Bionic leg gives woman new lease on life

Torrington, Conn. (WTNH) - A Winstead woman who was severely injured in an accident on the job is getting a new lease on life.

38-year-old Amy Shopey is one of the first civilians to be fit with a new bionic prosthetic leg thanks to the US military at Hanger Prosthetics in Torrington.

"It gives you the ability to walk up the stairs and foot over foot. For the past six years, I've been walking one foot at a time. Right foot forward, one step, two steps," Shopey said.

It's like Shopey is 22 steps ahead now with her new, bionic prosthetic leg that no other person in Connecticut can say they have.

"It opened up my world even more than it was," she said. "Really, there's nothing I can't do other than submerge in water. I have learned you only get one chance, so from there I was born on October 28th, 2005."

The 38 year-old was injured on the job with the State Department of Transportation. She had one amputation and then another after she contracted a flesh eating bacteria.

"I almost didn't make it. They did tell my mother to make arrangements," Shopey said.

Dr. Jeffrey Murray says since then Shopey has learned to live life to the fullest but now, with the Genium she's on cloud nine.  

Dr. Murray explained that the knee has a sort of brain-on-board that makes decisions based on the patient's activities.

"It has an onboard gyroscope and they function kind of like the Wii game system where it tracks the motion," he explained.

The Genium was part of the Military Amputee Research Program. Throughout 2010 and 2011 Otto Bock Healthcare partnered with Hangar for the evaluation, application, and testing.

Shopey says she had her last leg for over five years and it was time for a new one.

"The knee with socket and foot are about $95,000 so it's somewhat cost prohibitive for private insurances," Dr. Murray said.

Worker's comp covered the cost for her.

"There are so many people out there, who will never have," she started, "and to be given such an opportunity."

Since the charge lasts so long, she's planned a trip next month to Antigua. "There are a couple of hiking type things I want to do," she said.

After Antigua her next adventure is to go bowling.