Shinichi Horikawa

Born in Tokyo in 1986. At age 15, he developed rhabdomyosarcoma, and spent a year battling the disease. Later, at age 29, his left leg was amputated at the thigh due to osteosarcoma. He carried out rehabilitation (walking training) at the Prosthetics and Orthotics Support Center, became able to walk, and returned to society. Currently, at the same time as doing administrative work at the Prosthetics and Orthotics Support Center, he participates in trial sessions to let people know about the merits of prostheses, special classes at schools, and other events. He has recently taken on the challenge of running using a sports prosthesis.

When I was 15, I developed cancer in the muscle on the left side of my jaw. I had surgery to cut out the diseased part, and to transplant muscle from my stomach to fill the gap. I was off high school for a year for the treatment, undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy for around ten months. The treatment was tough, but I steadily recovered from my illness. After leaving hospital, I went for a follow-up examination every six months while attending high school, and the cancer did not recur. However, as a lot of my left jaw had been cut out, some after-effects remained, including neuroparalysis on the left side of my face and difficulty in hearing with my left ear.

More than ten years after my first surgery, when I was 29, I suddenly developed osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. This was not a metastasis of my former cancer, but rather the onset of a new disease. Partly because I had become ill for a second time, it was a great shock to me, and I wondered “Why am I the only person who has to go through things like this?” However, my treatment began right away, leaving no time to get depressed. The treatment was the same chemotherapy as on the previous occasion, but this time, it did not produce any results, and so it was decided to amputate my left leg at the thigh.

After the operation, my doctor introduced me to a facility making prostheses, which I entered as an inpatient. That facility was the Prosthetics and Orthotics Support Center run by the Tetsudou Kousaikai public interest incorporated foundation (hereinafter, “the Support Center”) where I am now employed as a member of staff. During my stay at the Support Center, I took part in rehabilitation for around five months, and gained the ability to walk wearing a thigh prosthesis. Until my doctor introduced me to prostheses, I had a tendency to withdraw from society, but encountering prostheses changed my life.   

Despite the fact that even if someone’s leg has been amputated below the knee, they have the potential to walk if they wear a prosthesis and undertake rehabilitation, there are many such people who are forced to spend their lives in a wheelchair. If anything, many amputees have given up on “walking” before trying rehabilitation. I think that this is because ordinary people do not have any knowledge of prostheses.

To begin with, opportunities to know about the existence of prostheses are surely limited to seeing Paralympic athletes on television or having someone who uses a prosthesis in one’s immediate circle. I wanted more people to know about prostheses, so I started work with Tetsudou Kousaikai, which had changed my life for the better.

At the Support Center, we visit elementary, junior, and senior high schools to give special classes as an aspect of understanding disability and human rights education.

In June 2016, I was asked for the first time “Would you go and take part in a special class at an elementary school in Arakawa Ward?” Initially, I was resistant to the idea of showing myself, with my prosthesis, to people. However, after seeing a senior in my workplace, Mr. Nagahashi, a prosthetist and orthotist who has also been using a prosthesis longer than I have, revealing himself fully during a class, my “embarrassment” flew away. Now, my desire for people to learn about myself and amputation disability in general is strong, and I have no resistance to showing where my leg was amputated or my prosthesis if it is for this goal. 

I have met many people through all the events in which I have participated so far, including these special classes. I would like to introduce one episode which is particularly memorable for me. It happened when I gave a special class to 600 senior high school students in Arakawa Ward. After my talk finished, a few students came to my anteroom and enthusiastically asked me various questions about leg amputation and the difficulty of walking with a prosthesis. At that time, I was able to sense for myself how our work had borne fruit, even if only in some people. I was so moved that my heart felt full. Even now, I have not forgotten the emotion I felt then, even now.

I think that it is thanks to the independent foundation[i] Tetsudou Kousaikai that I am able to participate in these kinds of activity. Also, the Support Center’s main work is making prosthetics and orthotics, but I think giving special classes is just as meaningful an activity as its main work. A year after I started work with Tetsudou Kousaikai, I discovered that the cancer had metastasized to my lungs, and I had repeated surgeries. I am currently healthy, but I want to continue with giving special classes as often as I can, carrying out activities enabling as many people as possible to learn about the value of prostheses.