HOBART | Generations of clients have found new freedom of movement thanks to Calumet Orthopedic & Prosthetics Co.

Working in concert with physicians and physical therapists, this Hobart-based business crafts custom-made artificial limbs and orthopedic braces and supports in its 5,000-square foot facility.

Some clients have lost limbs because of traumatic injury, amputation due to diabetes or are born without a limb, owner say. Others require support for weakened or injured joints and/or muscle groups. Clients range from infants through senior citizens.

Art and science blend to produce these hand-crafted devices, but it's the personal touch as well as the technology that keep clients coming back to Calumet Orthopedic & Prosthetics Co., the company's vice president said.

"Every person who comes in here is an inspiration," said Micki Pawlowski, vice president and co-owner with her husband, Ron Pawlowski. "It's amazing to see someone come in a wheelchair and walk out."

Ron Pawlowski's father, Walter Pawlowski, started the business because he knew first hand the importance of orthopedic braces. During paratrooper training in World War II, Walter Pawlowski suffered a compression fracture to his back in a jump.

He spent a year in a body cast and learned how to make braces for other soldiers, the family said. After he returned to Calumet City, Walter Pawlowski served an apprenticeship in prosthetics and decided to make a career in the business.

Following in his father's footsteps, Ron Pawlowski set up a prosthetics lab at a field hospital during his tour of duty in Vietnam, the family said. Now, the second and third generations of Walter Pawlowski's family have brought the company into the 21st Century.

The company still adheres to its original motto of helping clients reach their recovery goals. In fact, Calumet still works with adults who first came to Walter Pawlowski as children with polio during the 1950s, and one such client drives in from Palatine, Ill. for adjustments and repairs to his braces, the company owners said.

A physician's prescription is necessary for all care provided by Calumet Orthopedic & Prosthetics Co. Clients first consult with Ron Pawlowski, who is certified in prosthetics and orthotics. In addition to learning about the client's needs, Pawlowski takes extensive measurements. If a prosthetic is needed, he makes castings of the area to be fitted with an artificial limb.