139 Millennium - Twenty-third Edition MEDICINE, HEALTHCARE AND WELLNESS Following his injury, Mr. LaLonge struggled with the ability to abduct and adduct his fingers – to spread them out and contract them back toward his hand. He also had difficulty making lateral finger movements. After searching the market for a solution to his limitations and coming up emptyhanded, he decided to develop one himself. Mr. LaLonge collaborated with an engineering firm to create a prototype and, after 18 months, a functional product. Called BridgeFlex™, the product features four connected silicone rings that slip over the four fingers. It offers flexible mobility while stabilizing the fingers and is designed to fit most teenagers and adults. Wearing the device, Mr. LaLonge can make a fist, open his hand wide, and grip both large and small objects. The product aims to offer a comfortable alternative to more rigid splints used in traditional solutions. Mr. LaLonge foresees applications across multiple conditions, such as cerebral palsy, stroke recovery, nerve injury and post-surgical rehab. He is seeking a patent for the product through his company, Lay Low Enterprises, and has received interest from countries around the world, including Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Mr. LaLonge has also written a memoir about his experiences. Published in 2025, “Scars with Purpose: A True Story” serves as his testimony for how pain can prepare one for transformation. It details how his faith in God and the support of his family turned his physical trauma into an undeniable sense of purpose. From 2007 to 2022, Mr. LaLonge served in the Portsmouth Fire Department and rose to the rank of fire captain, receiving the Gold Medal of Valor upon his injury. He was previously the vice president of the Portsmouth Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association. In October 2022, Christopher LaLonge’s life changed in an instant. He sustained a gunshot wound while on duty with the fire department in Portsmouth, Virginia, severing a nerve in his arm. The injury prompted his early retirement after 15 years of service, but it also set him on a path of both invention and reinvention. CHRISTOPER LALONGE AUTHOR, INVENTOR Bridgeflex Virginia Beach, VA
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