Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month
Gainesville, Fl – April 16, 2024 – As April unfolds, the world turns its focus toward raising awareness for Limb Loss and Limb Difference. Every April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month (LLLDAM); individuals and communities worldwide are joining hands to shed light on the challenges faced by amputees and the importance of accessible resources and support.
Limb loss and limb difference can result from many causes, including trauma, disease, and congenital conditions. Amputees exhibit resilience, determination, and unwavering spirit in navigating their daily lives despite the adversity they encounter.
Throughout April, organizations, healthcare professionals, and advocates are amplifying their efforts to have all 50 states declare April as Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, celebrate the diverse narratives, identities, and experiences of amputees, and promote LLLDAM through various platforms and mediums.
This Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month let’s stand in solidarity with amputees, honor their journeys, and work toward a world where everyone has equal opportunities and access to support and resources.
For more information on LLLDAM and how you can get involved, please visit our value-added partners below.
Amplitude Magazine
Amplitude is a bimonthly magazine dedicated to providing relevant news, information, and resources about living with limb loss. To celebrate LLLDAM, Amplitude is highlighting Awareness Aces – amputees who stand out for their work in raising awareness about limb loss and limb differences. For more information, visit https://livingwithamplitude.com/limb-loss-awareness-amplitude-awareness-aces/
Amputee Coalition
The Amputee Coalition is the only national non-profit serving all individuals who experience limb loss or limb difference, a population of over 5.6 million people, and the over 28 million people who are at-risk of amputation. The Amputee Coalition mission is to support, educate, and advocate for people impacted by limb loss and limb difference, fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We work to provide vital resources through the National Limb Loss Resource Center to people who have limb loss and limb difference, as well as their families and caregivers. With these resources, they can recover, readjust, and live the life they most want to live. Resource offerings include support groups, certified peer visitors, print & digital publications including inMotion magazine and Thrive blog, discussion forums on AC Connect, youth programming, workforce development, patient navigation, and much more. For more information, visit https://www.amputee-coalition.org/events-programs/limb-loss-awareness-month/.
Limb Loss and Preservation Registry (LLPR)
LLPR is a central data warehouse and has been instrumental in improving the quality, safety, effectiveness, and cost of limb loss and limb difference treatment and preservation. Thought Leadership & Innovation Foundation (TLI) recently accepted ownership of the LLPR in collaboration with Amputee Coalition to continue driving healthcare innovation and improving outcomes for individuals facing limb loss and limb difference. By measuring the care patients receive in a hospital and at an O&P clinic, participating organizations can understand the level of care patients are receiving across the country. Measuring given-care care paves the way to standardizing higher levels of care for patients in all regions across the country which leads to improved patient outcomes for a better quality of life. For more information, visit www.llpr.org.
OPIE Software
OPIE Software is a healthcare IT organization dedicated to serving the technology, education, and business needs of the orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) profession. The OPIE Software platform was introduced in 2003 and provides electronic health records, workflow, billing, and practice management tools to independent orthotic and prosthetic facilities. In 2014, OPIE acquired Futura International, Inc., so we now offer the two leading practice management solutions to over 1,400 facilities to help O&P practices more effectively compete and succeed. For more information, visit www.opiesoftware.com.