.  I returned to college in my late 30’s working towards a degree in Physical Therapy, but I couldn’t resist the pull of the ocean and pursuing a life on the water.  I grew up on the Georgia/Florida line on the St. Mary’s River and the surrounding barrier islands.  After being a sponsored competitive rower for 3 years on a national level, I was given medical clearance as an above knee amputee from the US Coast Guard to become a licensed boat Captain, so in 2011, I became a charter boat captain.  I also serve in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary as a Coxswain conducting marine patrols on our local waters.

What’s your story?
I lost my leg above the knee in 2002 at the age of 32 as a result of osteomyelitis after a knee surgery to realign my patella.  I fought the infection for 9 months before being given the choice of an above knee amputation or a straight-leg fusion with a titanium rod running through the knee joint.    I had been locked out straight in a full leg brace for months, so I chose the amputation.  If I had chosen the fusion surgery and the infection returned, I would have lost the leg at an even higher level.

What does Xtend Your life mean to you?
For me “Xtend Your Life” means pushing the limits in everything I pursue.  I have found that most limits are usually self-imposed when I put my mind to something.  After the amputation, I became more sensitive to all of the controls I need to exercise to maximize my potential in everything.  As a result, I feel like I’m healthier than I was before the amputation.  My life is lived in some of the harshest environments.  For me the durability of the Lindhe Xtend products are vital to me staying active on the boat and in the saltwater lifestyle.

Follow Diane at Instagram @nolimitschartersllc

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Now we have one more Magnus at the company –  who goes by the nick name Hagge as his last name is Hagberg – not to get him mixed up with our CFO. Magnus is hired as a Supply Chain and Operations Assistant and is a trained business administrator with previous experience as a project coordinator and masters excel at top level both privately as well as at work. Magnus also has great experience with purchasing, warehouse planning and needs assessment which really will come in handy considering our future here at Lindhe Xtend.

Even if structure, numbers and data makes Magnus tick, … he also has a more creative side, being a photographer as well as writing his own music on his electric bass. Training and health is another hobby and we can testify that we already experienced his great sense of humour.

Welcome and hope you will like it here Magnus!

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