#WeTHRIVE Stories
These articles are featured in Amputee Coalition’s #WeTHRIVE story campaign to help raise awareness of the resilience, strength, and courage that people living with limb loss and limb difference have to transform their ordinary into extraordinary.
Raphael Nassim
RAPHAEL NASSIM THE SUPERHERO. Something little I would like to share…. At our 21-week ultrasound, we were told that our little courageous warrior would have a limb difference. It will be to his right arm, this occurs in 1-100,000 pregnancies with no real diagnosis....
Niki Crandall
DETERMINATION. I had to have my left leg amputated above the knee due to Covid. My left knee became infected because of bacteria from having Covid. Leading up to the amputation I had 4 surgeries to try to remove the infection from my knee. I had to have a T-Pick line...
John Duarte
46 YEAR OLD BKA. I lost my right foot in a major vehicle collision. I wore my first prosthetic for 12 years. They had to remove the fractured plate and I had volume issues with the socket. I have a traditional socket with a mechanical vacuum pump suspension system. I...
David Coen
SNOWBOARDING. Lost my leg 8 years ago. Went back to snowboarding, skydiving, biking, and swimming. Started a support group and also volunteer for kids. I am only 77. There is much more. 🏂🏂🏂🏂
Donald Every
THRIVE FOR VICTORY. I am 61 years old. I have been an Occupational Therapy Assistant for 25 years. April is also Occupational Therapy Awareness Month. I am. both a COTA and an RBKA. I lost my right leg due to a blood clot. September 5, 2018. I still do OT work PRN....
Randy Bash
UPPER LIMB LOSS. Our son Randal lost his right arm in a motorcycle accident in December 2023. He was a truck driver. Randy also played many instruments. Now he sings for the band Rebel Shakedown. You can hear them on Instagram, Spotify, Facebook etc. God, music,...
Mary Terry
SEEING ME. Hi. My name is Mary. Being an Amputee means more to me now than in the past. I say that because I am a left trans-radial congenital amputee. Growing up, I hated school and hid my left arm as much as possible because of bullying. Everywhere that I went,...
Christopher Graziotto
GOD TOOK MY LEG TO GIVE ME A LIFE. Hi. I'm a soon-to-be amputee of 3 years. I would have never believed that losing my left leg below the knee would be the best thing that ever happened to me. At 17 I was in a terrible BMX accident that tore my left calf in half and...
Kiyahki Bivins
SEPSIS SURVIVOR. Kiyahki Bivins is a mother of three who has had to fight for her life. She said she spent three months in Piedmont Hospital after mysteriously contracting a flesh-eating bacterial infection. Eventually, the sickness caused her to lose limbs and...
Amanda Lopez
AMNIOTIC BAND SYNDROME. Hello. My name is Amanda Lopez. I am 33 and from Orlando, FL. I currently reside in Pasadena, TX. I was born with amniotic band syndrome. I am missing my right leg, and I have underdeveloped fingers and a clubfoot. I do everything like everyone...
Daniela Hernandez
STEP BY STEP. Hi there! I'm Daniela, a 34-year-old from Mexico, happily married with two wonderful kids. Two years ago, during a holiday in NYC, I experienced a life-changing accident. A taxi lost control and struck me while I was walking with friends on the sidewalk,...
Mary Grace Aclan
UNIQUE YET EMBRACED. For 19 years, I've been using a cosmetic foam cover on my prosthetic leg as my way of blending in and providing a sense of normalcy. It’s been a year since I made the decision to remove the foam and show off my bionic leg. There are both pros and...