#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.
Navi Gonzalez
Due to the multiple health problems that the doctors anticipate that I will have over the years, I had surgery on June 12. I followed the recommendation of the specialists, and decided to amputate my right foot, it was an elective surgery. Since I was 4 years old,...
Anne Luggya
My name is Anne Gladys Luggya; I am from Uganda, and I am a medical doctor. During my senior residency training in obstetrics and gynecology, I suffered a near-death accident experience in March 2022 and sustained a compound fracture of my right leg, which also...
Leslie Drake
Miracle Birth I was born 1lb 15oz and very sick with many birth defects and the least of my issues was not having a tibia bone. At the age of 2 my mom made the decision to my amputation and learned how to take my first steps with my prosthesis. Since taking my first...
Anne Wieland
LIGHT UP ORANGE. Jefferson Moss Magee Rehab sought permission to have one of the large buildings in Center City Philadelphia orange on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. MossRehab amputation team went down and stood on the roof top and took pictures.
Gloria Letona
LETZGLOWBRITE. Four years and four months into my journey adapting as a Quadruple amputee. Without the support of my loved ones, motivating me and encouraging me to listen to my body.
Shannon Allen
SURVIVOR OF SORTS! :). Obstacles are opportunities for growth and perseverance! In 2007 I tried to take my life by chainsaw cutting my left hand off full of chemicals, no hope and begging to die thankfully I was sparred! I struggled an additional 14 years with...
Lance Colie
CHANGED, BUT NOT DIMINISHED. April 15, 2024 - It was a sunny day in August, 2006 when I discovered a sizeable lump in my upper left thigh, along my groin. I was 50 years old. Biopsy surgery in late November revealed a rare Liposarcoma (cancer), stage 3. I then...
Mitchell Lee Kantor
A LONG JOURNEY. My name is Molly Kantor. I’m the daughter of an amputee. My father Mitchell Lee Kantor became an amputee on October 3, 2023. He lost his right leg due to sepsis and infection and also diabetes. He’s in the middle of waiting to hear about virtual visits...
Rachel Handler
THRIVING WITH EVEN MORE TO GIVE. Happy limb loss/limb difference awareness month! I’m so proud to be part of this resilient community. The day of my accident was the worst day of my life, but losing my leg was not the worst thing to happen to me. The worst thing is...
Scott Martin
SOCCER RATS. At the age of 12 and playing Little League baseball, our coach invited a friend and former major league baseball player to one of our practices. In the days leading up to the player’s arrival, our coach only told us that the man had played in the outfield...
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...