Dear Sir, - I have been encouraged by letters from monopedes in your excellent publication to make my contribution to the topic in which I am interested.
I am acquainted with a monopede named Doris, being without either left arm or left leg (both amputated at shoulder or hip, respectively). Far from being inactive and confined to a wheeled chair, she has overcome a seemingly insuperable handicap in a novel fashion.
She has a unique apparatus specially constructed, which consists of a steel band, leather covered, to encircle her just under the armpits. To this is fastened two pole crutches, one going under her right arm, the other where her left shoulder is rounded off.
She is thus enabled to hold the right one normally, but the left has nothing to guide it and needs support. This is achieved by a strap from the steel chest band being fastened under her left stump so as to take the weight when walking. Crossed shoulder straps carry the crutch forward when the weight is on her only leg.
To avoid disarranging her dress, which the stump strap would, two holes are cut in the dress and the strap threaded through before tightening under the stump.
Doris only wears this apparatus out of doors, as she can hop easily in the house, and to hide the unsightly straps she puts on a coat controlling the right crutch by having a through pocket made so that she can grip the pole.
I greatly admire her courage and independence, as she is unable to walk far as it is very tiring and the fixed crutches do not allow her to sit down.
Yours truly,
Monopede.