On Easter Sunday, 2009, a roadside bomb exploded under the vehicle  Army Specialist Brendan Marrocco was driving in Iraq.  He was rushed to the trauma center at nearby Camp Speicher, where surgeons found both his arms and one leg had been sheared off by the explosion (the other leg was hanging by a thread and had to be amputated as well) and his carotid artery was severed.  Doctors were stunned that he had survived these injuries.  In the year since the accident, Brendan has been working tirelessly on his rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center, where he is an inspiration to other wounded soldiers, including the another quadruple amputee, the second (after Specialist Marrocco) of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

Specialist Marrocco can now walk for short periods, type and text.  He uses a myelectric arm for his left arm, and a body pressure hook for his right arm.  He is waiting for a double arm transplant, which will greatly improve his quality of life.  There are several charities in his home town which are hoping to build him a wheelchair accessible home.  For the complete NYTimes article about Specialist Marrocco, click here.

The Given Limb Foundation recently provided a grant to a young man who lost an arm.  He had begun training with Team River Runner, an organization that helps wounded warriors regain their strength and confidence through whitewater boating and other paddling sports.  Carl was planning to join the group this summer on a canoe trip through the Grand Canyon, and needed to train for the trip.  GLF provided him with a TRS hammerhead device, which allows his prosthetic arm to connect easily to the oars so he can paddle the boat.

We are grateful to Team River Runner and to Dana Alexander for making us aware of this opportunity, and for all they do to help our wounded warriors!

The New York Times reports that anywhere between 2000-8000 people have lost limbs as a result of the tragic earthquake in Haiti.  And many more who have complicated fractures could be facing amputations in their injuries do not heal properly.  Right now, with limited resources and no prosthetics factories in Haiti, new amputees are being discharged, once their wounds have healed, and sent home without prosthetics, wheelchairs, crutches or other devices to help them cope with day-to-day life. 

Handicap International, a French organization, along with CBM, a Germany-based Christian disability group and the Haitian government, has been coordinating the postdisaster rehabilitation effort with about five dozen therapists, nurses, technicians and community workers.  They have been providing postsurgical care and physical therapy at 12 hospitals, and is in the process of  setting up a prosthetics workshop.

For the complet NYTimes article, click here.

We have received numerous questions about how to go about donating used prosthetic limbs.  Thanks to Glenn Standage, who informed us that the Amputee Coalition of America lists on its website several organizations that accept these donations.  We refer interested donors to the ACA webpage.  Click here for a link.

Sean Cumings

The Given Limb Foundation is pleased to announce the Sean Michael Cumings Camp Scholarship.  The scholarship will enable two children to attend the Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp run by the Amputee Coalition of America during the summer of 2010.

Sean Cumings was an amazing young man from Westbrook, CT, who lost his life last year at the age of 24.  Sean lived his short life as a reflection of who he was: genuine, friendly, funny, and full of love. One warm handshake from Sean with his beautiful smile and you knew you met a new friend.  Sean was passionate about his workouts and his chiseled body was like a work of art.  Sean also loved to fish with his brother Alex and his Uncle Brian, do silly impressions and joke with his best friend Mat, laugh and love with his girlfriend Abbey, bug his Dad to use his car, hug and tease his Mom, and play with his do, Shay. His brother, Alex, will always look up to his big brother Sean. Sean was a student at Southern Connecticut State University completing his last year in sociology and criminal justice.  Sean also leaves behind a lifetime of friends too numerous to mention, because everyone Sean met became his friend.  Sean’s parents, Laura and Peter, noted Sean’s love of children in asking Given Limb to find a fitting tribute for donations made in Sean’s name.

Camper at ACA's Paddy Rossbach Camp for children with limb difference, photo courtesy of ACA

The Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp fit the goal perfectly in that it offers a traditional camp experience to children ages 10-17 who have lost arms or legs or were born with limb difference.  Since its beginning in 2000, the camp has hosted more than 450 campers from 42 states and three countries.  Attendance at the camp is made possible without cost to the campers and many of the counselors are former campers who volunteer their time.

We extend our thanks to Sean’s many family and friends for making these scholarships possible. Their loss will be transformed into lifetime gains for many children whose confidence and abilities will be expanded by the camp experience.

Anyone interested in making a donation to the fund may do so by clicking here to be directed to the “Donate” page, and by specifying that the contribution is for the Sean Cumings Memorial Scholarship.

Where is the best VA facility for prosthetics? Last year, 12,775 individuals were treated at the prosthetics department of the Buffalo VA and this year they received the award. The award was presented November 9 to coincide with National Prosthetics Day.  To further improve overall services, the local VA is involved in some $16 million in upgrades at its facilities that include the psychiatric ward at the hospital, said Evangeline Conley, VA spokeswoman.

Benjamin French, a 12-year-old boy from Michigan, was born without his right arm below the elbow. He has had several prostheses fitted for him throughout his life and his insurance company now claims that he is ineligible for future coverage. In Michigan, insurance companies are allowed to place a cap on the amount of money spent on prosthetics throughout a lifetime. His policy with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan only covers a maximum of $30,000 for prosthetics and an additional $1,000 a year for repair. His recent prosthetic arm is set to cost $30,000 and he may grow out of that. His mother states that this new prosthetic will cost over half of the family’s combined income. Heath care reform bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate will push for a more uniform system of health care but it will still differ from state to state.

Jordan Thomas, who started a foundation after he lost both feet in a boating accident, will be on CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute on Thanksgiving night. As a Top 10 CNN Hero, Mr. Thomas will receive $25,000. If he becomes the CNN Hero Of The Year, he will receive an additional $10,000. Mr. Thomas was featured as a hero who took the accidental loss of his legs below the knee, and turned it into a great foundation to help other children receive the prosthetics that they need and can’t afford.  The foundation helps fund prosthetics for children who have lost limbs as a result of traumatic injury.  Each leg or arm may cost between $10,000 and $15,000.  Kudos to Mr. Thomas for turning a tragic experience into a “given limb” many times over!

US Army Sgt Rob Brown was injured in Iraq 3 years ago.  The avid athlete lost most of the function in his right leg, and was frustrated by the limitations of his leg, and his inability to participate in the athletic endeavors that had been such an important part of his life.  While at Walter Reed, he was offered the chance to learn to kayak, and quickly regained his passion for sports.  He eventually had his right leg amputated below the knee, and has worked hard to become a competitive runner once again. He was interviewed on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” by Bob Ley. See the full ESPN story here.

Six years ago at his home in war-torn Gaza, Sobhi, at the age of 9, was severely injured when a bomb landed on his family’s farm field where he was helping his parents work. Three days passed before Sobhi awoke to find himself in a hospital with only half a left leg. Weeks passed before he got out of bed and started a new life on crutches.

But in October, in a Federal Way clinic in the Seattle area, the Palestinian teen with a 100-watt smile stood on two feet again, thanks to a team of Seattle area residents who donated their time and money to bring him to Washington and get him a prosthetic leg.

How did it happen?  The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund knew that a group of people in Seatlle had helped raise funds following the attacks.  PCRF asked them to help with Sobhi.  In turn, help was provided by the Preferred Orthotics and Prosthetic Services in Federal Way founded by Fred Cato and Karl Entenmann, both graduates of the University of Washington’s Prosthetic program. Entenmann, a native of Seattle, said he and his team would make the socket to fit over Sobhi’s leg. He then called manufacturers to see if they could donate the other parts for free.

Now Sobhi is going to school in the Seattle area while he receives fittings and physical therapy….and says his prosthetic leg feels just like his real one did.  Kudos to the Seattle volunteers and professional prosthetists for making another “given limb” success story.