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Houston teen gifted running prosthetic leg to continue soccer aspirations
Houston teen Joseph Alvarado was gifted a new running prosthetic leg to continue his dreams of playing soccer.
HOUSTON - A Houston teen was given the gift of running Sunday morning, thanks to a new prosthetic leg.
Since he was barely a year old, Joseph Alvarado has learned to adapt to life as an amputee. The now 15-year-old faced limitations in his athletic ability due to not having the right prosthesis.
"[It was] just tough because I couldn’t run much, fast and a lot. It would be hard to run with the other leg," the aspiring soccer star said.
Alvarado and his family had no idea this surprise was coming. It all happened through a grant program funded by a partnership between the Challenged Athletes Foundation and prosthetic company Ossur.
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His gift was resented by triathlon paralympian Jamie Brown who has a similar story.
"It’s hard to describe to someone who doesn’t wear a prosthetic what the impact is and how it feels, but in the simplest terms, it’s like I went from walking uphill my whole life to all of a sudden walking on flat ground. And I didn’t realize it until I switched over to the carbon feet," he said.
These specific prosthetics designed for running aren’t cheap either. They're estimated between $30,000-$40,000. Alvarado’s family couldn’t be more thankful.
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His mother Liliana said she's, "very, very excited and very grateful for everybody. You know, this is his first time, and he’s very, very excited, and we are so honored to be here."
And within minutes of getting his new prosthesis, Alvarado hit the ground running.
"I can already notice how fast I can go, I just need to practice more with it," he said.