Expression. Interaction. Community.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Vanessa King: Actress, Model & Graphic Designer Wants to See Higher Visibility for Amputees, Pam Vetter
"I'd like to see more exposure for amputees in entertainment, but not just as victims of an accident or background in war movies. I think more exposure on television and in film would help people become more familiar and comfortable with amputees and, hopefully, cut down on the shock and discrimination amputees are subject to because they've lost a limb," Vanessa King says, "Society has to play catch up soon. More young men and women are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan as amputees. The way amputees are judged still surprises me, but I don't focus on the rejections. Instead, I keep moving forward and hope things will change."
Visit link for the whole story.
Def Leppard's Rick Allen Source of Inspiration To Amputee Vets/TV Movie Duty Made Nancy Travis Appreciate Series Job
With Def Leppard setting off on a cross-country tour this summer, you'd better believe that some of the fans most looking forward to catching one of their shows are Iraq War veterans — who've found drummer Rick Allen to be a source of inspiration and a friend. ...........
Visit the link above for the whole story.
Triple amputee seeking dreams in Hollywood
Triple amputee seeking dreams in Hollywood
By Robert McCoppin Daily Herald Staff
Published: 9/6/2007 12:02 AM
Bryan Anderson would love to show people what it's like for a wounded soldier to get back to normal life -- but he can't.
As he puts it, "I wouldn't call this a normal life."
It's not losing limbs in Iraq that skews Anderson's life, to his way of thinking.
It's his whirlwind schedule of television shows and films, meeting celebrities and constant traveling that's unusual for a 26-year-old guy from Rolling Meadows.
Almost two years after a roadside bomb blew off both of Anderson's legs and his left arm, he tells his story in "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq," at 9:30 p.m. Sunday on HBO.
He predicts the documentary will hit home with audiences wondering what life is like for soldiers suffering traumatic injuries in the war.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=31590
By Robert McCoppin Daily Herald Staff
Published: 9/6/2007 12:02 AM
Bryan Anderson would love to show people what it's like for a wounded soldier to get back to normal life -- but he can't.
As he puts it, "I wouldn't call this a normal life."
It's not losing limbs in Iraq that skews Anderson's life, to his way of thinking.
It's his whirlwind schedule of television shows and films, meeting celebrities and constant traveling that's unusual for a 26-year-old guy from Rolling Meadows.
Almost two years after a roadside bomb blew off both of Anderson's legs and his left arm, he tells his story in "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq," at 9:30 p.m. Sunday on HBO.
He predicts the documentary will hit home with audiences wondering what life is like for soldiers suffering traumatic injuries in the war.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=31590
Amy Purdy Takes On Hollywood By Meredy Fullen
Appropriately nicknamed "Purdygirl" among her circle of family and friends, Amy Purdy has taken Hollywood by storm, making her presence known. Although Amy is a youthful and energetic 24-year-old, her spirit is mature beyond her years. She possesses the uncanny ability of quietly demanding attention, turning heads when she walks into a room. People in Hollywoodimportant and well-connected peoplehave apparently taken notice.
Visit the link above for the whole story.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Aimee Mullins
READ AIMEE MULLINS BIOGRAPHY:
ONE GREAT SPEAKER
Aimee's most recent film project is the upcoming Into the Woods, scheduled for theatrical release in 2010.
Her film debut was a starring role in the highly-acclaimed film by contemporary artist Matthew Barney, Cremaster 3, first presented in the US at the Guggenheim Museum in 2003. Cremaster 3 is "an astonishing work of creativity," and was lauded by The Guardian as "the first truly great piece of cinema to be made in a fine art context since Dali and Bunuel filmed Un Chien Andalou in 1929. It is one of the most imaginative and brilliant achievements in the history of avant-garde cinema."
Aimee first received worldwide media attention as an athlete. Born without fibulae in both legs, Aimee's medical prognosis was bleak; she would never walk and indeed would spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair. In an attempt for an outside chance at independent mobility, doctors amputated both her legs below the knee on her first birthday. The decision paid off. By age two, she had learned to walk on prosthetic legs, and spent her childhood doing the usual athletic activities of her peers: swimming, biking, softball, soccer, and skiing, always alongside "able-bodied" kids.
After graduating high school with honors, Aimee was one of three students in the US chosen for a full academic scholarship from the Department of Defense, and at age 17 became the youngest person to hold a top-secret security clearance at the Pentagon. She worked there as an intelligence analyst during her summer breaks.
