Young, motivated and excited about starting life in the Big Apple- Margaret was ready to tackle the adventures of life in New York City. Beginning University, learning her way around Manhattan, and embarking on the self discovery process that most young adults embrace in their early 20’s, she could never have imagined how this city would change her life. But shortly after moving to the city she was hit by a NYC bus while crossing the street. Margaret’s whole life was changed. Joining the large percentage of Americans amputees, Margaret decided that was not the only way her life was going to change- she was going to change her world. Dedicated to assisting other amputees around the world, she has traveled to visit different developing nations to see what she can do to help. Margaret has a goal to provide prosthetics for children all around the world, and she is starting right here in the United States by organizing a fund raiser called Kicking for Kids Who Can’t.
Each year more than 150,000 individuals join a list of over 3 to 4 million existing amputees in the U.S. The Limbs for Life Foundation (LFLF) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to providing fully functional prosthetic care for individuals who cannot otherwise afford it and raising awareness of the challenges facing amputees. When a person becomes an amputee, they are faced with staggering emotional, physical and financial lifestyle changes. Many even lack the financial resources to obtain adequate prosthetic care.
That’s where the Limbs for Life Foundation comes in. LFLF’s goal is to provide a financial bridge between low-income amputees and the quality prosthetic care needed to restore their lives. Since the foundation began in 1995, about 700 amputees a year obtain the care that has enabled them to move forward with their lives.
There were 1,285,000 persons in the U.S. living with the limb loss (excluding fingers and toes) in 1996. The prevalence rate in 1996 was 4.9 per 1,000 persons. The incidence rate was 46.2 per 100,000 persons with dysvascular disease, 5.86 per 100,000 persons secondary to trauma, 0.35 per 100,000 secondary to malignancy of a bone or joint. The birth prevalence of congenital limb deficiency in 1996 was 25.64 per 100,000 live births. The prevalence rate is highest among people aged 65 years and older ~ 19.4 per 1,000.
For children, these risks are often harder than losing a limb in the later stages of life. They risk “not fitting in”, or being “different” at a young age, this can lead to great depression and isolation. By being given a prosthetic and proper therapy, they are empowered to overcome these issues and learn to run, jump, hit a ball or ride a bike - to play as each child deserves to!
