Northern Orthotic and Prosthetic Center's Success Stories

Tom Halvorson is a mountaineer, ice climber, and outdoorsman who has proven his professional expertise by helping patients reach the pinnacle of success in their lives.

The prosthetic expertise he has provided to Nawang Sherpa of Nepal allowed him to successfully climb to the summit of Mount Everest on May 16, 2004. Tom has worked with Nawang since 2002 to fit him with a comfortable, high altitude climbing prosthesis.

Tom also serves on the Board of Directors of the High Exposure Foundation. Its goal is to help amputees return to their original level of physical activity after recovering from debilitating injuries.

Tom Halvorson was also a close friend of renowned American mountaineer, the late Ed Hommer of Minnesota. Ed was a bi-lateral amputee who climbed Denali (Mount McKinley) in Alaska in 1998 using two prosthetic legs. With the help of Tom, Ed Hommer achieved success in many ways in his life including being a commercial airline pilot, a world-class athlete, and a mountaineer.

But The High Exposure Foundation, founded by Ed Hommer, lives on and Tom Halvorson works closely with it. The foundation continues Ed's goal to help people in the developing world, like Nawang Sherpa, receive advanced prosthetic equipment that will help them rebuild their lives after a severe injury.