Limbs of Love Helps Paralympic Hopeful

Limbs of Love is helping a young athlete realize her Olympic Dreams!

23 year old Daphne Hegreness didn't become a runner until after she lost her leg to cancer in 2008. Now this determined young lady is training to be part of Team USA for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Daphne had been training on a regular prosthetic because she and her young husband could not afford the tens of thousands of dollars needed for a racing prosthetic.

Limbs of Love heard about Daphne's story and stepped in to provide her with a Cheetah Flex Foot to helpher reach her goal. Within jsut ours on her new foot, Daphne shaved seconds off of her sprint time. To see more about her dreams and her remarkable journey click the link to the Houston Chronicle article below!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7290939.html

Harry Shaw Skydives at Last!

Veteran and Amputee Harry Shaw did something he has waited to do for 27 years - he jumped out of an airplane, again. The Army paratrooper lost his legs to friendly fire in Grenada in 1983, and since then he's been trying to find a way back to the sky.

In October of 2010, to mark the anniversary of the day he lost his legs, Harry got his wish.

The skydive was coordinated through Houston-based charity Limbs of Love, which helped Harry get his first prosthetic legs in decades just a few months before. To see more about Harry's story and see his jump click here!

Harry Shaw in the News!

Want to see some more footage of Harry Shaw? The check out the clips below! More footage coming soon....here's a little sneak peek!

Channel 2:



http://www.click2houston.com/video/23687676/

Channel 39:

He did it!

After spending the last 27 years in a wheelchair, Harry Shaw took his first steps yesterday afternoon and KHOU was there to capture it on camera!

Watch as Harry takes his first steps on his new state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs made by our very own, Ben Falls:




Harry has made unbelievable progress in the last 48 hours, and we will be sure to keep you updated as he continues on this incredible journey!

Harry Shaw is back on his feet after 27 years wheelchair-bound!

The past few weeks you may have heard some chatter about a man by the name of “Harry Shaw” around the office—for those of you who haven’t heard about Mr. Shaw, let me tell you.

At the young age of 21, Mr. Shaw lost both of his legs during the Grenada invasion. Although his life was spared, he has spent the last 27 years of his life in a wheelchair, as he was not previously viewed as a prosthetic candidate and came to accept the fact that he would never walk again.
Well guess what? Today that all changes!

Earlier this month, Mr. Shaw traveled from Port Aransas, Texas to Houston in hopes of jumping alongside fellow veterans at the Airborne Amputees event.

The bad news? After traveling to Houston, Mr. Shaw was unable to jump due to the length of his residual limbs and lack of prosthetics.

The good news? He had the opportunity to meet our very own Ben Falls, who felt confident that he could fit Mr. Shaw with a full set of prostheses, allowing him to walk again.

Fast forward to today….and Mr. Shaw is back in Houston ready to be fit with his new prosthetics! Mr. Shaw spent yesterday with Ben and Robin up North, where he began the process of receiving new prosthetics, and will be back again today where Ben anticipates to have him up and walking by this afternoon—that means Mr. Shaw will be taking his FIRST STEPS IN 27 YEARS! Can you believe it?

Mr. Shaw will be at TAPC until tomorrow afternoon, before he returns back to his life in Port Aransas where he will continue his journey of learning to walk again on his own two feet.

The things he looks forward to most? Walking his daughters down the aisle, being able to get groceries of the high shelf without asking for help, wearing cowboy boots (like a true Texan!), dancing with his wife with whom he’s never danced before….and I’m sure jumping at next year’s Airborne Amputee Event, which is responsible for making this all possible!

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Limbs of Love Visits Great Day Houston

Want to start your day off right? Then tune into channel 11 and watch Great Day Houston with Debra Duncan—who knows, you may get lucky and see a few familiar faces!

Why you ask? Because in the past month, ten of our employees have served as guests on two different shows!

The first appearance took place just before the Airborne Amputees event, where Alicia, Erin, Jody, Robin, Yolanda, Charlotte, Ramona, Eric, Heather and Neely received their “30 seconds of fame” promoting Limbs of Love and the Airborne Amputee skydive!

The event was such a success that Great Day Houston invited us back for more, this time as a guest on a show honoring our veterans, where Ryan spoke about what we do as a company for the Wounded Warriors who have lost limbs in service to our country. Jody also attended as the founder of Airborne Amputees, sharing her personal experiences.

Although the show was taped today, it will be airing again for Memorial Day and again for a third time for their 4th of July segment—while your enjoying these two holidays off, grab a bowl of cereal, curl up on the couch, and start your morning with Debra Duncan and Limbs of Love!

