Barbara O'Neill
Colette Dix
Joe Thek
Our very good friend, the late Virginia Haggerty
My name is Joe Thek, M.D.
To my friends [at The Villages] I’m Dr. Joe. I bled in my brain from a
cavernous hemangioma (atrerio-venous malformation or AVM) in the
mid-brain which left me permanently weak on my right side after
life-saving surgery. I have other problems too. The gist of it was
that I was afraid of the water because I might drown.
So, I got the Water Walking Assistant. It was supposed to buoy me
up in the water and prevent me from drowning. It fit snugly around me. I
hadn’t been near a pool for years. I was more than a little anxious. I
mean; would this thing really work? There was only one way to find out.
I was able to get in the pool with a lift. The Water
Walking Assistant was around me and worked! At first, I made only
tentative movements. But, eventually, I propelled myself by hopping on
one leg, a movement I hadn’t done in years. The Water Walking Assistant
supported me. On dry land, I could not hop.
I’m so happy to be able to go to the pool and feel
safe. Isn’t God good?
Sincerely,
Joe Thek, MD
Dear Ray and Barbara.
Many thanks for the 'Water Walking Assistant'. It is
the first time I am safely able to exercise in the water. Because I was
diagnosed with MS in 1996, complicated by the aftermath of a coma
caused from septic shock in late '97, I am now only able to use water
therapy as a viable exercise therapy. This regimen is essential for my
physical betterment.
Because I have an open tracheotomy, I can no longer
swim with my throat under water. Thus, the Water Walking Assistant is
the only way to ensure my safety while improving my balance and gait,
increasing my strength in my legs and continued emotional well-being.
Your ingenuity, inventive spirit and willingness to make
adjustments are truly awesome. God bless you. I know there is a need
for the 'Water Walking Assistant' for the youth as well as people with
physical challenges.
Sincerely Yours,
Virginia
And a note from the inventors
Our Water Walking Assistant was originally designed for Virginia Haggerty. Virginia had MS and as a result had balance problems and used a walker. She also had an open tracheotomy. She had an unfathomable determination to strengthen her legs to improve her gait, so she would go to the pool to do some water walking holding onto a flimsy water noodle. Ultimately she would lose her balance and fall into the water and would need assistance. We felt this was a serious problem for her so one day Ray went home to figure a way for her to walk in the water in a safe manner. After spending an evening working on it and going to our neighborhood pool at midnight to critique it, we had our Water Walking Assistant. Two day later we gave it to Virginia. She was unbelievably excited. She said it would give her independence to walk in the water without the fear that she would fall in. She encouraged us to take it to Pat and Page Whittle who in turn encouraged us to get a patent. Thus it started us on a journey of obtaining a patent. About sixteen months later we had our patent.
The Water Walking Assistant will help many people that need assistance with water exercises. We are so happy that we went the distance. This won’t be for the masses of people out there, but it will benefit those who use a walker, crutches, canes or those that have balance problems or are recovering from surgery etc. It will help strengthen leg muscles while giving confidence and a safe and reliable product to help them achieve their goal of becoming more physically active.
Respectfully Yours,
Raymond and Barbara Jackson
526 Bonita Drive
The Villages, FL 32159
Tel: 352-750-6000
Email: barbjack526@earthlink.net
Available at SprintAquatics-Water Walking Assistant