Telemedicine

Eight years ago, we arrived in Ghana loaded with supplies and unsure of what we’d find.  The limb center there was in much need of repair, and the technology, well …patients were receiving carved wooden legs.

Now, the technicians we train and equip are making custom-fit, brand new, high-performance carbon-fiber sockets with amazing components we receive through our limb recycling program staffed by volunteer US inmates at a Tennessee correctional facility.

This morning, we held our first video conference with the team using our new high-speed, wireless service right in the clinic.   Gerald Deason and Beanie Ketcham (who went to Ghana last year), joined in from Birmingham Limb and Brace in Alabama.  This new service will allow for regular training and patient evaluation in real time.

Pretty Cool, Huh?

Sometimes, you simply step out in faith and trust provisions will come.  Your gift of ANY amount for this trip and equipment is immensely helpful – and greatly appreciated.

 

Nearly thirty years ago, Standing With Hope founder, Gracie Rosenberger, experienced a car accident that left her family and friends reeling as they witnessed a tragic event …and the ensuing 70+ surgeries and multiple amputations that seemed to forever change a young girl’s life.

It did change her life, as well as the lives of a great many others. Your tax-deductible donation helps us add more lives to the story.

Defining The Problem

Peter Rosenberger addressing the need for a comprehensive plan to minister to and care for those serving as volunteer caregivers for a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly loved one.

A Determined Faith

A Mission To Lift Others Up

On a Wing and a Prayer – With a Leg!

Our team left JFK in New York tonight and is traveling to Ghana where we are taking our groundbreaking prosthetic limb ministry to a whole new level. We purchased several hundred feet of cable and a modem/router to provide high-speed wireless service in the prosthetic lab in conjunction with the notebook we purchased last year for our field director.

Not only are we the first (and possibly only) full-time evangelical prosthetic limb outreach, but now we will be the first to have regular patient evaluation and training for technicians in real-time video conferencing.  Standing With Hope prosthetists will be able to log  at their home or office – and provide expert consultation/patient treatment with Ghanian technicians.

Our team consists of two of our veteran prosthetists , Randy Roberson and Kraig Helberg. While there, Randy will immediately begin treating patients ( including a man missing both legs above the knee who is traveling from Nigeria to the clinic), while Kraig supervises and helps with the installation of Ethernet cord, router, and computer – and treats patients himself.

This was an unscheduled trip, and we felt it was needed …so we committed a team to go.  Sometimes, you simply step out in faith and trust provisions will come.  Your gift of ANY amount for this trip and equipment is immensely helpful – and greatly appreciated.

 

Ghana Team May 2013

Randy Roberson (from Birmingham, AL)  is preparing for his 9th trip with Standing With Hope. (May 5-12 2013)   He continues to be a tremendous leader, instructor, and friend. Taking on particularly challenging cases, Randy’s three decades of experience as a prosthetist continues to help us address even the most difficult of patient circumstances.

Randy brings a powerful testimony of God’s salvation in his own life …and he is not only a certified prosthetist with thirty years of experience, but is also an ordained minister. Those two professions uniquely qualify Randy for the work of this ministry …who has served as team leader on several occasions. The most familiar sight of Randy is his ever present sweat-soaked towel draped around his neck (see picture at top of page), as he works with a passion, purpose, and dedication that comes from a man who loves his craft , and, more importantly …loves his Savior.

Nearly thirty years ago, Standing With Hope founder, Gracie Rosenberger, experienced a car accident that left her family and friends reeling as they witnessed a tragic event …and the ensuing 70+ surgeries and multiple amputations that seemed to forever change a young girl’s life.

It did change her life, as well as the lives of a great many others. Help us add more changed lives to the story by sponsoring Randy for our May 5-12 trip to Ghana. (100% tax deductible)

Caregivers and Doctors

From the “Delta Doctrine” to simple tips on more efficiently working with physicians who regularly care for your loved one, this two part series on “Caregivers and Doctors” is full of helpful information that today’s caregivers can immediately implement.

PART ONE “Caregivers and Doctors”

Click here to listen (For FREE) to past shows.

Turn in Your Hymnal to …

From: “Observations from a Church Pianist” by Peter W. Rosenberger

Most everyone agrees that the singing of hymns plays an important part of any Christian worship service. Hymns also, however, often serve as a soundtrack for the lives of people of faith.  Amazing Grace, It  Is Well With My Soul, O God Our Help In Ages Past, Immortal Invisible, and the list goes on of hymns instantaneously recognized by vast numbers of people in and out of church.

Whereas the text from many hymns came from theologians and pastors, the vast majority of church hymns are set to either tunes composed by trained musicians, or tunes easily remembered.  When it comes to composing music, an old saying seems to get it right, “If you can whistle it, it’s a good tune.”

With today’s pop culture generating so much music, contemporary songs of faith and struggle make their way into churches – but many will not last more than a few years, some not even that long.    Today’s pop culture church music is not only hard to whistle, but many of the compositions are nothing more than vamps or riffs on a simple theme.  A well-structured melody takes the ear on a journey, and a well written text takes the heart on one.  From chant to Fanny Crosby, from Bach to Gaither, thousands of well written and well composed songs are readily available to the modern church – but are sadly ignored until, interestingly enough, calamity strikes.

During times of great  sorrow, the familiar strains of many of the great hymns of the church echo in the ears and hearts of individuals as they wrestle with grief.  When faced with difficult times, it appears many people ignore pop culture songs, and instead draw strength from hymns.  A simple litmus test of songs that “stand the test of time” is, “What is played at funerals?”

As someone who has performed at uncounted funerals in my years in church music, the list of songs sung and played at funerals are overwhelmingly great hymns of the faith.  This does not mean that hymns are boring, dirge-like, or even depressing.  It simply means that at the moment of greatest solemnity, most people feel that a hymn is more important and appropriate than a guitar groove that resembles “Christian Prom” music.

In trying to be relevant to the pop culture (the reasoning for this escapes me), many churches opt for not only mediocre teaching, but forgettable music with even more forgettable lyrics.  In many circles, those songs are called, “7-11’s.”  Seven words repeated eleven times (or vice-versa). Sometimes it can mean only seven chords (including modulations).  If not properly educated and taught, what music will today’s generation turn to during moments of great struggle?

While the harmonies of the vast majority of these hymns form the basis of Western music, the lyrics set to those well composed songs serve as hallmarks of a journey of faith for millions upon millions.  Filled with text about the majesty of God contrasted with the suffering, victory, and longing of hearts, the prose of so many hymns is a foray into writing excellence.  Writing a text which appeals to not only the generation singing it, but also to those who come after – requires considerable skill and effort.  Such text must be labored over, wrestled with, and more often than not, born from great struggles. Weaker text are often offered with the caveat of being directly inspired by God.

Years ago, a songwriter turned in a poorly written song to a publisher here in Nashville who promptly dismissed the song as “not good.”

“But God gave me those words!” the writer protested.

“And God will give you more, get back to work,” the publisher replied.

