Bionics Orthotics & Prosthetics

01/20/2026

CARRYING THE FAMILY LEGACY:
San Diego sailor overcomes paralysis to compete among the best

For Peter Phillips, sailing is a family tradition. His grandfather was posthumously awarded the inaugural trophy for long-distance sailing at the San Diego Yacht Club; he had carried the club flag further and to more “out of the way” locations in the world than any other member. Peter’s father and uncle grew up on his grandfather’s boat, traveling around the South Pacific and Central America during their youth. Similarly, Peter began sailing and competing at a very young age.

But in 1976, when Peter was 17, he was hospitalized with Guillain–Barré syndrome – a condition where the body’s immune system attacks its own nervous system, causing weakness and paralysis.

“Within four days, I went from being very strong and active to being completely paralyzed,” Peter said.
Almost nine months later, he was discharged from rehab and with the help of custom ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs), he was able to walk again.

Peter never stopped sailing and, in 2018, he joined Challenged Sailors San Diego (CSSD). The San Diego-based organization started in 2014 and provides people with disabilities the opportunity to sail and enjoy the freedom of being on the water at no cost. Challenged Sailors is supported entirely by grants, donations, and volunteers. In addition to weekly sails in San Diego Bay, they participate in five to eight races per year. Racers can apply for scholarships to cover entry fees and travel to races.

To read more, click below:
https://www.bionicsoandp.com/testimonials/peterphillips

11/25/2025

Congrats to Doc Jacobs on being named to the World Cup Para Bobsledding team! 🇺🇸

09/09/2023

Challenged Sailors of San Diego wants to take you out for a beautiful ride on the bay! Check out challengedsailors.org to learn about all accessible sailing and join them on a Friday or Saturday sail -- at no cost to you! So grab your sunglasses and get ready for an incredible adventure on the water! Photo by Challenged Sailors San Diego

08/31/2023

Calling all lower limb amputees who would like to refine their running skills! Join OttoBock at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center from October 6-8. Information and registration available at www.ottobock.com/en-us/running-clinic

01/20/2023

We’re at San Diego Orthopaedic Society’s 39th annual meeting today!
Exhibit is up and running!
Our CPOs are attending talks on Achilles Tears and Spinal Arthroplasty.

01/12/2023

Meet the team!
Today we would like to celebrate and wish Kevin Calvo, CPO, FAAOP, a very happy birthday!
Kevin founded Bionics O and P in 1981. With his wealth of knowledge and experience we are proud to call Kevin our mentor.

11/15/2022

‘Education to Protect Tomorrow’ is this year’s world diabetes day theme.
Meet Yehuda who wanted to share his story in hope that ‘diabetes is taken seriously.’
20 years ago Yehuda was diagnose with diabetes and developed neuropathy. He expressed that due to his high demand job, he did not take his condition seriously and neglected his health.
End of 2017 a right foot ulcer developed, by February 2018 a decision was made to amputate his leg below the knee. That’s when he meet Emily from Bionics O & P whom he dubbed ‘a saint’. They were able to work together with his extended health care team to get him back to walking again.
Early this year while on vacation to visit family he developed an infection on his left foot. By the time he came back to the US in April, his left limb was also amputated below the knee.
He explained that he was not in a good place in his life after his second amputation but having a family that is like a rock to him made ‘life worth living’. Having his wife, daughter and beautiful granddaughter by him meant he strived to recover and get back to walking. He made the decision to not be reliant on a wheelchair.
Today Yehuda is looking forward to continuing his journey to recovery, he would like to increase his walking and is excited to welcome another grand baby to the family. Congratulations!
His message to new amputees is to take it step by step, don’t rush your recovery and don’t be afraid to use your walking aid to regain the confidence to walk again.
Thank you for sharing your story with us Yehuda

11/14/2022

A message from Bionics in honor of World Diabetes Day 2022.

Unmanaged diabetes may lead to amputations, most commonly of the lower extremities.

Managing your blood sugar and good foot care are the best ways to help prevent amputations and severe diabetes complications.

Here are some foot care tips to help prevent ulcers and complications.

To gain a deeper understanding of Diabetes please visit https://diabetes.org/diabetes

11/11/2022

Bionics would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who has served in the armed forces, past and present. We honor you.

11/09/2022

For over 40 years these hallways have had the opportunity to serve and treat you with the upmost care and highest professional standards.
Each one of our practitioners shares in the pain, the hopes and victories of our patients.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be introducing the Bionics O&P family.
We hope that by getting to know us as people, you can trust us as professionals.
We also hope to bring awareness and share a glimpse of what we have been privileged to do.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us.

07/07/2021

Take a journey with Dr. Jack Tierney as he explains how Type 1 diabetes has affected -- and not affected -- his life. If you're living with Type 1 diabetes, please feel free to share your experiences below. Dr. Tierney is on a mission to spread the word about DM-I as well as show how it does not have to stop you from doing what you want to do!

My father, Dr. Jack Tierney, is a retired school superintendent living in La Jolla, CA. He was misdiagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic at age 19 in 1960. He surviv...