Friday, April 6, 2007

Landmark Education Graduate Ginna Goodenow Creates Project to Raise Money to buy Prosthetic Limbs for Kids

Limbs For Life


From 9NEWS NOW Washington D.C.
If there was ever a pitch for a cause, Jessica Rogers knows how to hit it.

"Some kids that don't have legs and arms, they're gonna get money for them to get fake legs and arms."

"How important is that?" asks 9NEWS NOW reporter Emily Schmidt.

"That’s really important because you want to feel like everybody else."

So does Dayton, a kid who runs the bases in 12 seconds flat with out the help of legs. Margaret Wesley wants to see him running even faster with a prosthetic.

"When I look at kids playing ball, I see kids who have a chance to do what I've done as an amputee."

A bus accident took her leg when she was 18; a prosthetic leg gave freedom in return. But it is not cheap. Jerett's dad, Craig Coleman, says his son's braces are 5000 dollars for each quickly-growing leg.

"Insurance says every three years, but he's seven, and on his fourth pair."

Ginna Goodenow says, "These kids deserve to live happy, normal, free lives. And prosthetics are important for them to be able to do that."

So Saturday morning on the national mall, kids of all abilities are invited to come get their kicks in any kind of a sport and benefit a nonprofit group called "Limbs for Life."

"They provide limbs at very low costs. For 1500 dollars they can achieve what 30 thousand may cost someone else."

Jessica's own prosthetic legs are getting fixed right now. She knows what they give her and what others think when she goes without.

"They probably think, 'oh my gosh --- her legs. She doesn't have any...ugh!' But really, I just had surgery on them, haven't you had surgery before?"

These kids can outrun adversity now; imagine what would happen if prosthetics took them to the next step.


The second Annual Kicking For Kids Who Cant is going to be held on October 7th, 2007.

See Addtional Coverage of the project on Fox News

Visit the Kicking For Kids Who Cant Website