Man With Scissorhands Climbs Mountains Again

Mountain climber Stephen Ball, 54, was climbing one of America’s tallest mountains, Mount McKinley, when an unexpected snow storm hit causing him to fall almost 2,000 feet. He was trapped for several hours before he was able to get help. Due to extremely severe frost bite he lost part of his left hand, his right fingers and thumb, part of his nose, and his right foot. He also broke his leg in 12 different places and was forced to get it amputated, and yet his climbing days aren’t over.

Ball says, “Even straight after the accident I knew I couldn’t give up. I just refused to be defeated. I wanted my life back, and I wasn’t prepared to pack everything away and say that’s the end of things for me. I went to Phil to get my new leg, and while I was there I asked for his help with some custom-made hands. He’s very innovative and he won’t let obstacles get in his way. He’s looking to improve the prosthetics he makes for me all the time. These hands are quite specialized pieces of kit, he’s invented a slide mechanism so I can adjust the position of the axes. I adapted to them really easily, and I am now climbing better than I could have ever imagined.”

Ball came across award winning prosthetic technician Phil Myers to help him with his new prosthetic leg and “axe hands” which were specifically designed to support Ball while ice climbing.

Myers has also designed a unique “shock absorber” arm for a motorcyclist and won an award for Limbcare Technician of the Year at the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthodontists. He has been producing and engineering prosthetic limbs for over 21 years now and says, “the most satisfying part of the job for me is seeing the patients walk out of the building, especially when they came in by wheelchair. I just want to make a difference to people’s lives and it’s people like Stephen who make my job so worthwhile. His motivation is very inspiring.”