Great news! The deadline to apply for the Amputee Coalition scholarship has been extended to April 30th. The scholarship is provided through the Amputee Coalition’s Bridge to Ability Fund and enables new amputees to attend the Amputee Coalition’s national conference. To be held June 1-4 in Kansas City, the conference provides amputees an opportunity to share, connect and learn from others. Make sure you get your application in by April 30th. You can find more information here: http://www.amputee-coalition.org/scholarship/bridge_to_ability/.
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FOR KIDS: …

This month represents the first National Limb Loss Awareness month.  As an Nurse Life Care Planner that specializes in developing life care plans for amputees, I am delighted that this issue is getting the attention it deserves.  Did you know 60% of limb loss is preventable?  That is due to the fact that the number ONE reason for lower limb amputation is diabetes.
 
Here are some statistics on amputations in the United States:

U.S. Amputee Population Approximately 1.7 million
82% of Amputations Are Dysvascular Related
97% are  of Dyvsacular amputations lower limb
In General …

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Prosthetic technology continues to improve dramatically (as evidenced by this old prosthetic fitting image!), and the Department of Defense is one of the key drivers in these developments.  While reading this article about Mr. Loosen, the vet who is the first in the older group to receive this new X2 knee, I recalled a presentation that I attended on prosthetics about a year ago.  The amputee that presented was describing how much concentration was required to simply walk across the room on the “standard” type of above knee …

The Whitesell Corporation is feeling the sting of a whole bunch of OSHA citations with fines of more than $3 million dollars.  The company makes fasteners and cold-formed metal products, and now faces 72 violations for amputation hazards and other risks at their locations in Alabama.
They have allegedly willfully tampered with safety mechanisms in order to speed up production.  Am employee’s hand was amputated as a result.  Thirteen of their citations were for failures to use Lockout/Tag out procedures intended to safeguard workers.
As a nurse life care planner specializing in …