A Story of Inspiration from the Boston Marathon

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Dan, a Boston resident who was at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Dan spent his childhood at the Marathon with his father who works for the event’s presenting sponsor, John Hancock. Not only did Dan share his experiences from the day of the bombing, but he also shared a story of inspiration that puts this tragedy into perspective for all of those affected. This is his story:

Dan and James grew up 1 mile from the starting point of the Boston Marathon. Needless to say, the iconic race seeped through their veins since childhood. The events of April 15, 2013 and their shared experiences touched Dan in a deep and profound way.

 James and I have been life-long friends. Unfortunately, during the summer of our junior years of college, James was involved in a terrible accident, leaving his leg amputated below the knee. When I visited James in the hospital, I told him that I was going to run that race for him.  After graduation, we agreed that we would run the Boston Marathon together. We trained for a year, raising over $18,000 for Limbs for Life in the process. We were so honored to run for them and know the money we raised was enough for 7 people to receive a prosthetic.

 April 20th, 2011 rolled around and there we were, about to start the mecca of all marathons, the Holy Grail, Boston. Our hard work and dedication was about to come to fruition. We had our Limbs for Life t-shirts on and were ready to go. 4 hours and 45 minutes later, we had the medals draped over our necks, our mothers crying, our friends cheering. We had completed the marathon. Let me remind you, James completed this marathon…with a prosthetic…a year and half after his accident. It was remarkable!

Dan reflects on the Boston Marathon Bombing:

I was at the Finish Line on April 15, 2013. The bombs went off and the confusion was paramount. I can’t truly remember everything because it feels like that moment just stood still. During the next week, I thought a lot about the Boston Marathon I ran with James.

 When James lost his leg in college, I thought his life was over. However, he has proven that not only is his life not over, but it’s bigger, it’s better and it’s filled with endless possibilities. There is nothing he can’t do. It’s not because he has some all-star prosthetic either. It’s because he believes, it’s because his heart is twice the size of a normal human’s…and that’s what I want these survivors to know. James was just an ordinary kid who was involved in an unfortunate event, just like them. And although it may be hard for them to see, they’re going to be great, and they’re going to live the most amazing lives—lives they would never even dream possible before that infamous Monday afternoon.

Boston Dan 1

Limbs for Life provides prosthetic care for those who cannot afford it. If you would like to help amputees who need assistance paying for care, you can donate directly to Limbs for Life. Click HERE to make a donation and help others in need.

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Limbs For Life Foundation

OUR MISSION: “The Limbs for Life Foundation is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to providing fully functional prosthetic care for individuals who cannot otherwise afford it and raising awareness of the challenges facing amputees.”



Mission To Haiti

Limbs for Life to Provide Prosthetics to Haitian Amputees

Limbs for Life Foundation
“We’re not asking for much… just an arm and a leg!”

www.LimbsForLife.org

For Immediate Release

The Limbs for Life Foundation will help Haitian amputees affected by the devastating earthquake of Jan. 12 with assistance from SPS Prosthetics and Orthotics and the Dominican Rehabilitation Association.

Limbs for Life is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides assistance to hundreds of amputees around the world each year. It has been operating in the Dominican Republic via a partnership with DRA for the past three years in Santo Domingo.

According to the BBC, an estimated 200,000 Haitians will lose a limb as a result of the earthquake. The project’s goal is to fit as many amputees as possible starting in the next 30 days and then to continue providing prosthetic care in the long-term.

“Thanks to SPS and DRA we have the supplies and manpower we need to start this massive undertaking,” said Limbs for Life’s executive director. “What’s missing right now is funding. I’m confident help from those who recognize the project’s importance will allow us to help the amputees of Haiti.”

The director said those interested can donate to Limbs for Life at www.limbsforlife.org/haiti. With help, Limbs for Life will be able to get supplies to DRA’s clinics in the Dominican Republic, where trained prosthetists can begin fitting amputees with new limbs at no cost. Because the primary prosthetic clinic in Haiti was severely damaged in the disaster, DRA is offering its facilities while those in Haiti are being rebuilt.

The director said Limbs for Life hopes to send its first mission to the island and build 50 prosthetic limbs for Haiti by Feb. 15, 2010. All parties involved believe this must be done in order to help Haiti recover from the earthquake.

“The people we help are the people who are going to start rebuilding Haiti,” Limbs for Life Director said. “I’ve seen it with the amputees we’ve helped here in the United States and abroad in countries like the Dominican Republic. We’re not asking for money for research. We’re asking for money to help Haitian amputees begin walking again in the very near future. In turn, they’ll be able to help others dig out from this disaster.”

Limbs for Life is located in Oklahoma City. The foundation provides financial assistance to hundreds of amputees each year in the United States. It also collects used limbs for distribution in developing nations such as the Dominican Republic, Turkey and countries in Africa. For more information, visit us at limbsforlife.org.