Considering the hymnal as a relic of the past church, today’s “relevationists” (those subscribing to a new revelation that is relevant) often dismiss the hymnbook and opt for projectors placing the words on large screens for the masses. Doing this saves budgets from the costs of printed lyrics/music and hymnals (although many churches have dusty hymnals in the pews while also having projected lyrics). By projecting lyrics, however, churches miss the opportunity to allow the churchgoers to hold a wealth of church history in their hands.  It also denies the composed music to the people.  Many congregants can read music, and it is never a bad thing to offer the opportunity to sing a particular vocal part to those singing along. In addition, projecting a verse and/or chorus at a time limits the congregation from following the thought process of the text through all the stanzas.

Regardless of the opinion of “relevationists,” what the church endures now is no different from what the church has endured in the past.  Sin is still sin – and, although our society can do it faster and more effectively, there are still no new sins.   “Rock of Ages” is not a crass Broadway play/movie, and the hymn title implies something that is just as sustaining in today’s world as when written.  In moments of great drama and heartache, the collective church turns to hymns of the faith.  Why settle for anything less during “regular moments?”

In today’s world of low-information voters, we also have low-information churchgoers who accept what is given.  Many people just do not know good doctrine, nor do they know the importance of the hymnal.  Today’s movies and pop culture items reflect that if the production quality is good enough, many seem willing to buy whatever is well packaged. Mediocrity demanded is often provided.  Instead of pandering to a pop culture, pastors and church leaders would better serve worshipers by demanding musical excellence from church musicians, and encouraging them to use their skills with conviction and understanding. Knowing how to play a musical instrument does not guarantee an understanding of the worship service, sound doctrine, and Biblical literacy.

Incorporating the hymns of the Church into every public worship service is not a sentimental gesture, but rather serves as an awareness of the sustenance of faith provided by God – to untold millions who journeyed before us.  If we collectively feel that singing and performing the best of church music during the worst of times, then it would seem appropriate to leave it in there for the rest of the times.

Peter W. Rosenberger is the president of Standing With Hope.  He has a degree in Music (composition), piano-principle.

 

 

 

 

 

Love, Marriage, and Disability

It’s painful to be in love someone who hurts.

Deductible

 Tips for Dealing with Annual Deductibles

Listen to this episode
From:
WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES-Surviving and Thriving as a Caregiver
© 2012 Peter W. Rosenberger

Each January, in addition to bills from Christmas, those pesky medical insurance deductibles begin anew; adding a little more excitement to the stack of things screaming at a checkbook still deflated from holiday expenses.  Now deductibles aren’t a problem for everyone, but when a household member has chronic or permanent medical issues, the roll- over at the first of the year can be a bit challenging.
In order to keep my head above water and not pay massive premiums every month, I purposely set my wife’s deductible to the highest amount allowed, but that means I have to scrape together a goodly sum before her insurance company pays even one dime. In addition, a co-pay adds (at least) another $1,000 before her bills are covered at one hundred percent (if it is in-network). With a case like my wife’s that has included seventy-plus operations, it usually means we’re out of pocket thousands of dollars before March (often in January!).
After dealing with this for more than twenty-five years, I have learned a few tips on handling these kinds of expenses each year; tips that may be helpful to others struggling with long-term medical issues – and those who already have health insurance.
First, although billing offices for doctors and hospitals state that payment is due upon service, have them file it with your insurance company first …and ask them to bill you whatever the insurance company doesn’t pay.  Your insurance company may have a preferred provider contract with your doctor or hospital, so the rates could change significantly – even for out of pocket charges.  If you are dealing with a long-term illness or disability, you will have chronic bills to match your chronic condition, so don’t be in a hurry to write checks. Most providers would rather you owe them, instead of needing to send you a check for an overpayment. Let the dust settle from the insurance company, and then evaluate what you owe.
Second, read the bills thoroughly to ensure the charges and dates of service are legitimate. Most doctors, labs, and hospitals use good computer systems, but human beings still enter the data. Serving as my wife’s caregiver for a couple of decades, I learned a long time ago to check the statements.  To date, her medical bills are approaching $9 million, and, along the way, I have discovered numerous billing mistakes. Keep files for every provider (preferably scanned and indexed) and double- check the explanation of benefits (EOB) relating to every bill issued by providers.
Third, make a point to get to know the billing office for all the providers you use. My wife has five key physicians, two hospitals, two pharmacists, and a prosthetist she regularly visits.  Each of these providers not only knows us well, but their billing offices are also familiar with her case. Through many conversations with them, I have clearly communicated that she is a “regular” and will be requiring their services …for the long haul.  It may seem unnecessary to tell a provider that a patient with a permanent disability will be a “regular,” but just like everyone else, doctors and hospital staff sometimes miss the obvious.
A fourth item to keep in mind is that your providers’ office will work with you on the charges you are responsible to pay. Of the high deductible/co-pay that I am responsible for every year, it is usually split between three or four providers. Home Depot and Lowes will offer interest-free specials on a microwave oven, so don’t feel nervous or weird about discussing a no-interest payment arrangement with your medical providers. Most all of them do it anyway, but in the event that you have a provider that wants to charge you interest – tell them “no,” and get another provider. After working with more than fifty doctors and twelve hospitals, I am yet to meet a provider who won’t work with me on some type of payment plan; sometimes as little as $15 a month.
Should a billing office employee treat you disrespectfully while you are sincerely attempting to arrange a payment plan, report them immediately to their supervisor, or even to the provider.  Never forget that, although a long-term illness or disability is unpleasant and difficult, your condition is profit center for hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies, and you help keep them in business. By even carrying health insurance, you have already demonstrated a high level of responsibility, and you are someone they can work with regarding payment plans. Never feel embarrassed, ashamed, or even the least self-conscious about asking to spread a deductible and co-pay over a couple of months or even a year.
Lastly, the first of every year is a good time to lay out a plan of care. Sit down with your doctor and ask them pointedly about specific goals for the year. As someone with long-term issues, your case is more complicated than a teenager who breaks an arm while playing sports. Regular discussions laying out key objectives are an important part of effectively managing a chronic illness and disability. Wound care, durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, adaptive devices, etc.), pain management, drug interactions, emotional well-being, and many other items need to be constantly evaluated and addressed. Take a list of items to each doctor visit, and be sure to update your list regularly.
No matter how professional or caring your doctor is, no one will ever care more about your condition than you do.  It is important for you (or your caregiver) to demonstrate leadership to all the individuals working on “your team.” Regardless of what so-called “experts” say, America’s health care system is not complicated, but it can be intimidating. A little common sense, personal responsibility, and assertiveness will solve a great many of the headaches that not only arrive each January with new deductibles, but will also help with other issues that arise throughout the year.

Listen to the show-broadcast on Wednesdays at 12:30 CST on WNAH 1360  WNAH.com

Engage the Grief First – Then Point to the Savior.

 

During the  holidays, stories surface about the holidays being difficult for a great number of people struggling with illness or disability. Reporters often pause to spotlight extraordinary people trying to brighten the lives of patients spending the holidays in hospitals or nursing homes – particularly bringing attention to the wonderful efforts of nurses and hospital staff working hard at transforming clinical environments into warm and friendly places. Celebrity visitors, special meals from the cafeteria, music, and decorations fill the rooms and hospital floors; truly helping patients feel less cut off from family and friends.

