#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.
Jeff Keene II
HEY, FELLOW AMPS! I lost my foot in the line-of-duty fighting a fire in NY in 1989. Here is my story: “When the Other Boot Drops.” I pray it inspires those who need to triumph over their own traumatic tragedy or that of a loved one. About the book: Firefighters...
Frank Zingale
NEVER GIVE UP! On January 19th at 1am I went to hospital with calf pain in my right leg. I woke up on the 29th at noon with a right hip disarticulation caused by necrotizing fasciitis. On the 19th, 5 hours before I went to hospital my brother-in-law died in a...
Latracer Penick
ALL THE WAY UP. Hello, my name is Latracer Penick. I’m 27 years old and I have three beautiful children under the age of 10. I was born with one arm. I had a lot of challenges throughout my life but nothing can stop me. I’m going all the way up!
John Paffett
THE AGEING AMPUTEE. After publishing my autobiography titled ‘They Want To Amputate’ last year I have just had my second book published, titled ‘The Ageing Amputee’. This book is about all the ageing issues facing amputees as they progress into the senior years of...
Loretta McCoy
HOW I BECAME AN AMPUTEE. On May, 11,2015, I lost my leg due to a blood clot. The hospital wouldn’t help me because it was foot pain. After the second trip to that hospital, I decided to go to another. That is where I found out that I was 100% blocked in my femur...
Henry Bryant
THIS NEW LIFE ROCKS! At age 34 I lost my right leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident. Not only did I lose my leg, but I lost the person I was, my self-confidence, my mental state of mind and my emotions towards others and life. Through my process of getting back...
Celeste Campos
BE BRAVE, YOU ARE HERE FOR A REASON. On March 21st, 2024, I was rushed to the ER by my mom & best friend. Let me backtrack a little, In February of 2024 I underwent a simple outpatient procedure, fast forward 1 month full of pain in my legs, multiple doctor...
Robert Crockett
JOURNEY BACK TO FITNESS. When I first got my above knee amputation I thought my life was over. Fitness and sports have always been a major part of my life. At the age of three, I started taekwondo and received a black belt by twelve years old. I did years of boxing...
Tiffany Moreno
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. In May 2011 on a family holiday in Greece, I was pushing my baby in his pram when a car lost control and mounted the pavement and crashed into me dragging me up the road. I was crushed against a brick wall, losing consciousness and thought I was...
Kadijsa Markham
STAY TRUE TO YOU. Throughout all the obstacles that we face, we must overcome and preserve our own challenges and embrace new opportunities. I’m Kadijsa Markham and at the age of 27, I lost my arm in a traumatic car accident in 2021. My arm was lost on impact.
Ms. Hulyah MoShay
DELAYED BUT STILL DESTINED. Greetings Thrive (AC). I (Ms. MoShay) went on a family culture pow wow on December 27, 2022, and even though I was dressed for the event, I was also dressed for the winter season (so I thought). The temperature dropped down to 8° or -8°...
Kimmy Hough
OUR SWEET LITTLE GUY. My son just turned 8 years old and was born without his left hand, both feet and the tip of his tongue. There is no reason for it the doctors can figure out, you would never know any of that if you couldn’t see it. He has been in prosthetics...