Ben needs a new leg
Donation protected
I need a leg — I currently don't own a fake leg.
My left leg is fake; I have an above-the-knee amputation as a result of cancer, and have grown up wearing artificial limbs for as long as I can remember. When you're a kid, there are groups that will fund the purchase of artificial limbs, but when you're an adult, that funding is harder to receive.
Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) provides amputees a maximum of $6,000 for a prosthetic leg. The problem is that doesn't cover the most basic prosthetic leg for an above-the-knee amputee like myself, as my prosthetic requires a mechanical, hydrolic or electronic knee component. A base-level prosthetic for an above-the-knee amputee is between $8,000 and $10,000. I have been using a one of these base-model loaner knees since my last leg of 11 years broke last June and could not be fixed — in just the past seven months, I have experienced horrible back problems and pain in my real knee because of the added stress caused by a base-model prosthetic, and my hips have been thrown out of alignment.
A quality knee costs around $40,000 or more, and I have been working towards securing a C-Leg, an microprocessor knee that makes life easier for amputees and improves quality of life. I have been trying in vain to secure funding. I reached out to Alberta's Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman, and after trying to contact her for five months, finally received a letter in the mail that the government would not be helping me with any funding above the $6,000 through AADL. While Minister Hoffman's letter acknowledged that would only go towards a "basic" prosthetic, the letter also said the government would not fund anything more than the basics.
My life has been made significantly more difficult since my last leg broke, and I am dealing with a government that is refusing to help me through the only funding program available to adult amputees. I have reached out to the War Amps, who have provided me with some funding but not enough to cover the cost of a C-Leg.
With a base-model leg, the prosthetic limits me in my activities and my quality of life, and will lead to me having to attend physiotherapy and massage therapy on a consistent basis.
This is a fight I've been taking on for a long time. Before the NDP were elected in Alberta, I spoke with a Progressive Conservative minister of health about the need for AADL funding to be changed. I was told by that minister that an artificial limb is "considered a luxury."
I'm hoping to raise enough money to purchase a new artificial limb, which I expect to last me a minimum of 10 years, as the last one lasted me 11 years, through teenage years when I was able to use it for organized and contact sports.
I could not express enough my gratitude for anybody who's willing to help me out in getting a new artificial leg. I'm not the type of person to ask for help, but am basically out of options at this point.
My left leg is fake; I have an above-the-knee amputation as a result of cancer, and have grown up wearing artificial limbs for as long as I can remember. When you're a kid, there are groups that will fund the purchase of artificial limbs, but when you're an adult, that funding is harder to receive.
Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) provides amputees a maximum of $6,000 for a prosthetic leg. The problem is that doesn't cover the most basic prosthetic leg for an above-the-knee amputee like myself, as my prosthetic requires a mechanical, hydrolic or electronic knee component. A base-level prosthetic for an above-the-knee amputee is between $8,000 and $10,000. I have been using a one of these base-model loaner knees since my last leg of 11 years broke last June and could not be fixed — in just the past seven months, I have experienced horrible back problems and pain in my real knee because of the added stress caused by a base-model prosthetic, and my hips have been thrown out of alignment.
A quality knee costs around $40,000 or more, and I have been working towards securing a C-Leg, an microprocessor knee that makes life easier for amputees and improves quality of life. I have been trying in vain to secure funding. I reached out to Alberta's Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman, and after trying to contact her for five months, finally received a letter in the mail that the government would not be helping me with any funding above the $6,000 through AADL. While Minister Hoffman's letter acknowledged that would only go towards a "basic" prosthetic, the letter also said the government would not fund anything more than the basics.
My life has been made significantly more difficult since my last leg broke, and I am dealing with a government that is refusing to help me through the only funding program available to adult amputees. I have reached out to the War Amps, who have provided me with some funding but not enough to cover the cost of a C-Leg.
With a base-model leg, the prosthetic limits me in my activities and my quality of life, and will lead to me having to attend physiotherapy and massage therapy on a consistent basis.
This is a fight I've been taking on for a long time. Before the NDP were elected in Alberta, I spoke with a Progressive Conservative minister of health about the need for AADL funding to be changed. I was told by that minister that an artificial limb is "considered a luxury."
I'm hoping to raise enough money to purchase a new artificial limb, which I expect to last me a minimum of 10 years, as the last one lasted me 11 years, through teenage years when I was able to use it for organized and contact sports.
I could not express enough my gratitude for anybody who's willing to help me out in getting a new artificial leg. I'm not the type of person to ask for help, but am basically out of options at this point.
Organizer
Ben Proulx
Organizer
Sherwood Park, AB