Patients receive a great deal of attention (deservedly so), but when addressing the needs of the patient, the loved ones who serve as care- givers can feel relegated to the sidelines. Without diminishing any of the wonderful gestures given to patients, it is important to keep one eye on the caregiver while visiting festively decorated wards. The caregiver’s health and well-being serve as the support system for the patient, yet all too often, the needs of the caregiver take a back seat.

Although caregivers often feel reluctant to ask for something for themselves in light of the suffering of their loved one, their own needs are also important. In addition, caregivers also struggle with identifying their needs …due to the difficulty in defining what “help” looks like in their circumstances. Long-term caregivers seldom allow someone else to carry portions of the load, because experience teaches them, unfortunately, that others often weaken and slip away, leaving them alone to repair the damaged caused by another fractured relationship, and wearily resume the burdens.

During the holiday season, when extra attention is on the chronically ill and disabled, take a moment to look into the corner of the hospital room you visit, and see the one with a weary face and heavy bags under their eyes. If unsure as to what to say, the following questions/conversation starters may be helpful:

• “Are you getting enough sleep?”
• “I have a fabulous recipe that is so easy to reheat and serve…may I bring you a meal?”
• “I’m stopping by the grocery store today, is there something I can pick up for you?”
• “I had to get my oil changed recently…Hey, do you need anything for your car?”
• “Do you need any yard work done, or gutters cleaned? I have a service I use, and it’s so easy to get them to swing by and help…my treat.”
• “Have you seen your doctor lately?”

Offer to sit with their loved one, so that the caregiver can slip away for their own doctor visit if needed. Since a caregiver probably feels a reluctance to ask for help, the easier you make the decision, the more helpful you will be to them. Caring for caregivers is not complicated; often, they are so tired …that they can sleep anywhere, eat anything , and they gratefully accept kind words when offered.

The eleventh chapter of John speaks to the tenderness of Jesus toward Mary and Martha who cared for their brother, Lazarus, until his death. Acknowledging their grief and pain, Jesus Himself grieved with the distraught sisters.

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.

 And he said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”

Jesus wept.

John 11:32-35 English Standard Version

Caregivers know the harsh realities better than most, and do not desire platitudes, but instead require real friends with the courage to shed tears and share grief. When ministering to a caregiver, engage the grief first – then point to the Savior.

This Christmas and holiday season, make an effort to reach out to a caregiver, and even after the decorations come down. As you do so, it is important to remember that if you love someone, odds are you will one day be a caregiver yourself -  or need one.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests,

but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4 English Standard Version

 

From WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES-Surviving and Thriving as a Caregiver 
©2012 Peter W. Rosenberger

We are offering Peter’s new book for caregivers as a FREE gift for tax-deductible gift to Standing With Hope.

(Click to enlarge)

 

(Contact us for multiple copies of Gracie’s or Peter’s books

–We can make your Christmas Shopping SO much easier!)

 

Duty, Honor, Country

Duty, Honor, Country

Peter W. Rosenberger

Each day, America wakes up to discover, and seemingly swim through, the moral rot, deceit, rhetoric, and self-serving decisions of those entrusted with wielding power in this great nation. From state houses to the White House, there is no place in our country’s government unaffected by the treachery of the human condition. The plague of our sinful desires often leads astray the most noble among us.

Duty, Honor, Country. These words mean something to the West Point community, and the military as a whole.  On our family’s mantle is the appointment certificate to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Since sixth grade, our son worked tirelessly towards obtaining that appointment, and sacrificed a great deal for such a prize.  The actions paraded in the tabloid media this last week do not reflect those values, nor should they in any way be associated the quality and heritage of West Point.

A sewer of decaying values continues to wash over America, all as we withstand assault from without and within. Yet we make merry and party, while the flag, though raised, is flecked with blood.

Duty, Honor, Country. These are important and connected words. Separated, they become cliché. Combined, they become an unstoppable force. More than ever, our daily lives cry out for the presence of these three words. It is not a concept unique to soldiers, but one that is a standard for them. Although no one, uniformed or civilian, models it perfectly, those words – that creed, is the compass to right the footing when the path is forsaken.

Our country desperately requires leadership, not just in action, but also in understanding. America has accepted a horrible premise of settling for less than excellence. Perfection in character is possible only from, and through, ONE source. Excellence, however, can and should be demanded on every front; from ourselves, our neighbors, and, certainly, those entrusted with power.

Duty, Honor, Country. How my heart breaks to see the prayer of MacArthur displayed in our son’s room, while listening to the evening news. My fellow Americans, these words mean something, and are worth fighting, and even dying, to uphold. One or two officers who make terrible choices cannot diminish those words, but a society, which impugns the foundation of those officers, can wreak a terrible price on future generations.

As fitting tribute to those steadfast souls who fought for the idea of America, may we hold fast to excellence with grimness and ferocity. As General MacArthur stated, “The long gray line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses, thundering those magic words: ‘Duty, honor, country.’”

“Wear Comfortable Shoes” -The New Book

The video my entire office is talking about.

As 65 million Americans struggle to care for a sick, disabled, or elderly loved one, the need is greater than ever for experienced individuals to provide leadership and offer practical help to those care for society’s most vulnerable members.

With a focus on “those who push the wheelchair,” Peter W. Rosenberger draws upon more than 26 years of experience as a caregiver through a medical catastrophe involving 73 operations, multiple amputations, 55 physicians, 12 hospitals, 6 insurance companies, and $9 million in health costs – to share practical tips, Biblical principles, and a smattering of his outrageous humor, in order to equip others to survive and thrive as caregivers.  With a powerful message of God’s provision, along with an unprecedented grasp of caregiving issues, Peter extends the helping hand of one with experience – to those buckling under the strain of caring for a vulnerable loved one.

 About the Author

Peter W. Rosenberger is the president of Standing With Hope – an evangelical prosthetic limb outreach founded by Peter and wife, Gracie. He also has an extensive media, speaking, and writing history where he covers such issues as chronic pain, caregiving, disability, and God’s provision in suffering. From opinion pieces on Fox News to the set of the TODAY show, Peter’s thoughts, humor, and passion have connected with vast audiences. Whether in his writings, his live appearances, or his weekly radio show, Peter combines his well-honed sense of humor and practical tips to help those struggling with painful circumstances. With a powerful message of God’s provision, along with an unprecedented grasp of caregiving issues, Peter extends the helping hand of one with experience – to those buckling under the strain of caring for a vulnerable loved one.

 

 

Caregiving Radio Show

Broadcast Date: October 3, 2012 with call-in guest, Kim Rosenberger sharing her CONSIDERABLE experience and journey as a mother of a special needs child.  You won’t want to miss this show.

 

 

Just as the prosthetic limb outreach emerged from Gracie’s own journey through limb-loss, our new outreach to caregivers reflects my journey through the maze of America’s health care system while caring for someone who suffers …for more than 26 years.  With strong encouragement from our board of directors,  Standing With Hope is utilizing  my vast experience as a caregiver for nearly three decades –to help others buckling under the strain of caring for a vulnerable loved one.