Wounded Warriors Skydive to Prove that 'life is not over after amputation'

Although cloud cover may have stopped a few of us from jumping at the third annual Airborne Amputee skydive, it didn't stop a group of Wounded Warriors who had traveled from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, to serve as the guests of honor at the event. The Wounded Warriors made their jump the following day, and FOX 26 was there to witness it.

Today, Joe Sansone, founder of Limbs of Love, and Jody Graham, founder of Airborne Amputees, joined Melissa Wilson on the FOX 26 morning show to discuss the Limbs of Love program and it's unique skydiving fundraiser. While many people think we've lost our minds for bringing these American Heroes to Houston to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, it's clear from the clip above that there's nothing they would rather do more.

Students Walk for Limbs of Love

Some parents walked with their children, others cheered on from the sidelines, but they all had one thing in common: they were there to teach their children the value of giving and serving others.

On Saturday, May 8th a group of over 300 children and adults joined together for the G.I.V.E. Walk-a-thon, a joint venture between Sagemont Church and Stuchbery Elementary School. The group walked a three-mile route around Sagemont Church to raise money for Limbs of Love and to provide shoes for children in Kiberia, the largest slum in Africa.

The students ranged from Pre-K through 6th grade and were enthusiastic about raising money for children in need. The students were eager to learn about how prosthesis were made, the causes of amputation, the abilities of amputees, and some even shared stories of people they knew that were amputees. It was amazing to watch children who had already learned the answers to these questions share their new-found knowledge with other children who had just arrived at the event.

As these children left their comfort zones, and became educated on amputation and amputees, they quickly began to understand, and therefore accept the amputee community, realizing that amputees are just everyday people like you and me. One little girl who was proof of this newfound understanding among the group was an extremely shy six-year-old, who was unsure of how to approach the subject of “amputation.” She saw the picture of Limbs of Love recipient Cameron Crowder, who she said looked like one of her friends. After hearing Cameron’s story, the shy little girl quickly opened up, and even donated the dollar her mom gave her to get a treat at the concession stand, in hopes of Limbs of Love helping another girl like Cameron.

Events such as the G.I.V.E. Walk-a-thon are not only a wonderful opportunity to raise money for Limbs of Love, but give us a forum to expose and educate the public on the amputee community. Many thanks to Sagemont Church and Stuchbery Elementary for inviting Limbs of Love to take part in this enriching event!

Sure, we walk, we run; but have you ever heard of skydiving for charity?

We'll that's exactly what TAPC did last weekend at Airborne Amputees to raise money for Limbs of Love and prove that the sky’s the limit following amputation.

The thought of jumping out of a plane 14,000 feet in the air and plummeting to the earth at 120mph didn’t intimidate the over 150 amputees and 17 Wounded Warriors who signed up to jump for the cause.

While this was the third year Limbs of Love hosted the Airborne Amputee Skydive, this year’s event was unlike any they had ever hosted before. Between the barbeque, bands, moonwalks, P.T. Rehab Games, miniature horse rides, and even an Oreo cookie Dunk-off, the 130-acre airpark was transformed into a festival with fun to be had by all. “The primary purpose of the event is to allow amputees to prove to themselves and to the world once and for all that the sky is the limit following amputation,” said founder Joe Sansone.

The Wounded Warriors arrived at the venue enveloped by over a multitude of escorts stretching out for almost a mile that included motorcyclists, law enforcement and fire departments from around Texas, all organized by the Brazoria County Cavalry, to serve as the guests of honor. The military heroes, who had made the extreme sacrifice in losing limbs defending our country, were truly an inspiration to the estimated crowd of over 600 as they received several standing ovations throughout the day.

The event not only provided the experience of a lifetime for the Wounded Warriors as well other amputees, but also served as an exciting way to raise money for Limbs of Love, a charity that provides artificial limbs to amputees that cannot otherwise afford them. Two amputees including Aaron Acosta, who lost all four of his limbs after coming in contact with a live power wire, will receive prosthetics from Limbs of Love as a result of the event.

Unfortunately, due to overcast weather, the group was unable to jump on Saturday, but many of the amputees in attendance, including the 17 Wounded Warriors, returned on Sunday to make their jump to prove that life is not over after amputation. And from the look on the spectators’ faces as dozens of amputees touched down on the ground, the perception of abilities of amputees made a huge leap forward.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Airborne Amputees moved to 5/1/10

I'm sad to report that the 3rd annual Airborne Amputee skydive hosted by Limbs of Love was postponed due to inclement weather....however; the good news is the event has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 1st and according to the weather man it's going to be a BEAUTIFUL day!

It was a tough decision on whether or not we should put the brakes on all of our hard work, however we are extremely grateful to have an incredible team of volunteers, sponsors and vendors who have altered their plans to ensure the event is everything it was going to be (and more!) on May 1st!

