“‘Right now, you’re rolling in to see me in your wheelchair. But, in time, you’ll be walking with stability, a smile, and a purpose.’” That’s the message H5 Prosthetics and Orthotics founder Steven Herrera says he delivers to each new patient.
When you walk into his clinic in San Antonio’s Medical Center, the air is charged with the quiet determination of people rebuilding their lives. Herrera, a licensed and certified prosthetist and orthotist, greets each patient as more than a client. To him and his team, each person they meet is a living example of courage and resilience on a journey back to strength and independence. The atmosphere is one of collaboration and care—where innovation meets empathy, and where every success, big or small, is celebrated as a victory.
Looking back, Herrera says he didn’t start out planning to design prosthetic limbs. As a young man, he dreamed of a career in orthopedics. But an unexpected opportunity at the University of Texas Health Science Center rerouted his path and revealed his life’s calling. “Looking back, I realize I was meant to rebuild people,” Herrera says with a grin. “I was meant to rebuild people.” That realization, he adds, changed everything, from the way he viewed medicine to the way he approached people in pain.
A Legacy of Service
Herrera was raised in a proud military family—his father is a Vietnam veteran and his grandfather was a soldier who landed at Normandy—so he grew up steeped in duty, discipline, and compassion. Today, those values now live on through the mission of H5 Prosthetics, which blends medical precision with heartfelt service.
The process begins with a physician’s prescription. The team listens first, measures second, with every fitting becoming a lesson in trust. Patients arrive broken, angry, scared, and silent. In time, each patient leaves with a bit more hope and confidence. “People just want to reclaim a sense of normalcy,” Herrera says. “We can create the prosthetic, but it’s their determination that brings joy back to their life.”
He recalls a former patient who was on the wrong side of the law. The man had lost his legs and nearly his life. So when he arrived in a wheelchair, Herrera remembers him being under the influence and running out of hope. After receiving his prosthesis and processing the heartache of his new reality, he stood—literally—on his new prosthetics, smiling. “He went from completely broken to being able to walk out of our office,” Herrera says quietly. “That’s why we do this… We can’t give someone their old life back,” he admits, “but we can help them build a new one.”
Technology Meets Humanity
In the early days of the business, Herrera says prosthetic technology was much cruder and more cumbersome. Pieces were often carved from wood, he recalls. Today, however, gel liners cushion the skin, and knees are equipped with microprocessors and motors that mimic natural human motion. Digital scanning has replaced plaster molds, making fittings faster and more accurate than ever before.
While the advances have been amazing, Herrera recognizes that technology alone doesn’t heal. “Innovation means nothing without patience and empathy,” he insists. “You have to understand the person before you can fabricate the prosthesis.” From 3D-printed sockets to myoelectric hands that respond to tiny muscle signals, Herrera says his work sits at the crossroads of engineering and empathy. “The limbs are learning about you. Now every finger, every joint moves naturally,” he explains. “It’s mind-blowing, but it’s still about the person wearing it.”
Faith, Family, and Work That Heals
Ask Herrera what sustains him, and he’ll tell you: his family and his faith. “As a proud husband and father of three, my grandfather taught me that real men stay positive through action,” he says. “That’s what I try to pass on to my team, and to every patient who walks through our doors.” Veterans, trauma survivors, and children all share the same space; each of their stories is unique, but defined by the courage to keep going. “I tell my staff all the time, ‘We are not in the prosthetic business; we’re in the restoration business.’”
In the future, Herrera hopes to serve more people throughout San Antonio and the Hill Country. At the same time, Herrera’s goals remain deeply personal: more outreach, more education, and more accessibility. He sees himself as a champion for those who cannot access public spaces and partners with community programs like Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park. He also mentors young clinicians, encouraging them to remember the human heart behind every piece of advanced machinery.
“When a person regains their mobility, they don’t just move forward physically,” Herrera explains, “they move forward mentally, spiritually, rediscovering the strength, confidence, and hope that once felt out of reach. Every patient deserves the opportunity to reclaim purpose through motion.” And that is what keeps him moving.
“Looking back, I realize I wasn’t meant to treat bones. I was meant to rebuild people.”
“Right now, you’re rolling in to see me in your wheelchair. But, in time, you’ll be walking with stability, a smile, and a purpose.”
H5 Prosthetics and Orthotics specializes in custom prosthetic limbs, orthotic devices, and pediatric fittings. Led by founder Steven Herrera, the practice emphasizes personalized care, innovative technology, and the restoration of mobility and independence.
facebook.com/H5onp | 210-481-4473 | 7410 John Smith Dr., Ste. 213, San Antonio