George Gatewood has spent much of his life helping people become mobile. Not with transportation in the usual sense, but with prosthetics and orthotics. When he attended Auburn University, George studied physiology.
“I was an athlete and became interested in athletic training and studying the body in motion. Later, as a physical therapist for the Hughston facility, I was introduced to orthopedics and orthotics. They sent me to Northwestern University in Chicago,” explained Gatewood.
Throughout his career, he worked with some of the best, including Dr. Jack Hughston, considered the Father of Sports Medicine, and founder of the Hughston Clinic, and with the McCluskey family, all with excellent reputations in the field of orthopedics.
Those experiences led him to start Gatewood Prosthetics in 2000 for a total of 36 years in the business of helping people walk and sometimes run. He served as a Team Prosthetist for the 1996 Paralympics.
While you might think, with neighboring Fort Benning, Gatewood treats soldiers wounded in combat, most requiring specialized trauma care and limb amputation are sent to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland,” he explained.
The fact is, there are many patients he sees who are diabetics or have experienced other trauma, which resulted in amputations or lack of mobility.
Unless they are permanently wheelchair bound, most below and above the knee amputees need prosthetics. Then there are those who need a foot and ankle specialist trained in orthotics, fitting custom devices like inserts or braces to support, align, or improve mobility. George Gatewood sees and helps with both challenges on a daily basis.
The tale of two boys
Two children, who Gatewood was able to fit with prosthetics, are among his favorite accomplishments and proudest moments in his years of practice.
Liam was a toddler with a congenital defect that resulted in a single amputation. George was able to design a prosthetic that made Liam mobile. Today, Liam is 18 years old and plays volleyball.
The other is Robert Walton. He almost died at the age of five from bacterial meningitis, which resulted in a double amputation, one below the knee and the other above the ankle. When Robert first came to Gatewood Prosthetics, he was seven years old. Today, he lives in Chicago and hikes around the city.
Robert is my son. I can tell you from years of experience that kids outgrow prosthetics the way most children outgrow shoes. Until the growth spurts stop, repeated fittings continue.
“Amputees inspire me. When I can get them from a wheelchair to two feet, that makes me proud and that is what I am here for.”
Lessons learned
Relating to the concerns of the patient and their family members is an important part of the process.
“I learned a long time ago, especially from Dr. Jack Hughston, about the importance of communicating with patients and their families. I try to make each visit personable.”
He must have succeeded. His patients from over the years still drop in for a visit.
His wife and business partner, Jennifer Gatewood, understands that lesson. As a Certified Orthotic/Mastectomy Fitter, she has dedicated the past 25 years with love and compassion to ladies who have survived breast cancer.
“She is one of the few in our area who offers that service. Jennifer also runs the front office, so she might be the first smiling face you see,” said George.
The Gatewood’s and their patients learned another valuable lesson in dealing with insurance.
“Every day, you chase the money with insurance. You have to justify everything. It’s heartbreaking for many patients.”
A prosthetic leg can run upwards of $3000 or more. A foot or liners for the prosthetic can price out around $500. Gatewood doesn’t set the price; manufacturers of the components do.
As a mother of a double amputee, I can attest to that. When my son received his first prosthetics at the age of six years old, I got a letter from our insurance company asking if he had been hurt in a work-related incident. My reply, “No, he is only six. He hasn’t even run his first lemonade stand.”
Serve with Limbs
George started a non-profit, Serve with Limbs, to bridge the financial gap for amputees in need.
“Whether a patient has congenital deformities, diabetic or vascular issues, or traumatic injuries, our foundation exists to ensure no one has to go without the proper prosthetics they need to live their life to the fullest.”
He works with manufacturers and accepts donations, monetarily and for used prosthetic devices.
“We’ve seen the difference it can make when someone can get back to work or back to serving others in their own way.”
George and Jennifer Gatewood go the extra mile so that their patients can.
To contact Gatewood Prosthetics, located at 2515 Old Whittlesey Road in
Columbus, call 706-596-8004.
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