This is an incredible time for amputee awareness. It seems as if every time you turn on the TV there is another commercial featuring an amputee. This year’s Super Bowl commercials alone featured at least three athletes with bilateral amputations competing in activities including running, golfing, and downhill skiing. These are truly amazing accomplishments by people with immeasurable determination and perseverance.
These are the kind of stories we at United Prosthetics are fortunate to see firsthand every day. In the midst of all these stories one, in particular, surfaced this week after Linda, one of our kindest patients, sent us a video to simply keep us informed of her progress.
The video shows Linda proudly displaying her ability to use her new i-Limb Digits (prosthetic partial hand) to eat soup with a spoon. This is significant for Lynda because she has been experiencing progressive loss of ability in her opposite (dominant) hand for some time, and it is now to the point where she is unable to use it to perform most tasks. Instead of succumbing to the idea that she would soon be left with an immobile right hand, and a left hand that has been missing fingers since birth, she decided to explore a prosthetic option. This was a massive physical and mental undertaking for Lynda, but she met it with determination and a smile. She is winning.
You won’t see her story on a commercial, but for Linda being able to feed herself is every bit as much of an accomplishment as winning a Paralympic gold medal. So while we continue to support and contribute to the elevated public profile of amputees, we hope it is just the tip of the iceberg, because for every one adaptive athlete you see on TV there are thousands of Lindas who also need you to cheer them on.
