Kristiana was born two months prematurely with Amniotic Band Syndrome that resulted in BK amputation of her left leg.  Twelve surgeries and 18 years later, Kristiana is in her first year at CSU Dominguez Hills and aspires to be a practitioner herself.  Kristiana's warm smile lights up when she talks about her passion for cheerleading.  She competed for 9 years and spent the last 2 years coaching for the Pop Warner Cheerleading squad. "Because I wear the sleeve and a knee brace, some girls on the squad wouldn't even notice that I had a prosthetic leg until we'd made it through the season." 

 

At Human Designs, she was fit with a Veraflex foot and a special suction socket, which allows her the comfort and flexabililty that she requires in cheerleading, and also provided her with a special water leg for when she surfs.  Kristiana refuses to see herself as handicapped, and is a motivational speaker to other youth.  In describing Kristiana, her father remarked in awe, "She can accomplish anything. The girl is simply amazing."

 

If you ask Kristiana about her practitioner, Eric, she says she can't image ever trusting her care to anyone else.  She has been coming to Human Designs since she was 4 years old.  Kristiana says that's when she first knew that she wanted to one day be a practitioner herself.