We have an amazing day in store for our Wounded Warriors and the amputee community, and we hope you can all join us for a day full of music, friends, food and fun as over 150 amputees leap out of a plane at 16,000 feet to prove that life goes on after amputation!

Need more information on the event? Check out http://www.airborneamputee.com/ The event is free of charge so be sure to come enjoy the day with us!

Skydiving is free for amputees and $150 for non-amputees. Sign-up today!

We hope to see you there!

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It's Oreo Cookie Dunk-Off time!

In preparation for the DARS Oreo Cookie Dunk-Off on Saturday, TMC held a "Dunk-Off" of their own! With six teams competing, each hoping to win $50 towards their teams raffle ticket sales, the competition got intense.

The final two teams were Sales, representented by Eric Chiboroski, Mike Scholotzhauer and Ryan Fisher, and Aggies 4 Amputees, represented by Garrett Scanlan, Alex Drake and Josh Barnett.

The Sales Reps put up a good fight, but they were no match for Aggies 4 Amputees!

Don't miss the official Oreo Cookie Dunk-Off between DARS offices at the 3rd Annual Airborne Amputee Skydive next Saturday, April 17th! DARS offices won't ben the only ones competing; rehab facilities will be competiing in the Rehab Games to display their rehab skills and fight for the title of the Best Rehab Facility in Houston!

These are two competitions you won't want to miss; it's sure to be a great show! So bring your friends and family (we will have miniature horse rides, live music, BBQ, moonwalks and more) so there is sure to be fun for all! View the complete schedule of events here.

Airborne Amputees is sure to be the TMC event of the year; we hope to see you there!

Don’t Miss Airborne Amputees 2010!

The 3rd annual Airborne Amputee Skydive is quickly approaching and it is an event that you don't want to miss! The event is open to the entire community and we have some great things in store!

AIRBORNE AMPUTEE EVENT SCHEDULE

APRIL 17, 2010

9:00 AM: Opening Ceremonies

9:00 AM: DJ Mike Kuvet, Hi Fidelity Mobile DJ Service

10:00 AM: Amputee celebrity speaker Todd Huston

10:30 AM: Wounded Warriors Jump

10:30 AM: Blue's Brothers Tribute Band

11:00 AM: Commemorative Air Force Flyover

12:00 PM: Lunch provided by In-Laws and Outlaws Barbeque

12:30 PM: Rehab Games

1:00 PM: Live music by "The Keepers"

1:30 PM: DARS Oreo Cookie Dunk-Off

5:00 PM: Thanks, see you next year!

Be sure to check out the Airborne Amputee website for more information (and to enter to win a 47" Plasma HDTV!)

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NEW LOCATION OPENING IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON!

Come visit us at our new location in Southwest Houston! We are especially excited about this location because it is truly the orthotic and prosthetic office of the future. Its features include a scanning room utilizing laser CAD/CAM technology, which eliminates the need for casting and gives patients a more precise fit allowing our practitioners to better care for our patients.

The facility is designed to provide our patients with a pleasurable experience from the moment they walk through the door. The waiting room looks more like a local coffee house than a medical office, complete with two large screen TVs, a lounge area and a coffee bar, allowing patients to relax as they wait for their appointments. Patients will then be seen in a comfortable living room style setting to review their orthotic and prosthetic options.

The office not only offers comfort, but convenience. The entire facility is wired for Wi-Fi and is entirely paperless--meaning no more forms!

A special thanks goes to all those employees that helped us move, your devotion is greatly appreciated!

Joe is going to Haiti!

On Saturday, February 27th our very own Joe Sansone will be traveling to Haiti to make preparations for the early summer, when he will again return to Haiti with a team of TAPC prosthetists to fit limbs on amputee earthquake victims.

Although Limbs of Love primarily works with amputees in need across Texas and the U.S., it is time for us to broaden our horizons and reach out to those that need us most.

With the number of amputees growing by the day, and little to no prosthetic care available, the future looks grim for the new generation of amputees created by the recent earthquake. TMC and Limbs of Love are committed to giving a few of these survivors a new lease on life and a chance for a brighter future.

This week, the Houston Business Journal featured a front page story on our efforts in Haiti. We should all be proud to be part of an organization that changes so many lives for the better.

Special deliveries to Haiti (Ford Gunter, Houston Business Journal)

While Haiti continues to receive countless donations of money and man-hours from corporations and individuals, two Houston companies are contributing something quite unique.
Air Liquide USA LLC, the American wing of Paris-based Air Liquide SA, has assembled and mobilized two portable filling systems for medical oxygen, a critical necessity in short supply in the earthquake-ravaged nation.
TMC Orthopedic LLC, the largest orthopedic company in Texas, is organizing an effort to provide prosthetic limbs for thousands of amputees. Read more....

