A Letter of Endorsement from the Prime Minister
We were privileged to receive this moving endorsement from the Prime Minister following the sad death of his father last year.
General News
PLEASE HELP – LAST CHANCE!!: Traumatic Amputees needed to help with Research
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO HELP DAVID GLADWELL WITH HIS RESEARCH SO IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP HIM WITH HIS IMPORTANT STUDY HE’D BE DELIGHTED TO HEAR FROM YOU. David Gladwell, a retired lawyer and a BACP qualified counsellor, is currently doing an MSc in counselling. He is looking to [...]
Tracey Jones's amazing return to dancing following amputation
This is Tracey’s own story about her terrible accident, subsequent amputation and eventual return to fitness and well-being through her love of dance. Tracey’s courage is amazing and an inspiration to all. We are very grateful to Tracey for allowing us to publish her story on the Website and wish her the best of luck [...]
Little guy has a huge heart and embodies Christmas spirit
By Brian M. Boyce The Tribune-Star BLOOMFIELD — Deep within a body full of scars, the spirit of Christmas beats in “B.J. Claus.” The youthful Santa recently spearheaded a Christmas gift drive on behalf of Riley Hospital for Children. “And I want to do it every year,” B.J. Yoho said. For the 7-year-old Bloomfield boy [...]
'I turned my family's life upside down'
By CRYSTAL CHAN IT’S A typical evening and the family of four sit at their table, having dinner. Three have cutlery in their hands. Only one, in a wheelchair, eats with cutlery stuck to her magnetic hand gloves. Such moments remind Madam Teo Siew Kim, 60, of what she has lost – both her hands [...]
Lord Nelson back at work 30 minutes after losing arm
Lord Horatio Nelson was giving orders 30 minutes after his arm was amputated, according to journals in the National Archive that illustrate the importance of medical skill in securing Britain’s naval might. A collection of 1,200 naval journals, not seen for 200 years, depicts the horror of life on board British fighting vessels in the [...]
Manuel de los Santos missed cut at St. Andrews
MANUEL DE LOS SANTOS MISSES CUT: ‘I AM NOT DISAPPOINTED, I HAVE HAD THE MOST FANTASTIC WEEK’ Manuel De Los Santos, who lost a leg in a car accident when he was 18, narrowly missed the cut in the Alfred Dunhill Links Team Championship at St Andrews. Playing with professional Richard Bland, the pair scored [...]
Pay-out over unnecessary leg amputation
By Emily Cook 12/10/2009 A woman whose leg was needlessly amputated has received a six-figure payout from the hospital trust responsible for the blunder. Doreen Nicholls, 72, was told a lump in her foot was cancerous and that her leg should be removed. But after the operation at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH), Birmingham, she [...]
Florida dancer doesn't let arm amputation affect her career goals
From the Pensacola News-Journal: Jessica Jensen dreams of dancing on Broadway. And the 25-year-old Pensacola resident is letting nothing, including the loss of her left hand to cancer, stand in her way. Leggy and slender, Jensen has the poise and grace of a professional dancer. When she moves across a stage using muscles honed by [...]
Amputee launches 500-mile event
Another fantastic effort by Olivia Giles of 500 Miles. The Douglas Bader Foundation wishes her (and all her fellow walkers) the best of luck in this great fund-raising endeavour for such a good cause. A quadruple amputee is urging people to take part in a charity walk to help raise money to buy artificial limbs [...]
Benefit claim amputee told 'wait and see if the leg gets better'
Aug 28 2009 by John Siddle, Southport Visiter A PARTIALLY-sighted woman with one leg was refused disability benefits…in case she “got better”. Diabetic Beryl Prescott, 57, had her leg amputated in January after suffering a gangrene infection, and applied for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from her hospital bed. Benefits bosses astonishingly told the former nurse [...]
Can you help? Have you been injured in an accident involving a FORK LIFT TRUCK?
AMPUTEE AMBASSADOR WANTED Did you know that there is more than one serious accident per day in the United Kingdom involving Fork Lift Trucks? Were you injured in one? If so, you could really make a difference. David McGuire is currently working on National Fork Lift Truck Safety Week, raising awareness of the dangers of [...]
3 years to go to start of London 2012 Paralympic Games
London 2012 Media Release 8/27/2009 Saturday 29th August represents exactly three years to go to the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) marked the milestone date by announcing the appointment of Chris Holmes MBE as its new Director of Paralympic Integration. [...]
New technology lets war vets with amputations get on with their lives
Comparing Scars Comments (1) Thursday, August 27, 2009 By Laura Bennett Photo Courtesy of The News Journal For Rob Kislow, getting shot was a kind of relief. He remembers a moment of otherworldly calm as the percussive roar of gunfire and the voices of soldiers dissolved into white noise. He blinked back blood. He saw [...]
Amazing high speed robotic hand. The future of prosthetics…
Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s Ishikawa Komuro Laboratory have developed a robotic arm and sensor system that is capable of performing some amazing sleight of hand tricks. Using a high speed tracking camera and tactile sensors on the fingers, the robot does millisecond bouncing of ping pong balls, pen spinning, and even throwing and [...]
