Christa Couture goes bionic with online “kneeraiser”

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      As documented in these pages, Christa Couture has suffered more than her share of personal tragedy, and like any reasonable person she knows there’s only one way to deal with that: one step at a time. But those steps are about to get a whole lot easier thanks to an online “kneeraiser” designed to help the local singer-songwriter go bionic. Couture lost a leg to cancer at 13; since then she’s been schlepping her guitar and digital piano around the world using an unstable prosthesis, but she’s about to get kitted out with a state-of-the-art microprocessor knee.

      “The knee that I’ve had over the past 20 years works based on inertia,” she explained to the Straight. “I can’t put very much weight on it, and if the knee is bent it’ll just collapse. But the microprocessor knee will sense that I‘m putting weight on it. If it’s bent, it’ll provide resistance, and I won’t fall over.”

      Couture has been trying out different makes of digital prosthetics and reports that the first results are encouraging. “At the bottom of that first flight of stairs I was just squealing!” she said. “I was just giggling, because it felt like magic.”

      Also encouraging is that the campaign exceeded its $15,000 goal in just three days. Organizers are now shooting for $25,000, which will allow Couture to consider the most advanced of the three knees on offer. To find out more or to donate, visit the website.

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