Fort Myers prosthetic center helps woman defy odds after rare amputation following boating accident

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

Nichole Hall is overcoming a rare and severe injury with the support of her family and the Orthotic Prosthetic Center in Fort Myers.

"I am a hemipelvectomy amputee, which means I have a very rare amputation. It's less than 1% of amputations. It means I'm missing part of my pelvis as well," Hall said.

Hall's life changed in April 2024 when a boating accident left her with a severe injury.

"We were coming home one day, and the boat spun out and me and two others fell off, and the propeller struck me," she said.

The accident led to months in the hospital, where Hall faced a challenging recovery.

"You wake up and your family's all around you, and you can just tell how worried they are. My heart did stop twice. So, they all came in and said their goodbyes," Hall said.

Despite being told she would likely be wheelchair-bound and unable to wear a prosthetic, Hall defied expectations.

"I was told that with my type of amputation, I would never be able to wear a prosthetic. I'd probably be wheelchair bound," she said.

Hall's determination was evident from the start.

"The first day after I got my amputation, I actually was able to stand," she said.

Her perseverance was supported by her family and the team at OPC.

"If I hadn't found OPC, I don't think I'd be walking," Hall said. "Anything that I say I want to do, they're like, 'Go for it.' And, they don't hold me back at all."

Vern Swanson, a physical therapist at OPC, explained the unique approach of their facility, which operates inside a prosthetics clinic.

"If someone has a prosthetist here, if they have an issue, I can immediately go to that prosthetist and say, 'Hey, this person is having an alignment issue, I'm noticing skin breakdown, looks like their liners are disintegrating, can we do something about this?' And it's an immediate," Swanson said.

Swanson, who is dedicated to helping patients reach their full potential, said, "What I'm doing is training them to avoid falls."

Hall's journey continues with a positive outlook. She shared her goal to snowboard, saying, "I told him I wanted to be able to snowboard, and he's like, well, what are you going to do that? And I said, about four weeks from now. And, he never said, you can't do it."

Swanson emphasized the possibilities for patients like Hall, stating, "You can really achieve almost anything with patients. Might it be adapted? Might not look totally normal. Yes, 100%. She has. She's a hemipelvectomy; it's not going to look 100% normal. But can she do it — 100%. Yeah, she can."

Previous coverage:

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.