Oklahoma Nonprofit Helps Amputees All Over The World

The Limbs for Life Foundation is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to providing fully functional prosthetic care for individuals who cannot afford it. 

“We buy prosthetic devices for people who are uninsured or underinsured,” said Randy Titony Executive Director for Limbs For Life.

The Oklahoma company was started in 1995, and the need is bigger than most people realize. 

“Five hundred people a day lose a leg, to diabetes, trauma, peripheral vascular disease, or they’re born with congenital abnormalities,” said Titony.  

The need has driven the company to expand all over the country. 

“They can go to a prosthetic facility anywhere in the United States, and then we physically write a check to that prosthetic provider for that patient or client’s prosthesis,” said Titony. 

Helping clients like Cherrice Joyner, who was born missing her left leg below the knee.     

“I got my very first one when I was two, and I’ve been wearing them my whole life,” said Joyner.  

Then there was the accident.  

“As soon as I stepped off the bus my [prosthetic] leg broke. Yeah, it just snapped like, broke from the base in half. Like I just had to hop all the way home,” said Joyner.

It would be eight months before she could get her prosthetic leg replaced.  

“Unfortunately, I found out through my insurance that they no longer covered me past the age of twenty-one,” said Joyner.  

Today most people don’t even realize she wears the prosthetic, even people at her job. 

“I’m moving and grooving, I keep up with everybody, all the staff,” said Joyner.  

The nonprofit is funded through grants and donations. 

“We’re a foundation that when you donate money to us, the next week we’ll be using your dollars to fund a prosthesis for a patient,” said Titony.  

They even take used prosthetics, refurbish them and ship them all over the world. 

“Things like Ukraine and Kenya and when there’s a real need outside the U.S.,” said Titony.  

Impacting lives globally. To find out more about Limbs for Life Foundation visit their website www.limbsforlife.org.