There are so many nonprofits doing good work on behalf of amputees that it seems impossible to keep track of them all. But we’re going to try anyway. Every week we’ll highlight one organization or person that’s out there trying to make life better for amputees. This week’s Worthy Cause: The Heather Abbott Foundation.
Name: Heather Abbott Foundation
Founder: Abbott elected to amputate her left leg below the knee after sustaining major injuries in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The encouragement she received from amputee peer counselors, both before and after amputation, inspired her to become an Amputee Coalition Certified Peer Counselor herself. And the outpouring of support she received from complete strangers who’d followed her story in the media set Abbott on the path of greater service. She established the foundation in 2014 to help amputees rebuild their confidence, reclaim their lives, and move forward.
What they do: Help amputees obtain specialized prosthetic devices that promote both physical and emotional healing.
Who they serve: So far the foundation has funded than 50 amputees from coast to coast, ranging in age from 5 to 58.
In Heather’s own words: “There are many more good people in this world than there are bad. Two people did this [bombing], but so many more wanted to help, and that was amazing to me. . . . . There were a lot of people out there that couldn’t do the activities they wanted to do, look the way they wanted to look or just couldn’t afford a prosthetic at all because of the cost. So that’s why I started the foundation. Adversity is opportunity in disguise. I try to focus on positive ways that losing my leg has changed my life.”
Get involved: The foundation is actively seeking corporate sponsors to fund its activities. You can also support two special programs for young amputees, the camp scholarship program and the Krystle Kids Fund.
Make a donation: https://heatherabbottfoundation.org/donate/
Connect with the Heather Abbott Foundation: On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Other Worthy Causes:
LN4 Hand Project
Abled Amputees Foundation
Range of Motion Project
Right to Walk Foundation
Steps of Faith Foundation
Born to Run Foundation
Move for Jenn Foundation
Jordan Thomas Foundation
Limbitless Solutions
Forrest Stump
Penta Prosthetics
Ayúdame3D
Less Leg More Heart
Looking for the Helpers (July/August 2020 issue of Amplitude)