Chasing Windmills

Yesterday evening, as I was changing into my pajamas, I quietly lamented having to remove my leg in order to take off my jeans. Such a small task of slipping off the socket so that I could pull the jeans off of the prosthesis suddenly felt inconvenience and frustrating. It only took me a few seconds and it is something that I do every single day when wearing jeans, yet for some reason, I found the modification extremely annoying

Almost as soon as I slipped back into my leg I felt a surge of guilt. Here I was, complaining about having to remove my leg in order to take off my jeans, when I had just met a woman a few miles away who would give anything to have my inconvenience. I suddenly felt embarrassed for my skewed perspective.

Scott called me earlier in the afternoon, asking me to reach out to his school guidance counselor. A student confided that she and her mother were living in a local homeless shelter following a series of medical setbacks. I wasn't sure why my input was requested, but upon receiving the contact request I  immediately called to see how I could help.

It turns out that the mom had developed Compartment Syndrome and had recently had her leg amputated. Due to the combination of missed work and mounting medical bills, the family was evicted from their home and had no other options but to move into a temporary shelter.  I cannot fathom her despair after losing both her home and her leg!

This mom would give anything for the frustration of removing her leg to put on her jeans. Unfortunately, the policymakers in this country continue to tie the means to ambulate with monetary worth. Until this hardworking single mother is able to become financially stable, her ability to walk again will remain the impossible dream.

Today I will be working the phones to try to locate some assistance to help this family. Her daughter's school work is starting to suffer, which is understandable considering the chaos and uncertainty that the family has been enduring. Unfortunately, this heartwrenching situation is unfolding in homes and shelters across this country. As long as the tools to ambulate are intimately tied to financial means, we as a society will continue to further disable the amputee community.