Limbs of Love Patients Revisted--TONIGHT on CH.45 @ 10PM

During the Thanksgiving Holidays, Univision documented the lives of three amputees, who, despite missing their limbs, were grateful for the lives they had been blessed with. We watched these three amputees struggle performing simple daily activities that most people take for granted due to the lack of or ill-fitting prosthetic devices.








Tonight and tomorrow at 10:00pm, Univision will be revisiting these three amputees’ stories, showing how their lives have been changed for the better through the donation of prosthetic devices from Limbs of Love.

Wounded Warriors Guest of Honor at 3rd Annual Amputee Skydive

I just returned from a visit at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical base in San Antonio where I went to invite the Wounded Warriors that had lost their limbs in their service to our country to be the guests of honor at the 3rd Annual Airborne Amputee Jump.

Upon arriving there was a group of 15 or so Wounded Warrior amputees participating in a game of sitting volleyball—a sport played just like the standing game except for a lower net, smaller court and sitting players. Just watching these guys play this game was a true testament to the spirit and fortitude of our Wounded Warriors.

As I approached the group of young men, primarily in their early 20s, I noticed that they were all missing limbs—some missing one leg, some missing both, and others missing an arm. After a few moments in their presence, surrounded by competitive jeers and trash talking, I quickly forgot that these athletes were amputees or even Wounded Warriors. They were just a group of competitive guys playing a so called “meaningless” game of volleyball. I couldn’t imagine a different atmosphere in the locker room at half time during a NFL Super Bowl Game.

These guys have given their limbs for our country and they will be forced to live the rest of their lives as an amputee. But you’d never know it in their attitude. It is fitting that we do what we can to ease their pain and aid in their rehabilitation. Entertaining them and allowing them to go out of town with their families will be a well deserved break for them. Jumping our of an airplane will allow these guys to make a statement to the world that life as an amputee is OK and they are capable of doing incredible feats.


I am invigorated after watching these guys. The hard work that you put into the upcoming months with likely affect these American heroes for the rest of their lives—some will leave with unforgettable memories and for others, it will be a truly life-changing event that will give them the confidence to live the life they always dreamed of, despite the cards they have been dealt. It is an honor to have these young men join us for this event, and I want to thank you again for helping Limbs of Love give back to those that have sacrificed so much for all of us.

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For more information on Airborne Amputees, please visit http://www.airborneamputee.com/ or email mbonham@tmcortho.com

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Limbs of Love to provide care to Haiti earthquake victims

In the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake, TAPC and Limbs of Love are reaching out to the over 200,000 earthquake victims who have suffered the loss of a limb in this tragedy. We are busy gathering hundreds of prosthetic components and planning a mission trip to fit those in need with limbs in the upcoming months. For those of you who missed the news coverage last week, be sure to check out the stories below:

The Spring Observer

ABC

KHOU


ABC



FOX

HOUSTON COMPANY TO PROVIDE PROSHTETIC CARE TO HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

In the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake, the Amputee & Prosthetic Center (TAPC) in Houston, TX is reaching out to earthquake victims who have suffered the loss of a limb in this tragedy. The Houston company and the charity Limbs of Love are sending hundreds of prosthetic components and supplies as well as volunteering its prosthetic professionals to fit limbs on Haitian amputees in the upcoming months.

Unfortunately, due to the circumstances and lack of immediate aid, medical care has returned to that of the Civil War era. The large volume of crush injuries and fractures are oftentimes accompanied by open wounds. Lacking medical supplies and antibiotics, medical teams are forced to resort to 19th century medicine, leaving their patients with an unfortunate choice—amputation or death.

In a developing country such as Haiti, survival is difficult, and even more so for amputees. The Amputee & Prosthetic Center is committed to providing ongoing prosthetic care to amputees in hopes of giving victims a second chance.

To make donations to help provide limbs to Haitian amputees, please visit our website at http://www.myamputee.com/ or http://www.limbsoflove.com/

METAL & MUSCLE EXPO PROVIDES FUN FOR ALL

Despite the less than favorable weather Saturday, TAPC patients and employees found entertainment indoors at the Metal & Muscle Expo. The Expo introduced our wounded service men and women as well as the general public to Paralympic sports including sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, air gun shooting and judo for the blind. The event also featured activities such as a challenge slalom course, power soccer, amputee walking/running clinic, and much more.

TAPC patients and employees had a blast as they challenged themselves in various activities—the most popular being rock climbing. Also in attendance were a group of Wounded Warriors from Brook Army Medical Center who are looking forward to joining us as the guests of honor at our Airborne Amputee Skydive April 17th!

The event proved to be a great success and a big “Thank You” goes out to all our wonderful volunteers—for those of you unable to make it be sure to check out the pictures on the TAPC website (and mark your calendars for next year!!)