BladesXT under the tree!

The mini-BladeXT designed by Blatchford, has created a firestorm of interest from parents who want their children to be able to run around the playground again with their classmates. The majority of the children who were fitted had bilateral amputations resulting from meningitis and until now were not able to run safely. All that has changed with the mini-BladeXT, here are some of the personal stories of our little patients around the world:

Jean-Baptiste, in France, has a left agenesis and practices a wide variety of sports activities. The mini-BladeXT now allows him to participate in school sports activities but more importantly he can use his skateboard with his friends after school.

Grace, UK, was 4 years old when she was rushed to hospital with a high fever, the massive infection due to her meningitis rapidly worsened. To save her, doctors had to perform a bilateral tibial amputation, as well as a finger amputation on one side and a partial amputation of the hand on the other.

Her mum said: "We are very grateful to the Blatchford Company for providing Grace with these prosthetics which will allow her to use and play with her friends. She is very active, loves to have fun, go horseback riding, cycling and scootering. She is also very flirtatious and likes to be well dressed: we are so proud of her, it is a dream come true."

Read Graces story.

Olivia, UK, a 10-year-old girl who lost both legs and an arm to meningitis as a baby, tested her new pink blades at Sheepmount Municipal Stadium. Inspired by the Commonwealth Games, she has already mastered swimming, cycling and karate.

Olivia's mum Kim, explained: "Thanks to the way her new blades work – designed and made especially for her by Blatchford – she can already reach a good speed and she enjoys every minute of it. She loves them; She still uses her other prostheses but finds them much lighter. She can even wade away, which is not usually the case. On the first day, she put them on and we drove through the whole city. Then we went to knock on the door of her friend who was terribly impressed."

The adult version of BladeXT was launched in 2013 and has been incredibly popular with active amputees. The heel blade gives extra stability and the C-shaped spring gives excellent response when running. The children's version has been specially designed to allow them to play without restraint, but also to be stable and relaxed during poorly controlled presses or simply when standing. All equipped children tend to use their blades for most daily activities, as they allow them to fully participate in all the fun and grow with their friends.

The mini-BladeXT by Blatchford will be launched in 2015.