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Airborne Amputee Event Lands SafelyThe first Airborne Amputee skydiving event,
sponsored by The Amputee and Prosthetic Center of Houston, Texas,
and others, was a thrill for six amputees, most of whom made their
first jumps November 10 in Rosharon, Texas.
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The Amputee and Prosthetic Center peer visitor Jody Wallace, one of the originators of the Airborne Amputees, freefalls at 120 mph. Wallace had skydived before the loss of her leg, but this was her first jump as an amputee. |
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The participants of the Airborne Amputee event
represent "regular people" who have never been skydiving but want
to demonstrate their independence and illustrate that life is not
over after amputation, according to event organizers. They are
skydiving to express their independence and show the determination
that helped them overcome the obstacles of losing a limb.
"Words cannot describe the sense of empowerment and
accomplishment that Airborne Amputees felt after their jumps," said
Joe Sansone, CEO of The Amputee and Prosthetic Center.
The amputees took part in tandem jumps, Sansone stressed, noting
that some practitioners warned of the potential for fractured
femurs, blown-out knees, and shattered prostheses. Sansone said
that the "best and most experienced" assistants jumped with the
amputees, and all landings were smooth.
The event suffered from some unfortunate timing. An employee
from Skydive Spaceland, the facility used for the jumps, died in a
skydiving accident the day before the event. Most of the nearly 30
amputees who had agreed to participate backed out after hearing of
the accident.
But those who took the leap had a blast. "I am ready to go
again!" skydiver Richard Lockley told the Houston
Chronicle. 
Table Of Contents - January 2008
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