Drawing upon my serving as Gracie’s sole caregiver and my history of working with a dozen hospitals, hundreds of nurses, nearly sixty physicians, and $8.9 million in health care costs,  Standing With Hope is reaching out to the massive and growing population (65 million)  of those caring for an elderly, chronically ill, or disabled loved one.

Part of that new outreach will be launching a new call-in radio show  on Wednesdays at 12:30 pm. (Starting Wednesday, September 5)

•  I never lost an appeal with an insurance company.  Would you like to know how?
•  I’ve dealt with more than fifty different physicians, including dozens of surgeons,  in extremely high stress moments.  Would you like to learn how to better communicate with doctors and nurses in order to get things done faster and more efficiently …without feeling nervous, inferior, or afraid?
• I’ve sat in more pastors’ offices  than I can remember, while struggling to understand God’s provision in suffering.  Would you like to know what I discovered?
• I’ve been the recipient of a great deal of love and care from the church.  Would you be interested in finding out how your church can better care for caregivers?
• Through what others call a medical nightmare that’s spanned decades,  I’ve kept a sense of humor  (yes, some call what I do …humor).  Would you like to learn what keeps me laughing, sometimes while even facing horrific circumstances.

If you love someone, you will one day serve as a caregiver. 

If you live long enough, you'll need one.-Peter Rosenberger

Each week at that time, I will take calls, share tips, crack a few jokes  (I guarantee you will smile or at least offer me a “mercy laugh”), offer Biblical principles, all while pointing to the ONE who continues to sustain me as a caregiver.

If the stress of caregiving weighs heavy on you, or someone you know, I hope you will join me each Wednesday.  If you are in the Nashville area, I will be on WNAH 1360 AM.  If you are outside the listening area, you can tune in live via internet at http://wnah.com/ I know health care.  I know caregiving.  More importantly, however, I know Christ-who is THE ultimate caregiver, and I am grateful for the opportunity to speak encouragement and help into the lives of fellow caregivers.

Gracie-Standing With Hope, continues to be Liberty University Press’ number one seller. With a forward by Jeff Foxworthy, this book continues to inspire, encourage, and enthrall readers.

Click HERE to own your copy today,  to give to someone who is hurting, or provide one for their caregiver.

A “Leg Up” On Atheism

A national weekly news magazine featured a debate between atheist/author Sam Harris and author/pastor Rick Warren (“The Purpose Driven Life”). As part of his debate, Mr. Harris threw down a challenge to prove God’s existence by finding a deserving amputee and having 1 billion people pray for God to grow the leg back. In trying to disprove the existence of God, it’s unclear why Mr. Harris chooses to focus on amputees growing limbs back rather than looking for a sea to split open or fish and loaves to multiply, and it’s equally unclear why Harris specifically asked that it be a “leg” amputee versus an “arm” amputee. Nevertheless, that was the challenge.

A few weeks later, C-Span featured a speech given at the annual meeting for American Atheists by a former “Saturday Night Live” actress. This group gave her a standing ovation and even presented her with a special plaque to honor her courage as an “atheist celebrity.” The actress joked, “There is evidence for God, just not very good evidence.” The audience was shown patting themselves on the back, laughing, applauding and apparently reveling in their ability to declare, “There is no God.” Days later, on CBS’ “Sunday Morning,” the same group was featured, along with the same actress, again celebrating the “joys of atheism.” Once more, the interview brought up the “amputee challenge” of Mr. Harris.

My wife of 26 years, Gracie, is a double-amputee (both legs), and our organization, Standing With Hope, is, to our knowledge, the only evangelical prosthetic limb outreach in the world. We travel to West Africa and work with the government of Ghana to train and equip their workers on building high-quality prosthetic legs.  Gracie’s definition of high quality is summed up in her statement, “I will not place a leg on someone that I am not willing to wear myself.” In addition, inmates in a Tennessee prison volunteer to disassemble used prosthetic limbs in order to recycle the components for our work in West Africa.  It is hoped that Mr. Harris will agree that Gracie, who is currently facing her 74th operation and still finds the will and ability to help others struggling with limb loss, is a suitable “deserving” candidate for his challenge. We welcome the prayers of even 1 person …with Mr. Harris’ challenge, maybe even 1 billion would offer prayers to God on Gracie’s behalf.

Gracie, however, does not petition God for her legs to grow back.  Rather, she does pray fervently for the strength and ability to help more amputees.

Atheists seem to insinuate that the ministry and comfort my family depends on, and shares with individuals across the country and overseas, is misguided and only a mirage. It is interesting to note that this group appears to take greater issue with the God of the Bible and Christian faith than with other world religions. They don’t seem to put the Muslim faith to the test with the same sarcasm they save for Christianity.

According to this group, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, King David, Elijah, John the Baptist and Jesus were deceived at best, or liars at worst. Of Jesus’ remaining 11 disciples, 10 of them, and eventually the Apostle Paul, were tortured, beaten and died horrible deaths, without ever renouncing the resurrection. There are Islamic extremists who allow themselves to be killed, but they believe in their cause. The disciples were in a position to know whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead.  If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then why did the disciples allow themselves to be killed so horribly?

Conspirators at Enron wouldn’t even face jail without turning on each other.  Are there other accounts of individuals gladly enduring torture or execution for a lie they knowingly perpetuated? Maybe a mob associate willing to serve jail time for a mafia boss (I saw an crime show with that in it once ..but even that was done for the benefit of the man’s family).  If one of the disciples recanted, maybe history would have a case. But they all went to their deaths (some skinned alive, crucified, or beheaded) praising Jesus Christ …without any tangible benefit or payoff to their family. According to American Atheists, all of those disciples were knowingly perpetuating a lie.

These atheists seem to suggest that they are more enlightened than every rabbi, pope, priest, Martin Luther, the Founding Fathers, Isaac Newton, John Milton, Billy Graham, C. S. Lewis, John F. Kennedy, every American President, Margaret Thatcher, Dr. Martin Luther King, Queen Elizabeth,  and billions of others. One prominent atheist went a step further to suggest that if Mother Teresa had been an atheist, her deeds would have been “more noble,” since she wouldn’t have been doing them with the thought of an afterlife as a reward.

It appears atheists can claim an exhaustive investigation into the entire universe that leaves them with the overwhelming evidence that …we are here by random chance. There are forests and whole stretches of land across the United States that haven’t been totally explored, but atheists can lay back the entire cosmos with complete conviction that,  since a deserving amputee didn’t grow a leg back,  no deity exists.

To the atheists concerned about amputees, it is difficult to understand why a good and loving God hasn’t restored Gracie’s legs. That difficulty in understanding seemed to be part of the platform that led American Atheists to applaud an actress for having the courage to proclaim her conviction that “God doesn’t exist.”

But while atheists applaud mocking comments about people of faith, amputees in Ghana are walking, going to school and taking care of their families – all because one woman’s courage – as an amputee – to proclaim her conviction that, “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

________________________________________
Peter Rosenberger is the president of Standing With Hope Inc., which is the non-profit prosthetic outreach he and his wife, Gracie, founded in 2002.  He also served as the writer for his wife’s book, Gracie -Standing With Hope (2010 Liberty University Press) .  Peter currently released his second book targeting caregivers entitled WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES-Surviving and Thriving as a Caregiver.

