Limbs of Love Donates $250,000 in Artificial Limbs

By Elizabeth Hofheinz, MEd, MPH

February 26, 2007

Technology + caring = a new life. The Houston-based Amputee and Prosthetic Center has announced that it has established a new organization, Limbs of Love, which will provide assistance to amputee patients who are in need of prosthetics and have limited funds. To help make this a reality, medical professionals and manufacturers are donating their time, skills, and resources. The result is that up to 20 prosthetic limbs valued at more than $250,000 will be donated to those who have suffered the loss of a limb and previously have been turned away.

Joe Sansone, CEO of The Amputee and Prosthetic Center, had had enough of not being able to assist needy patients. Commented Sansone in the news release, “I just felt sick being forced to continually explain to patients that we were unable to assist them with the cost of a limb, and that they may never walk again. Through Limbs of Love, we can provide a new sense of confidence for amputee patients to move on with their lives. Health insurance will no longer be the determining factor in who will walk again, who will have a job, or who will be able to care for their family as a result of this organization.”

The first recipient of the new program will be David Reid, who is set to receive his limb on February 27 in Houston. In the news release, Reid said, “I’ve been literally crawling on my hands and knees in a trailer home too small for a wheelchair for two and a half years. I can’t work, and I can’t do anything I used to do. Before my amputation, I was so active. I used to love to hunt and fish, and really enjoyed dancing. But since this has happened … I’m just kind of here.”

Lacking insurance and unable to obtain a limb, Reid couldn’t obtain a loan without a job, and couldn’t get a job without a limb. Over the years, he approached several doctors and prosthetic companies, but was turned away due to the high costs associated with obtaining a limb. The day he entered The Amputee and Prosthetic Center in Houston, however, was his lucky day.