2009 Amputee Games
On the weekend of the 22nd/23rd August, 75 amputees and ambulant disabled took part in the 2009 Amputee Games. Kiera Roche has sent us this report on the Games which, according to all concerned, were another resounding success. Plans are already under way for 2010 and we will be publishing information as it comes in [...]
Doctors in Helmand face appalling sights in battle to save soldiers' lives
One platoon commander said of the combat medics: ‘They do brilliant work. You can’t pay people enough to do their job’ Anthony Loyd in Sangin Japhet Joel has a story to tell, but he does not tell it, not really: it is others who fill in the gaps. You cannot blame him for his reticence. [...]
That Obama speech….
19 August Response To The President on Surgical Costs of Foot Surgery ACFAS Responds to President on Surgical Costs The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) has joined the American College of Surgeons by writing to President Obama about his recent comments on the appropriateness and cost of surgical procedures, particularly the cost [...]
Artist Michael Amante Salutes Veterans With Music
Friday, 21 August 2009 00:00 Capturing in song the spirit of American patriotism, world-renowned performer Michael Amante of Floral Park has released Amante Salutes America. The album includes Michael’s a cappella versions of The Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America, which he sings at Citifield for the New York Mets and numerous other sporting events. [...]
Public asked to rally one last time for NN man
Tamara Dietrich 9:58 PM EDT, August 20, 2009 Last summer, this community rallied to help a man who’d undergone multiple amputations because of a rare condition first diagnosed when he was 14. That’s when he had his first amputation — a toe. Over the next 20 years, William Allen Honeycutt would lose a leg, half [...]
Why a seafood diet could be bad for your health…
PANAMA CITY, Fla., Aug. 20 (UPI) — An Ohio man lost both his legs after contracting an infection from eating oysters while on a wedding trip to Florida. Darrell Dishon, 40, of Lebanon planned to marry Nicole Copas in Florida, the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News reported. But he got sick several days before the ceremony. [...]
Ken Green determined to become first professional amputee golfer
By Chris Elsberry Staff writer Updated: 08/20/2009 12:45:14 AM EDT His first steps weren’t cautious, they were taken with confidence.His first exercises weren’t exhausting, they were exhilarating. So much so, that when the patient wanted to do more, the therapist agreed. At the end of the first day with his new prosthetic, Ken Green felt like [...]
Hero Ben gets a hand from Harry
PRINCE Harry is supporting his wounded hero Ben McBean’s fight for a fair compensation deal, the Royal Marine revealed today. Double amputee Ben, 22, told of his royal backing as he launched a landmark bid against the MoD. As The Sun revealed last week, officials have refused to pay out for more than 100 wounds [...]
Paralympic Talent Search Comes To London
Are you disabled? Are you sporty? If so, do you fancy a go at seeing if you’ve got what it takes to compete internationally and bring home the medals in 3 Years Time? ParalympicsGB, the UK’s team that will represent us at the Paralympic Games in London 2012, is currently scouting for talent. It’s 3 [...]
New Modeling Agency Goes Out On A Limb
Posted by: Simcha Whitehill 1:30PM, Monday August 17th 2009 Hello gorgeous! There’s a new group of models strutting their way down the internet catwalk. While most of us tremble at the strict standards for high fashion models, these gals won’t let a missing limb stop them from booking a professional photo shoot. They are bad [...]
Somali refugee runs marathons with competitive times
Abdi Dhuhulow can run a marathon in just over three hours – an impressive feat by most standards. But what makes the 28-year-old’s achievement even more special is that he has only one leg. The Somali refugee had to have his other leg amputated below the knee after being shot in the civil war. “In [...]
Golf helping to put lives on course (USA)
By MIKE CULLITY New Hampshire Union Leader 6 hours, 57 minutes ago A former college golfer who contemplated turning pro before choosing a ministry career, Kevin Valentine lost part of his left leg and sustained significant damage to his right one after being hit by a car in 1997. On Tuesday, he will be one [...]
The strange story of Lilly, the no-longer-5-legged puppy
Just when we think the story of a once-five-legged puppy named Lilly can’t possibly get any stranger, it does. When Lilly, a tan Chihuahua mix, was born in the North Carolina town of Gastonia, then-owner Calvin Owensby says his veterinarian recommended euthanizing her immediately because of her deformity. Owensby refused, and an anonymous donor offered to [...]
Ouch!
Pocket-knife amputation Photo: INLSA August 07, 2009 Edition 1 A man’s right leg had to be amputated with a pocket-knife after he became trapped under a harvester on a farm in the Free State, paramedics said yesterday. “Quick action by a local doctor and paramedics probably saved a 22-year-old man’s life this afternoon after his [...]
Summer camps now cater to kids with different disabilities
From ABC News. For millions of kids each summer, camp is a chance to cut loose, meet new friends and hone new skills in the great outdoors. But for children with special needs, whether it’s a physical disability or a developmental disorder, traditional summer camps can pose a whole host of challenges. “Summer camp is [...]