Peter and Gracie, along with their two sons, one of whom attends the United States Military Academy at West Point,  have been the subject of numerous media interviews and features including People magazine, USA TODAY, the “Today” show, Headline News, TBN  WEB MD, and the Associated Press.

 

Want to give the gift that keeps on walking?  Click here to learn more.

[nggallery id=1]

 

A Faith-Based Organization

A reporter is writing a story  for a major secular magazine on Gracie and our work in helping provided artificial limbs for amputees  in Ghana. After collecting the facts and back-story, she emailed me yesterday to ask one more question:  “I’ve heard various groups use the term ‘faith-based organization,’ and it seems to take on different meanings.  How would you describe what that term means in the case of Standing With Hope?”

Below is my reply:

As to faith based, the term has been somewhat diluted  over the past decade, but in our case …our Christian faith is very real to us, and has sustained us through what any observer would agree is a nightmare journey.

We have “street cred” when it comes to difficulties …and others want to know why we’re still married, why we care enough to go to places like Ghana, and sometimes (in a brutally candid way), others [when learning of Gracie's intense pain, 70+ surgeries, and amputation of both legs] have even asked Gracie why she hasn’t committed suicide.

There’s no magic secret, it’s just that we continue to experience a love, an awareness, and a sustaining strength greater than coping mechanisms such as alcohol, drugs, sex, or anything else that serves as a “escape” for hurting lives.

I know my sin, my failures, and my shortcomings.  God loved me enough to wipe all of that from my record, bear it himself, and even goes so far as to call me his child.  That’s why Gracie and I are free to give and love …because we have been given such a great gift …and loved so lavishly.  How can WE NOT share that with others?

As our faith has sustained, comforted, and even grown through our journey, we feel compelled to offer the same hope we depend upon.

There’s a wonderful verse in scripture where the Apostle Peter and Apostle John were heading to the temple and they encounter a lame man begging.  Looking at him, Peter stated, “Silver and Gold have I none …but such as I have I give.  In the name of Jesus Christ, stand up and walk.”  Then they reached down, took the man by the hand, and lifted him to his feet.  The verse goes on to state, “He went walking and leaping …and praising God.”

To the best of our abilities, that is what  Standing With Hope seeks to do…as a faith-based organization.

Peter Rosenberger

ps.  the writer seemed to appreciate my reply.

• A Bubble Wrap Covering       $ 15.00
• A Life and Limb Bag                $ 25.00
• Sponsoring a Prosthetist      $100.00

The gift that keeps on walking:   Priceless.

Click on Box or this text to Donate

 

“Why yes, Officer …that IS a box of feet in the back seat. Why do ask?”

From a patient’s actual medical chart:

“On the second day the ankle was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.”

Did you know that April 21 is “Limb-Loss Awareness Day?”

Me neither.  No, I really didn’t.

My wife’s been an amputee since 1991, I run a prosthetic limb organization, and I just found this out.   Guess it doesn’t get much press.  Kind of weird to put Limb-Loss Awareness Day in April …because April is National Foot Health Awareness Month.

Do you think that maybe they put “Limb-Loss Awareness Day” towards the end of  “Foot Health Awareness” month …as a slap at people fail to take care of their feet at the beginning of the month?  Hmmmm.

Regardless of both of these events, we’ve had a big week …watch the video and see.  After dropping off some more used prosthetic limbs we received this week, I picked up 48 feet (and other recycled components) disassembled by the inmates we partner with at Corrections Corporation of America.

• We even had a handful of arms (if you’ll pardon the pun).   

That’s four-dozen people who will walk on custom fit legs using these recycled components.

Now, we need your help to raise the $2,500 to ship not only those components, but the entire pallet I’ve been assembling today.  On it are:
Prosthetic socks
Knee Units
Additional feet we’ve been collecting from prosthetic companies
Pylons
Shoes
Sleeves/Liners
Other prosthetic related materials

 

We also have a large shipment of prosthetic legs and other supplies coming from a prosthetist in Florida (enough to fill the back of a large pickup truck.)

Shipping is a big cost …and you can help by simply clicking on the donate now button.

On National Limb Loss Awareness Day …in the middle of National Foot Health Awareness month,  help us get these wonderful used “healthy” feet to people suffering from limb-loss.

Together, we’re giving the gift that keeps on walking!


Check out our team heading over in August!

 

Kraig Helberg

Kraig Helberg, a certified prosthetist from Pennsylvania, is currently preparing for his 7th trip to Ghana to with Standing With Hope.

His more than twenty years of experience makes Kraig a critical team member …and his mechanical and technical skills have saved the day more than once while we work in less than ideal circumstances. Kraig’s research and leadership helped us identify a new resin to use in socket manufacturing that is not only saving us a great deal of money, but it also helps the techs in Ghana make better sockets …and fabricate them more efficiently.

As our primary technical adviser, Kraig constantly brings new ideas of efficiency to our system. He has located a new vacuum pump system that we are currently raising support to purchase …and, just yesterday, approached us with a solution to our having to purchase so many PVA bags (used for laminating sockets) . By easily shipping over a small bag of the cellulose acetate crystals  Kraig located, we can combine them with a gallon of acetone purchased in Ghana …to create a “paint” that is applied in the socket manufacturing process that reduces by half the number of PVA bags needed for each leg. Each PVA bag used for laminating a socket costs about $2.00 each (depending upon size). They often break or rip in application …and this new technique recommended by Kraig will save a lot of money in materials …and in shipping.

This is just one of the many ways that Kraig continues to be a valued team member with Standing With hope …and we need your help to send him over in May. Take a moment to give your tax deductible gift of $50, $100, or even better, sponsor his entire trip for $3,500!

At 6’7″, Kraig is the gentle giant the Ghanaians have come to love (and look a little wild-eyed at …when they see his huge frame!) Your donation of any amount towards sponsoring this amazing and gifted servant to work in Ghana is HUGELY appreciated!



Nearly thirty years ago, Standing With Hope founder, Gracie Rosenberger, experienced a car accident that left her family and friends reeling as they witnessed a tragic event …and the ensuing 70+ surgeries and multiple amputations that seemed to forever change a young girl’s life.

It did change her life, as well as the lives of a great many others. Help us add more changed lives to the story by sponsoring Kraig for our May  trip to Ghana.

(100% tax deductible)

 

Did you know that used prosthetic limbs can be recycled? Click here for more information

Are Your Feet Barking?

Did you know that:

April is National Foot Health Awareness Month?

In the busy salon where my wife Gracie often treats herself to a manicure, the young manicurist grew increasingly distracted and paid little attention to Gracie’s somewhat “different” condition.  After receiving the manicure, my wife made an effort to collect her things and leave …only to hear the evidently preoccupied manicurist indifferently offer her spiel of asking for more business by blurting out, “You’re a pretty lady, you get a pedicure?”

Gracie reacted with surprise that the woman had overlooked the artificial legs clearly visible below her skirt.  My wife does not wear cosmetic skin coverings over her robotic looking legs …so they kind of stand out!   Smiling at her, Gracie responded, “I can’t get a pedicure …I don’t have any feet!”