It was at this time that she rediscovered her love of competitive sports. While a dean's list student at the prestigious School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, she set her sights on making the US Team for the 1996 Atlanta Games. She enlisted the expertise of Frank Gagliano, one of the country's most respected track coaches. Through this partnership, she became the first woman with a "disability" to compete in the NCAA, doing so on Georgetown's nationally-ranked Division I track team. Outfitted with woven carbon-fiber prostheses that were modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah, she went on to set World Records in the 100 meter, the 200 meter, and the long jump, sparking a frenzy over the radical design of her prototype sprinting legs.
After a profile in Life magazine showcased her in the starting blocks at Atlanta, the world took notice. Aimee soon landed a 10-page feature in the inaugural issue of Sports Illustrated for Women, which led to her accepting numerous invitations to speak at international design conferences. Being introduced to this discourse relating to aesthetic principles, she became interested in issues relating to body image and how fashion advertising impacted standard notions of femininity and beauty. In 1999, Aimee made her runway debut in London at the invitation of one of the world's most celebrated fashion designers, Alexander McQueen. Walking alongside the supermodels of the world, Aimee's groundbreaking, triumphant turn captured the attention of the fashion media, propelling her onto the magazine covers of ID and Dazed and Confused. After making her mark in the fashion magazine standards of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W, Glamour, and Elle, she was also named as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World."
An influential voice in today's culture, she has been named as one of Esquire's "Women We Love," one of Jane magazine's "10 Gutsiest Women," one of Sports Illustrated's "Coolest Girls in Sport," and was celebrated as the "Hottest Muse" in Rolling Stone's annual Hot List.
In addition to her professional career, Aimee serves on numerous boards and spends much of her time assisting various non-profit organizations, most notably the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF). Aimee served for years as Vice-President for J.O.B., the nation's oldest non-profit employment service for persons with disabilities, founded in 1947 by Eleanor Roosevelt, Orin Lehman, and others. After serving as a Trustee for the WSF, founded by Billie Jean King, she was elected as the foundation's President, a position she stewarded from 2007 to 2009.
Already at a young age, Aimee's impact on modern society and her influence on future generations is undeniable. Her likeness has been immortalized in exhibits at institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the NCAA Hall of Fame, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, the Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Women's Museum, where she is honored for her contribution to sport among the "Greatest American Women of the 20th Century." She resides in New York City.
CV
ONE GREAT SPEAKER
Aimee's most recent film project is the upcoming Into the Woods, scheduled for theatrical release in 2010.
Her film debut was a starring role in the highly-acclaimed film by contemporary artist Matthew Barney, Cremaster 3, first presented in the US at the Guggenheim Museum in 2003. Cremaster 3 is "an astonishing work of creativity," and was lauded by The Guardian as "the first truly great piece of cinema to be made in a fine art context since Dali and Bunuel filmed Un Chien Andalou in 1929. It is one of the most imaginative and brilliant achievements in the history of avant-garde cinema."
Aimee first received worldwide media attention as an athlete. Born without fibulae in both legs, Aimee's medical prognosis was bleak; she would never walk and indeed would spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair. In an attempt for an outside chance at independent mobility, doctors amputated both her legs below the knee on her first birthday. The decision paid off. By age two, she had learned to walk on prosthetic legs, and spent her childhood doing the usual athletic activities of her peers: swimming, biking, softball, soccer, and skiing, always alongside "able-bodied" kids.
After graduating high school with honors, Aimee was one of three students in the US chosen for a full academic scholarship from the Department of Defense, and at age 17 became the youngest person to hold a top-secret security clearance at the Pentagon. She worked there as an intelligence analyst during her summer breaks.
It was at this time that she rediscovered her love of competitive sports. While a dean's list student at the prestigious School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, she set her sights on making the US Team for the 1996 Atlanta Games. She enlisted the expertise of Frank Gagliano, one of the country's most respected track coaches. Through this partnership, she became the first woman with a "disability" to compete in the NCAA, doing so on Georgetown's nationally-ranked Division I track team. Outfitted with woven carbon-fiber prostheses that were modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah, she went on to set World Records in the 100 meter, the 200 meter, and the long jump, sparking a frenzy over the radical design of her prototype sprinting legs.
