10-year-old Logan Pieper is very active, participating in a variety of sports including sled hockey in his Minnesota hometown. Fortunately, his limb loss has never been the thing to slow him down. Logan was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency and fibular hemimelia on the left side, so he’s worn a prosthetic leg since he was 2 years old. With the help of Shriners Children’s Hospital, he was able to receive his prosthetic, but not everyone has the same story when trying to access the devices they need. This is why Logan and his family have been advocating for So Every BODY Can Move legislation in their state. Alex Malm covered the story for Southwest News Media.
Another advocate invested in change in their state and beyond is Aaron Holm, the founder of Wiggle Your Toes. In January 2007, Aaron was struck by a vehicle and became a bilateral above-knee amputee. Fortunately, his workers’ compensation took care of him, but he too realized his story wasn’t the norm for others in the community.
In 2023 Wiggle Your Toes and other advocates visited the Capitol during Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, and this visit sparked a conversation with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He urged Aaron to introduce a bill for their state to cover prosthetics for physical activity. Working toward seeing this legislation enacted is a powerful step towards enhanced quality of life for so many. “We’re going to be extremely happy [if insurance companies are required to cover it] because it’s going to allow people access to the products, the components that they need to live a fulfilling life, to get back to school, get back to work, get back to their families and contribute to society,” Aaron said.
Logan himself received a running blade from Wiggle Your Toes and it has enabled him to run around and be a kid. “This bill is important for me because I know most amputees aren’t as lucky as me and don’t have a running blade,” Logan said. “I want every person with a prosthetic to know what it’s like to run.”
Visit So Every BODY Can Move’s new website for the latest updates and follow the initiative on Instagram (@soeverybodycanmove).