Clearly not understanding my wife …while hurriedly looking to grab another customer, the young technician whirled her attention elsewhere while loudly saying to my wife, “OK …maybe next time you get a pedicure!”

Shaking her head, Gracie could not help but smile.

Whereas Gracie no longer has the feet she entered life with, the vast majority of us do …and it is important to care for them.  April is National Foot Health Awareness Month; an awareness that takes on a different meaning for my wife and our family.  Dealing with prosthetic limbs for more than twenty years has helped impress upon me the importance and complexity of these wonderful things we call feet.  The whole body benefits when we baby our feet, and here are a five easy things you can do to care for those impressive appendages that often bark at us when we mistreat them.

 

Get a pedicure.  Go ahead and treat yourself to a good foot washing, nail clipping, feet scraping, and shin/calf massage.  Don’t be frightened by the scene from Dumb and Dumber where a grinder was used on Jim Carrey’s excessively long toenails; I’m pretty sure such extreme measures are not needed in most cases. Your feet work hard …so take them out for a joy ride!

 

Limit the high heels.  Yes, they can be very attractive, but they wreak havoc on your feet …particularly toes.  If she still had feet, Gracie would probably wear heels a time or two …but she loves flats, and more importantly, FEET love FLATS.

 

Use extreme pickiness when buying sneakers for jogging.  Do the homework when selecting running shoes  …and do not skimp!  Pounding your feet on the pavement can be a brutal experience, and if they aren’t properly cushioned, you will feel it all the way to the top of your head.  Good running shoes can be expensive, but not nearly as costly as the damage resulting from jogging with cheap shoes.

 

Invest in a quality arch support.  Orthotists and podiatrists can offer fabulous help …but you have to make the appointment and ask!  A well-fitted, custom arch support can literally change your life by helping with not only foot pain, but even helps with the pain caused by lack of quality support in knees, back, and even headaches.  Custom arch supports are often expensive, but they quickly pay for themselves in providing a comfortable fit.  Check with your insurance company to see if they may help cover these important devices.

Make sure your shoes fit properly!  With a little elbow grease and a good shoehorn (and sometimes a hammer), I can squeeze Gracie’s prosthetic feet into tinier shoes–without her feeling uncomfortable.    If the shoe is too big, I’ll stuff tissues into the toes of the shoe …and voila, a “perfect fit.”  Her situation is much different than most of us, so people with feet of flesh and blood, instead of carbon fiber, need to pick the right-sized shoe. On a related note, I always thought it hilarious that following the amputation of her legs, Gracie asked for a foot size that would allow her to have the best selection of shoes.  (She also asked to be taller, but that’s a different subject! )

Again, check with a podiatrist or orthotist as to the perfect sized shoe for your feet.

Although the technology used to make Gracie’s prosthetic feet is astounding, it can’t replace God’s design.  As someone who lives with an individual with no feet, while also running an organization that provides artificial feet to amputees overseas, I urge everyone  this National Foot Awareness Month (and every month) to use a little extra care for the precious parts of our bodies that take us wherever we want to travel.

Peter W. Rosenberger is the president of Standing With Hope, the nonprofit prosthetic limb outreach he and his wife, Gracie, founded in 2002. With a lengthy history of speaking and media interviews including People magazine, Fox News, The Today Show, CNN and the Associated Press, Peter is also the author of numerous articles and served as the writer for his wife’s book, Gracie-Standing With Hope (Liberty University Press). Peter is currently working on his next book, in which he offers encouragement and practical help to caregivers of chronically ill individuals.

Recycle Prosthetic Limbs

We’ve heard from many families over the years who called to say that a loved one who wore a prosthesis passed away …and they didn’t know what to do with the limb. Often with great emotion, they ask if we would take the device. One woman recently sent of box of limbs that belonged to her husband …who passed away in 1994!

We need your help in sharing this post with as many as possible so that we can connect to those who have used limbs just gathering dust in a closet. We are so honored that spouses, children, and other family members will trust us with a used prosthesis…and we absolutely will take those limbs, recycle all the useable parts, and ship them overseas to help serve another person. Gracie herself has rummaged through the closet to find prosthetic feet or other materials she no longer uses …and we recycle virtually every part! Prosthetic socks, liners, sleeves, and belt systems …we will take it all. If a shoe is on the artificial foot, please don’t forget to include the other shoe!

So DON’T let a used artificial limb go to waste …and just collect dust. We can recycle the limbs not being used …particularly the feet. Now, with our partnership with Corrections Corporation of America, inmates volunteer to disassemble those donated limbs to help recycle all the useable parts. (Watch the short video below and See the Press Release)

Click Here to Learn More About Other Ways to Get Involved!

Mail The Used Limbs to:

Metro Davidson County Detention Facility
Standing With Hope Program
Attn: Mr. Wilson
5115 Harding Place
Nashville, TN 37211

If you would like a receipt of this donation in kind, please include the name of the individual donating the limb with the device (confidentially maintained).  Also, if there is a shoe on the prosthetic leg, please include the other shoe!

 

So turn that Foot Loose (oh c’mon you know that’s funny!), and recycle that prosthetic limb in order to help someone else be able to walk.

Valentine’s Day …Loving While In Pain

Can there be romance in pre-op? How about while in so much pain that it is hard to see straight. What if the love of your life is chronically ill or hurting …and you feel too weary from caregiving to make a microwave dinner, much less organize a special Valentine’s Day event?

More than twenty-five years ago, I married my wife shortly after she endured a horrific car accident that, to date, has cost her more than seventy operations (fifty on my watch, so far), the amputation of both legs, and nearly nine million dollars in medical bills.  Through this continuing ordeal, we have had countless hospital stays during birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays …including Valentine’s Day.

Raising a family and keeping love alive in a marriage with a spouse who is constantly sick or in severe pain is an extreme challenge;  one with many casualties.  The divorce rate in couples with a disability in the family hovers around ninety percent, and relationships with a disability or chronic medical condition …daily face significant pressures on the love holding the marriage together.  Relationships that endure through these types of challenges seem to all share four characteristics which allow love to transcend the brutal circumstances.

SEPARATE THE PERSON FROM THE PAIN How do you keep love and passion thriving in a chronic medical catastrophe where the suffering is not limited to a short-term illness or injury?  Different from Alzheimer’s or dementia, marriages impacted by one spouse living with a broken or diseased body while retaining complete cognitive awareness … encounter a different set of emotional trials for the marriage.  The challenge for the healthy spouse is to maneuver through the minefield of medical issues, attending to each of them, but never losing sight of the suffering person’s heart.  The challenge for the sick or injured spouse, even from a wheelchair or while in severe chronic pain, is to recognize that matters of the heart, though often less demanding, are just as important (if not more so) as the needs of the body.

LIVE WHILE HURTING It is appropriate to acknowledge our hurts, but, after more than a quarter century of living with someone who daily suffers from severe chronic pain, I have witnessed the difference between “living with pain” versus “living while in pain.”

As Christ hung on the cross in excruciating pain; (the word “excruciating” is a Roman word invented to describe the horrific pain of crucifixion), He acknowledged His own agony, but never wavered from the relationship between Himself and His Father, His mother, the thief dying next to Him …and even those who crucified Him.  He lived while in pain.