After a profile in Life magazine showcased her in the starting blocks at Atlanta, the world took notice. Aimee soon landed a 10-page feature in the inaugural issue of Sports Illustrated for Women, which led to her accepting numerous invitations to speak at international design conferences. Being introduced to this discourse relating to aesthetic principles, she became interested in issues relating to body image and how fashion advertising impacted standard notions of femininity and beauty. In 1999, Aimee made her runway debut in London at the invitation of one of the world's most celebrated fashion designers, Alexander McQueen. Walking alongside the supermodels of the world, Aimee's groundbreaking, triumphant turn captured the attention of the fashion media, propelling her onto the magazine covers of ID and Dazed and Confused. After making her mark in the fashion magazine standards of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W, Glamour, and Elle, she was also named as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World."
An influential voice in today's culture, she has been named as one of Esquire's "Women We Love," one of Jane magazine's "10 Gutsiest Women," one of Sports Illustrated's "Coolest Girls in Sport," and was celebrated as the "Hottest Muse" in Rolling Stone's annual Hot List.
In addition to her professional career, Aimee serves on numerous boards and spends much of her time assisting various non-profit organizations, most notably the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF). Aimee served for years as Vice-President for J.O.B., the nation's oldest non-profit employment service for persons with disabilities, founded in 1947 by Eleanor Roosevelt, Orin Lehman, and others. After serving as a Trustee for the WSF, founded by Billie Jean King, she was elected as the foundation's President, a position she stewarded from 2007 to 2009.
Already at a young age, Aimee's impact on modern society and her influence on future generations is undeniable. Her likeness has been immortalized in exhibits at institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the NCAA Hall of Fame, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, the Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the Women's Museum, where she is honored for her contribution to sport among the "Greatest American Women of the 20th Century." She resides in New York City.
CV
Prosthetic Limb Info Online
Visit the Prosthetic Limb Info Online web site, much good stuff to look at and read!
http://www.prostheticlimbs.org/
http://www.prostheticlimbs.org/
Computerized Prosthetic - LIFE AND LIMB - Part 3 - RECON - Military Videos - The Pentagon Channel
Prosthetic limbs have been around for ages and it is used to replace a limb that is lost due to an accident, battle or even disease. Prosthetic limbs have come leaps and bounds since they first originated and while some are pretty simple and straight forward, technology has allowed for some prosthetic limbs to be rather complex and have wires and gears. The best thing about prosthetic limbs is that the cost has decreased and it’s now something that almost anybody can afford.
A moving experience: Helping hand appreciated
Free prosthetic provides amputee new lease on life
By Sean Thomas
By Sean Thomas
For the Amarillo Globe-News
Stubbornness cost 60-year-old Leo Hawk his leg, and now charity is restoring it.
Hawk took his first steps Wednesday after receiving a free prosthetic leg from Mahaffey Orthotics & Prosthetics, 5507 S.W. Ninth Ave.
"I'm thrilled to death," Hawk said, taking his first few steps with the support of hip-level bars. "It is really hard to explain."
Cliff Mahaffey, a licensed practitioner orthotist, carefully fitted the $7,500 prosthetic leg for Hawk, a process that lasted several weeks. Mahaffey, who owns Mahaffey Orthotics & Prosthetics, donated the time, material and labor to help Hawk.
"It's just a great way, as a company, that we can give back," Mahaffey said. "It is gratifying."
Hawk, a Vietnam War veteran and tattoo artist, spent the past six months confined to a wheelchair after his leg was amputated slightly below the knee, a complication from poorly managed Type 2 diabetes. It started with a small callus on his foot that eventually became infected, and gangrene developed.
"I never took care of myself like I should have," Hawk said, claiming that stubbornness kept him from taking the medicine needed to combat his diabetes. "I kick myself in the butt for it."
He said his circumstances are his own fault and that he deals with depression.
Mahaffey, who has been in the business for more than 20 years, said the idea to give a prosthetic to someone who needed it but couldn't afford it started while he worked for months to get Medicaid funding for a man from Oklahoma who desperately needed a prosthetic limb. When he finally was denied, Mahaffey agreed to move ahead for free.
"He didn't have any other place to go. Leo showed up a few days later," Mahaffey said. "He doesn't have any means either."
Mahaffey said he can't do it for everyone and that he has two other patients he is working with to find grants or other funding for the prosthetics.
Hawk said that throughout his battle with diabetes and adjusting to losing his leg, he has maintained a sense of humor. He said he looks forward to simple daily events that others might take for granted, like playing with grandchildren or going to the kitchen for a glass of water. And he has a good idea of what to do with the newfound freedom.
"I'm definitely going to go dancing and chasing wild women again," Hawk said.
