About amputees

The need for prosthetic care is prevalent world-wide. Many individuals cannot afford proper healthcare needed for preventive care. A minor injury can become a major complication quickly, with amputations being the only way to save their life. Once an amputation has occurred to an individual, the ability to obtain prosthetic care often comes as a large obstacle with high cost and limited accessibility. Individuals with limb loss are often discarded as useless and are openly shunned. Amputees who are fortunate enough to receive a prosthesis are able to once again become whole again and gain the hope they have lost. They are often able to return to work or school which allows them to provide for their own care as well as that of their families.

Main causes of amputations

  • Without proper safety regulations, road and work accidents are a major cause for amputations.

    Depending on geographical location, venomous animals may also lead to amputations without proper treatment.

  • Without proper first aid and healthcare, wounds and injuries often lead to significant infections and amputation. What may be a minor incident can quickly escalate into a serious situation, leaving amputation surgery as a matter of sustaining life.

  • Vascular compromise due to diabetes and vascular disease is the leading cause for amputation globally. Without proper blood flow, simple nicks and cuts have a difficult time healing. These simple wounds over time lead to dangerous infections with amputations becoming the primary form to save someone’s life.

Impact of Amputations

  • Amputees are often looked down upon as disabled, incapable, and shunned in the community.

  • Amputees often lose their employment due inability to match the physical demands of the job and they compete for employment against able-bodied individuals. If they can’t work, they must beg and often survival becomes difficult.

  • Limb loss often leads to severe depression from feeling incomplete and inhuman. Founder Paul Sugg states, “I will never forget how one of my first amputee patients reacted when they tried out their first prosthesis. ‘I feel whole again!’, they exclaimed.” The change for these individuals is dramatic. They are able to regain their dignity and self-esteem.

 
 

Changing Lives

How do we counter this problem and make a difference in lives? It begins with an idea to change the world by empowering people. First, we partner with the right people. LevLegacy partners with prosthetic practitioners who have a heart and a passion for helping amputees. Next, the partnership moves to groups who are passionate about missions in various areas of the world. These groups often are concerned with other basic needs of a community like water, food, shelter, education, and medical care.