Amputee Soldier tells of feeling "abandoned"
By Simon Wright 2/08/2009 Sas hero Stuart Trow had his left leg amputated after being shot by the Taliban during a bloody 24-hour battle in Helmand Province. The brave dad-of-two, 33, was cut down by bullets while storming an al-Qaeda hide-out – ending the career he loved and heralding an eightyear nightmare which he admits [...]
Shock figures on soldier amputations in Afghan conflict
EXCLUSIVE by Tom McTague 2/08/2009 Figures released to the Sunday Mirror show 51 Brit soldiers have lost limbs in the Afghan conflict. They are the British soldiers who survived the Taliban bombs, but still paid a terrible price. According to figures released to the Sunday Mirror, 51 young Britons have lost limbs fighting the war on [...]
Military amputees overcome adversity to challenge for Fastnet Race
Eighteen veterans who have lost limbs are taking part in races to qualify for the Fastnet Race Deborah Haynes, Defence Correspondent Two years and several operations after Lance Corporal Jonathan Lee lost his leg when a bomb blast threw him 50 metres into a minefield in Afghanistan, he plans to take part in the Fastnet [...]
Winnipeg activist Ternette's legs amputated
Nick Ternette, seen in a file image below, is angry about the amputation of his legs but learning to accept it, his wife says. (CBC)Well-known Winnipeg activist Nick Ternette was in intensive care on Thursday after both his legs were amputated due to a massive infection. Ternette, 64, was admitted to the Health Sciences Centre [...]
Amputee John VanSanden doesn't know the word "quit"
WHITEHALL — Kayak racing is a bit like life. That is, you’re never really sure how hard it can get until you spend a little time heading up stream. Whitehall’s John VanSanden has learned that lesson in spades, not only inside a kayak — where he recently finished fourth out of 40 participants, seconds out [...]
Airman fights for job after surgery mishap
By Michael Hoffman – Staff writer Posted : Monday Jul 27, 2009 15:40:44 EDT Airman 1st Class Colton Read looked up from his hospital bed into the face of his wife. A tube down his throat kept him from talking. Fighting back tears, Jessica Read told her 20-year-old husband that doctors had amputated his right [...]
Arm transplant patient waits to toast success with a beer
BERLIN — The world’s only recipient of two full arms in a landmark transplant operation said on Wednesday he expected to soon be able to toast the success of the procedure with a good Bavarian beer. Karl Merk, a dairy farmer from the southern German city of Munich, lost both arms in an accident involving [...]
New limbs for quadruple amputee Harley Slack
(What a shame that it should be down to fund-raising to provide the money for prosthetics that should surely be available through the NHS. These prosthetics are, after all, required as the direct result of an illness that Harley was unlucky enough to contract in the first place. It seems to be adding insult to [...]
Amputee wins £1m in hospital damages
by CRAIG ROBINSON Last updated: 30/06/2009 06:00:00 A WOMAN who lost her leg in what should have been a routine knee operation has won more than £1million in compensation. Karen Flory has been left significantly disabled and continues to experience pain in the affected leg as well as phantom limb pains. Ipswich Hospital admitted responsibility [...]
Oscar Pistorius-Previously confidential study results released
Critical new data disclosed Dallas, TX (June 29, 2009) A team of experts in biomechanics and physiology that conducted experiments on Oscar Pistorius, the South African bilateral amputee track athlete, have just published their findings in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Some of their previously confidential findings were presented to the Court of Arbitration for [...]
The Glidecycle
I’ve been contacted by Jan Harrell about the above invention. We have featured it before as a News item but feel that it is such a wonderful mobility device that it deserved more coverage. Here is an introduction and some background information about it after which you can click on the Website link if you’d [...]
"Quintessentially English" – Art exhibition will raise funds for DBF
Wendy (aka, sometimes unintentionally, Admin!), is participating in an art exhibition called “Quintessentially English” at the Angel Inn, Upton Scudamore, near Warminster. Press release below: “QUINTESSENTIALLY ENGLISH” Exhibition runs from 17th May – 17th August Private View 16th May Part of the Wylye Valley Art Trail Close your eyes and think of England…What do you [...]
Inaugural Amputee Games
On 13th June 2008, amputees met at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Hants to take part in the inaugural Amputee Games. 12 teams of eight amputees and two healthcare professionals participated in 13 Paralympic sports over two days to win the trophy and experience the benefits of participation in sport. The Games will give primary amputees [...]
The Inaugural Amputee Games
INAUGURAL AMPUTEE GAMES 13th – 14th June 2008 The brainchild of David Hilton and Kiera Roche (Event Director of the Douglas Bader Foundation), the Inaugural Amputee Games was held in June and proved to be an enormous success. David, who lost his leg (above knee) in 1974 is also paralysed from the waist down and [...]
Pace opens in South
PACE Rehabilitation is opening a clinic in the South to meet the growing demand for its services. The leading multi-disciplinary rehabilitation clinic, which has been assessing and treating patients from across the UK and Europe at its centre in Manchester for the past five years is opening a new clinic in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. Experts in [...]