To love someone IS to live …even while burdened with extreme agony and challenges.

LOVE WHILE HURTING Everyone hurts at some point; even supermodels and professional athletes suffer physically at times. Using sickness or feeling bad as an excuse to disconnect from the needs of close relationships sets a horrible and destructive precedent that seems to say, “I can be focused only on me whenever I feel bad.”

Experience teaches me that life-changing and transcending love abounds when we choose to turn our eyes to others …particularly (and peculiarly) while carrying great burdens ourselves.  We cannot escape the relentless difficulties in this life; we do however, have the opportunity to embrace each other, even while in pain, and discover love …and romance, are not dependent on external circumstances, but instead reside solely in the heart.  As the wonderful Rodgers and Hart song stated so well:

My romance doesn’t have to have a moon in the sky

My romance doesn’t need a blue lagoon standing by;

No month of May, no twinkling stars,

No hide away, no soft guitars.

 

My romance doesn’t need a castle rising in Spain,

Nor a dance to a constantly surprising refrain.

Wide awake, I can make my most fantastic dreams come true.

My romance doesn’t need a thing but you.

SEE THE HEART NOT “THE CHART” For caregivers on Valentine’s Day, if the love of your life struggles with chronic disease or injury, take a moment to see beyond the medical chart, the broken body and the pain-filled eyes …and connect to the heart of the extraordinary person who captured your heart.  And for those suffering, look deeply into the eyes of the weary soul who looks after you, quietly hold hands together, and bask in the love you both share; a love that is defying the odds.

Peter W. Rosenberger is the president of Standing With Hope, the non-profit prosthetic limb outreach he and his wife, Gracie, founded in 2002.  With a lengthy history of speaking and media interviews including People Magazine, The Today Show, CNN, and the Associated Press, Peter is also the author of numerous articles and served as the writer for his wife’s book, Gracie-Standing With Hope©2010 Liberty University Press. Peter is currently working on his next book in which he offers encouragement and practical help to caregivers of chronically ill individuals.

__________________________________________________

Grace and Peter with Ken and Joni Tada (2-13-2012) Together, these two couples have more than fifty years of marriage. Joni and Gracie have more than 70 years of suffering between them.

 

Caregiver tips

• 1 counseling session per month (pastor, psychologist, etc…)
• 2 hours per week doing something for yourself (support group, movie, golf,  etc…)
• 30 minutes each day of physical activity

From the 1-2-30 Survival Guide for Caregivers (C) 2012 Peter W. Rosenberger

Easy Tips for A Medical Insurance Deductible

 

Each January, in addition to bills from Christmas, those pesky medical insurance deductibles begins anew; adding a little more excitement to the stack of things screaming at a checkbook still deflated from holiday expenses.  Now deductibles aren’t a problem for every one, but when a household member has chronic or permanent medical issues, the rollover at the first of the year can be a bit challenging.

In order to keep my head above water and not pay massive premiums every month, I purposely set my wife’s deductible to the highest amount allowed, but that means I have to scrape together a goodly sum before her insurance company pays even one dime.  In addition, a co-pay adds another $1,000 before her bills are covered at one hundred percent (if it is in-network).  Her extreme issues (she’s endured more than seventy operations, including the amputation of both legs) usually means that we reach the $3,500 mark before March …in fact, we had a small procedure performed on January 4, 2012, and several more tests on the 13^th.   After dealing with this for more than twenty-five years, I learned a few tips on handling these kind of expenses each year; tips that may be helpful to others struggling with long-term medical issues …and those who already have health insurance.  (If you do not have health insurance, that’s another article …but, regardless of the ineptness in Washington, there’s also an answer for that issue.)

First, although billing offices for doctors and hospitals state that payment is due upon service, have them file it with your insurance company first …and ask them to bill you whatever the insurance company doesn’t pay.  Your insurance company may have a preferred provider contract with your doctor or hospital, so the rates could change significantly …even for out of pocket charges.  If you are dealing with a long-term illness or disability, you will have chronic bills to match your chronic condition, so don’t be in a hurry to write checks.  Most providers would rather you owe them  …instead of needing to send you a check for an overpayment. Let the dust settle from the insurance company …and then evaluate what you owe.

Second, read the bills thoroughly to ensure the charges and dates of service are legitimate.  Most doctors, labs, and hospitals use good computer systems …but human beings still enter the data.  Serving as my wife’s caregiver for a couple of decades, I learned a long time ago to check the statements.  To date, her medical bills are approaching $9 million, and, along the way, I have discovered numerous billing mistakes.  Keep files for every provider (preferably scanned and indexed) and double-check the explanation of benefits (EOB) relating to every bill issued by providers.

Third, make a point to get to know the billing office for all the providers you use.  My wife has five key physicians, two hospitals, two pharmacists, and a prosthetist she regularly visits.  Each of these providers not only knows us well, but their billing offices are also familiar with her case. Through many conversations with them, I have clearly communicated that she is a “regular” and will be requiring their services …for the long haul.  It may seem unnecessary to tell a provider that a patient with a permanent disability will be a “regular,” but just like everyone else, doctors and hospital staff sometimes miss the obvious.

A fourth item to keep in mind is that your providers’ office will work with you on the charges you are responsible to pay.  Of the $3,500 (minimum) I am responsible for every year, that total is usually split between three or four providers.  Home Depot and Lowes will offer interest-free specials on a microwave oven, so don’t feel nervous or weird about discussing a no-interest payment arrangement with your medical providers. Most all of them do it anyway, but in the event that you have a provider that wants to charge you interest …tell them “no,” and get another provider.  After working with more than fifty doctors and twelve hospitals, I have yet to meet a provider who won’t work with me on some type of payment plan…sometimes as little as $15 a month.

Should a billing office employee treat you disrespectfully while you are sincerely attempting to arrange a payment plan, report them immediately to their supervisor …or even the provider.  Never forget that, although a long-term illness or disability is unpleasant and difficult, your condition is profit center for hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies, and you help keep them in business.  By even carrying health insurance, you have already demonstrated a high level of responsibility, and you are someone that they can work with regarding payment plans. Never feel embarrassed, ashamed, or even the least self-conscious about asking to spread a deductible and co-pay over a couple of months or even a year.

Lastly, the first of every year is a good time to lay out a plan of care.  Sit down with your doctor and ask them pointedly about specific goals for the year.  As someone with long term issues, your case is more complicated than a teenager who breaks an arm while playing sports.  Regular discussions laying out key objectives are an important part of effectively managing a chronic illness and disability.  Wound care, durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, adaptive devices, etc…), pain management, drug interactions, emotional well-being, and a many other items need to be constantly evaluated and addressed.  Take a list of items to each doctor visit, and be sure to update your list regularly.  No matter how professional or caring your doctor is, no one will ever care more about your condition that you do …so it is important for you (or your caregiver) to demonstrate leadership to all the individuals working on “your team.”

Regardless of what so called “experts” say, America’s health care system is not complicated …but it can be intimidating.  A little common sense, personal responsibility, and assertiveness will solve a great many of the headaches that not only arrive each January with new deductibles, but will also help with other issues that arise throughout the year.

