By Sean K. Gray
Joe Cox doesn’t like to make a fuss. At 80 years old, he has spent most of his life working hard—on the farm, in the factory and on the road. Born and raised in Welch, Oklahoma, Joe ran a John Deere tractor over nearly 1,000 acres, harvested wheat from Texas to Canada and put in every overtime shift he could at BF Goodrich.
But everything changed in 1988 when Joe lost his leg in a farm accident. It got caught in an auger.
The injury took a heavy toll—physically, financially and emotionally.
“We nearly went broke,” Diane, his wife, says. “We had to sell our place just to keep going.”
Joe didn’t give up. He tried limbs from prosthetic facility after prosthetic facility, traveling all over the Four-State Area—even as far as Oklahoma City.
“Some were okay,” he admits. “But most were a disappointment. You felt like you were on an assembly line.”
One provider stood out—a fellow amputee who understood what Joe was going through— who had to retire due to his own health issues.
For years, nothing ever really fit right. The prosthetic limbs rubbed, caused sores and made it hard for Joe to keep up with the life he loved. But everything changed when he read a story in the Vinita Daily Journal about Grand Prosthetics.
He and Diane were on their way to Grove, Oklahoma, to buy a pickup truck when they decided to stop in. “After only three visits/fittings,” Joe says, “I walked out on my new leg. It fit!”
That’s not something he says lightly. Joe’s a diabetic, and finding a prosthetic limb that works with his condition and active lifestyle wasn’t easy. Andy and Beverly Helms at Grand Prosthetics made it happen. Joe can drive his tractor again, work his clutch without pain and—most importantly—he doesn’t have to stop and rest all the time like he used to.
“They take care of me,” Joe says. “Whenever I need an adjustment, they make it right.”
For Diane, the difference is in the care. “What makes Grand Prosthetics unique is how personal they are,” she says. “Andy and Beverly gave Joe their full attention. It’s rare to find people who are great with both the technical side and the bedside manner—but they’ve got both.”
Joe believes in paying it forward. He has shared Grand Prosthetic’s information with other amputees, including his friend Steve, who lost his foot fighting fires. Joe didn’t hesitate: “I told him to go to Grand!”
These days, Joe isn’t slowing down. Thanks to the proper fit and the right people, he’s back doing what he loves, one step at a time.