Prior to becoming an amputee Leon Gould was a 25 mile a week walker with his walking companion Brandy, his golden retriever. “I never rode when I could walk… me and Brandy were known all over town.” Being a retired principal (most notably of the Montclair Elementary School in Quincy, MA where he worked for 27 years) allowed Leon to devote much time to his hobby: walking. It is easy to see why Leon was hesitant about undergoing the surgery to amputate his right leg below the knee, which would relieve the chronic pain and sores he experienced due to a blocked artery.
“I met Greig Martino, from United, at [New England] Sinai Amputee Clinic for a consultation prior to having the surgery. I was very reluctant about the whole thing, but Greig made the situation palpable to me: he explained to me that I was a good candidate for this surgery and he assured me that I would be okay.”
After having the surgery, Leon underwent his rehabilitation at New England Sinai Hospital under the care of Saroj Dave, M.D, where he, “…learned to walk very quickly after healing”.
Leon feels that he made the right decision and although he no longer averages over 20 miles a week, he is able to move around quite well without the constant pain that plagued him before. Now over 17 years after first meeting Greig, Leon says, “I have the utmost confidence in him and wouldn’t go anywhere else”.
