April has arrived, and it is our favorite month here at Gainesville Prosthetics; Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month! Limb Loss Awareness Month is about celebrating the strength and resilience of individuals with limb loss, as well as raising awareness about limb loss in order to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and empowerment.
Limb loss is often a life-changing experience that requires extreme strength, adaptation, and determination, and the ability to overcome the challenges limb loss presents, both mentally and physically, deserves to be recognized and celebrated.
While one of our goals at Gainesville Prosthetics is to properly and fully educate you on your prosthesis and everything that goes along with it, a huge portion of Limb Loss Awareness Month revolves around educating individuals who have no experience with limb loss. There are many misconceptions surrounding limb loss, and our hope is to correct these misconceptions and ultimately promote acceptance and full inclusivity.
Common misconceptions about limb loss include that it always results from traumatic injury, that prosthetic limbs fully replace limb functionality, that limb loss only affects physical health, that limb loss is always apparent and visible, and most importantly that individuals with limb loss are limited in what they can accomplish. All of these beliefs are incorrect and can be damaging to individuals with limb loss, especially the idea that they are somehow limited in their capabilities.
There are many ways to get involved and show your support for Limb Loss Awareness Month, regardless of whether or not you have experienced limb loss or limb difference directly. If you have no personal experience with limb loss or limb difference, you can still show your support through acts of kindness, advocacy, participating in support groups, or even just by wearing an orange ribbon or orange clothing.
If you do have personal experience with limb loss or limb difference, we encourage you to share your story with the tag #WeThrive to inspire and inform others, as well as speak to your prosthetist or other healthcare provider about other ways to get involved.
Additionally, the Amputee Coalition has a page dedicated to Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month with many resources and avenues to get involved and show your support. Visit that page here: Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month (LLLDAM) - Amputee Coalition (amputee-coalition.org)
In addition to LImb Loss and Limb Difference Month- consider advocating for the #soeverybodycanmove campaign: https://p2a.co/askifhc
This initiative is to promote awareness of persons with limb loss recieving recreational and/or water prostheses under their insurance coverage. Most insurance companies do not cover a recreational prosthesis, and we think that should change. We believe movement is medicine and physical activity is a right, not a privilege.
Download the White Paper: 5.6 Million++ Americans are Living with Limb Loss and Limb Difference: New Study Published