Did you know that April is Limb Loss Awareness Month? Limb Loss Awareness Month has been honored since 2010, and is a time to recognize those living with limb loss, supporting limb loss caregivers, and to raise awareness about limb loss prevention. People living with limb loss are generally referred to as amputees. Most people who suffer from limb loss are still able to learn a normal life and carry on with daily activities, like those who do not suffer from limb loss.
Here are some facts you may (or may not) know about limb loss:
- Approximately 1.8-2.1 million people in the United States live with limb loss.
- Amputation of the leg (below or above the knee) is the most common type of amputation.
- Common reasons why someone may lose a limb include, but are not limited to: birth defects, traumatic injuries, cancer, and diseases.
- There are approximately 185,000 amputations performed each year. This means there are approximately 300 to 500 amputations conducted every day.
Limb Loss Awareness Month is the perfect time to learn about amputees, amputations, and limb loss. We've compiled several resources for you to learn more about limb loss, amputations, and amputees.
- The Amputee Coalition contains information including how to get involved, how to find a local support group, and resources for amputees.
- WebMD has helpful information about limb amputations, including the reasons for amputation, the amputation procedure, and recovery.
- Discover 15 Limb Loss Statistics that may surprise you.
- The American Orthodic & Prosthetic Association provides information about orthodics and prosthetics for those living with limb loss and those who serve amputees.
Also, your Alachua County Library District has many resources to honor Limb Loss Awareness Month. Reserve any of the titles below, or visit your local Branch to check them out!
They put a price on his head. They did everything they could to disrupt his mission. Finally, when an antitank mine tore off his right foot, the warriors of jihad in Iraq thought they had neutralized one of their most resourceful, determined foes. They were wrong. Refusing to let his injury stop him, Captain David Rozelle roared back into action, returning to Iraq as commander of an armored cavalry troop. He became the first amputee in recent military history to resume a dangerous command on the same battlefield. In Back in Action, Rozelle, who has been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart, speaks with brisk frankness about his post amputation battles and the gritty determination that carried him through it all. It's an astonishing story of courage, determination, heroism, and devotion to duty overcoming all obstacles.
An inspirational story of hope and miracles as a small town orthopedic surgeon forever changes one woman's life after performing a first-ever procedure that resulted in what others have recognized as the world's most advanced amputee.
The Paralympic ski racer, YouTube star, and motivational speaker documents his coming of age as an amputee cancer survivor and his efforts to investigate past dates gone wrong to discover why he was still single.
When a school bus accident leaves sixteen-year-old Jessica an amputee, she returns to school with a prosthetic limb and her track team finds a wonderful way to help rekindle her dream of running again.
On June 10, 2008, Carol Decker walked through the hospital doors a healthy woman with flu-like symptoms and early labor contractions. Three months later, she returned home a blind, triple-amputee struggling to bond with a daughter she would never see. Unshattered recounts Carol's fight for survival against sepsis and its life-shattering complications.
These are just a few of the many resources that your library has to help honor Limb Loss Awareness Month. Those living with limb loss are more common than you think. Someone living with limb loss could be your neighbor, a friend or family member, or even your local librarian!