Hawk took his first steps Wednesday after receiving a free prosthetic leg from Mahaffey Orthotics & Prosthetics, 5507 S.W. Ninth Ave.
"I'm thrilled to death," Hawk said, taking his first few steps with the support of hip-level bars. "It is really hard to explain."
Cliff Mahaffey, a licensed practitioner orthotist, carefully fitted the $7,500 prosthetic leg for Hawk, a process that lasted several weeks. Mahaffey, who owns Mahaffey Orthotics & Prosthetics, donated the time, material and labor to help Hawk.
"It's just a great way, as a company, that we can give back," Mahaffey said. "It is gratifying."
Hawk, a Vietnam War veteran and tattoo artist, spent the past six months confined to a wheelchair after his leg was amputated slightly below the knee, a complication from poorly managed Type 2 diabetes. It started with a small callus on his foot that eventually became infected, and gangrene developed.
"I never took care of myself like I should have," Hawk said, claiming that stubbornness kept him from taking the medicine needed to combat his diabetes. "I kick myself in the butt for it."
He said his circumstances are his own fault and that he deals with depression.
Mahaffey, who has been in the business for more than 20 years, said the idea to give a prosthetic to someone who needed it but couldn't afford it started while he worked for months to get Medicaid funding for a man from Oklahoma who desperately needed a prosthetic limb. When he finally was denied, Mahaffey agreed to move ahead for free.
"He didn't have any other place to go. Leo showed up a few days later," Mahaffey said. "He doesn't have any means either."
Mahaffey said he can't do it for everyone and that he has two other patients he is working with to find grants or other funding for the prosthetics.
Hawk said that throughout his battle with diabetes and adjusting to losing his leg, he has maintained a sense of humor. He said he looks forward to simple daily events that others might take for granted, like playing with grandchildren or going to the kitchen for a glass of water. And he has a good idea of what to do with the newfound freedom.
"I'm definitely going to go dancing and chasing wild women again," Hawk said.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Seeking hope in tragedy
On the last day in Les Cayes, the clinic we were at had a celebration for all of the volunteers. There was food and music as the staff doled out declarations of appreciation to everyone who helped....................
Through hope they teach to cope
Entering a building in the First Cross of Muneshwara Nagar here is an eye opener.
Six young persons, three of them girls, are working. Two things strike you, one, they are cheerful, chirpy and amazingly active. Second, they all have some physical disability or the other.More is in store. As you begin talking to them you find that they are working on aids for people like themselves - people with physical disabilities.
Physically disabled they may be, but their abilities are amazing. They produce prosthetic and orthotic aids, crutches etc. They fit the users with the aids, train them in using them, counsel them to cope with their disabilities and advice them on accessing financial assistance to earn a livelihood and become self-reliant.
The Association of People with Disability (APD), an NGO trained the young men and women from Bangalore, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Gauribidanur and Srinivaspur for a year and assisted them to set up the Navachetana prosthetics and orthotics production centre in Kolar, to enable them make themselves self-reliant.
The aids they produce can be used by polio-affected children, persons with wasted limbs or those who have lost their limbs, those with deformed limbs or spine, and those who have suffered spinal injuries or have chronic pains in the neck or other parts of their bodies.
Assisted by APD so far, Navachethana is on the verge of self-reliance, and the little army of half a dozen differently able youths brim with confidence about facing life and helping others.
Narasimha Murthy of Gauribidanur, who is an expert in producing the artificial aids, is an epitome of that spirit.
"Five years ago, I fell from a four-storeyed building and lost all feeling from waist below. After undergoing therapy and training, I decided to dedicate my life for people with disabilities. I am now confident enough to fill others with hope.”APD Programme Coordinator Paul Y Samuel says his organisation began the prosthetics and orthotics production centre in Bangalore in 1989.“Realising the difficulty of persons with disabilities having to travel to Bangalore to access such facilities such as aids, training on using them and counselling to cope with disabilities, we have decided to start similar centres in every district. ”The unit in Kolar and one in Madikeri are among the first of such district centres.“Compared to private hospitals, the cost of equipment, training and counselling is very low at Navachethana. For instance, a session of physiotherapy costs only Rs 20,” Samuel says. Further, since the counsellors and trainers are themselves people with disabilities, communication is easier and there is greater empathy between the staff of the centre and the users, Samuel says. Another USP of Navachethana is that the young persons who run it, offer doorstep services for such people whose disabilities make it not possible to visit the centre.
More details can be had on phone no. 08152-699654.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)