Dennis Heaton
When asked how he has persevered through over six years of extremity issues, Dennis Heaton smiles and replies, “I’ve just always thought, I can either get busy living or getting busy dying!”
Dennis has lived through quite a bit since pulverizing his ankle playing ice hockey in February 2010. Soon after his accident, it became apparent that Dennis was suffering from a severe bone infection. His surgeons at both Swedish Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente explained to Dennis that they had done all they could; he was now facing the reality of losing his leg. In 2012, Dennis was referred to Dr. David Hahn with the Colorado Limb Consultants, who put Dennis in an external fixator, a cage-like device intended to help the broken bones in his ankle finally heal.
Dennis spent 14 months in the fixator until finally, his ankle had healed. During this time, he became a member of ‘Frame Camp’, a support group for individuals using external fixators to preserve an extremity at risk. Though no longer in a frame, Dennis still visits the group occasionally to provide peer support and hope.
With the support of his wife, Mary, his children, friends, and medical team, Dennis has regained the mobility he so desperately missed. He enjoys traveling all around the world, hiking, and golfing. In fact, just weeks after this photoshoot, Dennis and Mary participated in The Limb Preservation Foundation’s Golf Tournament!
