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Amplify Stories

These articles are featured in Amputee Coalition’s Amplify story campaign, an initiative to help people with limb loss and limb difference use their collective voice to bring attention to the issues so many face with their insurance providers.

Delano Wegener

Delano Wegener

My name is Delano (Del) Wegener. I am a bilateral above-knee amputee. I would like to describe my experience of living with limb loss.

Crystal Gibt

Crystal Gibt

The doctor said amniotic band syndrome was the cause for me to be born with only one arm. When I was a fetus, my arm was tangled in fibrous strings called amniotic bands inside the womb.

Dema Amein

Dema Amein

I was an active girl. I got second place in a running contest, and I went to another city and got first place. I challenged myself to run about one hour from my house to the cemetery to visit my father. Then the war started.

Ron Witkowski

Ron Witkowski

In 2016 I began living life as an amputee. At first, I thought the devil tried to turn it into a setback, but God said, “Oh no you don’t, it’s a setup.” I began to live life differently, feeling blessed that I could do life’s endeavors but in a different way.

Sydney Learning

Sydney Learning

My name is Sydney Learning. At age 15, I lost my left leg to a flesh-eating disease. Most girls at that age spend time picking out new shoes and accessories to match their outfits.

Jenny Deatherage

Jenny Deatherage

My name is Jenny, and I am a 45-year-old wife and mother. In June 2017 I was admitted to the hospital because I had lost circulation in my left foot.

Catherine Uhles

Catherine Uhles

I have been a left below-knee amputee for six and a half years. I have extra skin on the underside of my residual limb, which has caused multiple problems with fits on all of my various prostheses. The last several suction prostheses would not keep suction because of this.

Riley Toll

Riley Toll

I just wanted to share what happens when you speak up for what you believe in.

Jodi Centers

Jodi Centers

My name is Jodi and I recently underwent surgery for bilateral amputations below the knee. I lost my right leg in January and then, without warning, lost my left leg as well.

Heidi Temple

Heidi Temple

Hello, my name is Heidi. For three years my surgeon and I tried multiple surgeries to save my right leg. Due to constant infections, I was faced with amputation. I had a below-knee amputation on December 3, 2018.

Christina Macillus

Christina Macillus

My life suddenly changed forever on November 11, 2016. I was a passenger on the back of a Harley. We were struck head-on. I got the worst of it, with 26 broken bones, five compound fractures in both legs, and missing bone in my left leg.

Bayley Yates

Bayley Yates

Before I was born, my parents knew something was wrong. The doctor thought I would have club foot. Not long after my birth we had moved from Arkansas to Colorado.