 

Peter W. Rosenberger is the president of Standing With Hope, the non-profit prosthetic limb outreach he and his wife, Gracie, founded in 2002.  With a lengthy history of speaking and media interviews including People Magazine, The Today Show, CNN, and the Associated Press, Peter is also the author of numerous articles and served as the writer for his wife’s book, Gracie-Standing With Hope©2010 Liberty University Press. He is currently working on his next book for caregivers.

[nggallery id=12]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cross Before Me

When catastrophic events occur, God often sends extraordinary people to help serve as sources of poignant life lessons.  This story is about one of those remarkable individuals: a tiny, ancient nun who ignored the misguided demands of a teenager facing a  lifetime of suffering …and instead pointed Gracie to the cross literally right before her eyes.

 

 

Editor’s note: In 1983, Gracie Parker Rosenberger fell asleep at the wheel and experienced a horrific car accident that has led to more than six dozen operations …including the amputation of both legs. Although saddled with nearly nine million dollars in health care costs and ongoing severe chronic pain, Gracie has defied the odds and emerged as a powerful voice of courage and inspiration to individuals around the world.  The non-profit prosthetic limb outreach she and her husband, Peter, founded, Standing With Hope, continues to help amputees in developing countries. Married for twenty-five years, Gracie and Peter live in Nashville, TN.

 

 

 

 The Cross Before Me

 

You may never know that JESUS is all you need, until JESUS is all you have. —Corrie ten Boom
Things that hurt, instruct. —Benjamin Franklin

In 1633 Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac trained local peasant women to care for the poor and sick. This initiative launched the Daughters of Charity as a mission from the Roman Catholic Church, which expanded to America. In 1898, the Daughters of Charity founded Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Never noticing Saint Thomas Hospital during my brief time as a freshman at Belmont University before the wreck, I knew nothing of the rich history, mission, or theology of the hospital now serving as my home.

Without any opportunity to explore my surroundings, I interacted with the precious few things in my limited field of vision, but critical care is not known for spectacular views and scenic windows. Half of my body suspended in traction, I could only face straight ahead, and all there was to see on the wall before me was a ten-inch crucifix placed there dutifully by the Daughters of Charity.

Raised Baptist, I took issue with the crucifix. No matter that I was in excruciating pain (the word excruciating is a Latin word invented by Roman soldiers to describe the horrific pain of the cross), I somehow found the wherewithal to have a theological argument with my new landlords, and implored my father to remove the crucifix. Each time I succeeded in motivating Daddy to remove the crucifix, however, a tiny, ancient nun named Sister Euphemia almost instantly appeared to place it back on the wall. Her demeanor clearly communicated this was a non-negotiable issue, and she carried a presence about her that would likely cause trained soldiers to defer and back up.

In every waking moment, all I could see was a crucifix …just off to the side of my suspended right leg. That crucifix became the focal point of all my fear, anger, rage, and heartache. I suppose the crucifix remaining on the wall represented my inability to change, alter, or in any way exert control over my circumstances. I didn’t want it there, I didn’t like it …and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

After leaving critical care and transferring to a regular floor, I discovered the nuns of the Daughters of Charity dutifully displayed a crucifix in every hospital room. “Jesus rose from the dead, and is no longer on the cross, so take it down!” I often demanded through the clenched teeth of my wired mouth.

Sister Euphemia exercised free reign over the entire hospital, and so she took it upon herself to follow me from critical care to the regular floor. Able to do whatever she wished, while I remained stuck in a hospital bed, she chose to ignore the silly demands of a seventeen-year-old girl, and instead went about her self-appointed task of educating Mary Grace Parker. Had Sister
Euphemia been alive in 1633 (and I’m not totally sure she wasn’t), it’s doubtful that Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac would have achieved sainthood, much less start the Daughters of Charity. Democracy was not an important word to Sister Euphemia. She had rules; she liked rules. But her rules ruled everyone else’s rules.

Over the months of recovery, dozens of flowers often filled my room. One day, Sister Euphemia pushed a cart into my room and loaded it with many of the vases filled with beautiful arrangements. Mom worked hard to carefully place the lovely flowers around the bed, bedside table, and the shelf along the wall, and she cared for them every day. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched a nun of all people …pilfering them.

“What are you doing with my flowers?!” I helplessly implored from my bed.

“Mary Grace, (oh, the sisters loved my full name), you have more than enough, and there are others around you who have none.”

So, off she went with a cart full of my flowers ….and a replaced crucifix on the wall. I could only fume in bed, while angrily staring at the crucifix. Humming to herself while pushing the cart down the hall, Sister Euphemia clearly ignored the pleas echoing from my room as she happily distributed MY flowers to other people.

I never heard if she told the other grateful patients the origin of the “donated” floral arrangements!

During one of many times I loudly complained while feeling sorry for myself, she abruptly entered the room pushing a man in a wheelchair. Nashville hosts an expansive prison just 10 miles from St. Thomas Hospital, and this man, up until getting a severe sinus infection that progressed into his brain, was serving life sentence at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. Part of his skull was removed following a radical brain surgery. I later learned he died just ten yards from my room. As an eighteen-year-old girl (my eighteenth birthday was two months after my wreck), I found the encounter with that man shocking and deeply disturbing. Sister Euphemia’s only comment while replacing the crucifix on the wall was, “I thought it might have
been good for you two to meet.”

Her point was not lost. Suffering lay all around me, and I wasn’t the only one struggling. My vast rage, heartache, self-pity, and overall misery …all collided with a tiny nun who refused to budge, compromise, or in any way give in to my outbursts, moods, or even pain.

Sister Euphemia was neither heartless nor cruel; quite the opposite. Looking back, I think she recognized the trauma to my body, and so she focused on my spirit. Her whole life spent in treating the sick and wounded, she could imagine the difficult future looming ahead for me. She clearly believed that for me to survive, I needed to learn to give out of my lack; even if it meant the precious few things I owned …like flowers. Living a life filled with pain causes many to retreat into them-selves, rendering them ineffectual and sidelined from life. Introducing a well to-do co-ed to a wretched, dying prisoner, Sister Euphemia recognized the need to startle me out of self-pity …and into living a life of purpose; embracing the heartache of others literally lying at my doorstep.

With all those things in mind, she threw herself into caring for me in the best way she knew how: she pointed me to Christ. More specifically, Sister Euphemia recognized my need to better understand the cross; to cultivate an awareness of what Jesus did for me on that cross … so she made sure I focused on it every day.

The crucifix remained. In every room, surgical suite, holding room, post-op room, and x-ray room …I witnessed a crucifix prominently displayed. The weeks turned into months, and the months became years as I journeyed back and forth to St. Thomas for lengthy follow-up stays and procedures. Often, I hallucinated while looking at the crucifix; snakes seem to writhe around it, and I woke up screaming. During many of those episodes, Sister Euphemia suddenly appeared to pray over me until I fell back asleep.

As pain remained my constant companion, the tiny image of Jesus on the cross filled my vision. While rage and heartache choked me, my eyes could only see the cross. Yelling, crying, and screaming; the crucifix silently hung on the wall offering no commentary.

Rods the size of my little finger pierced through my ankles, tibias and femurs …of both legs. These metal rods protruded out either side of each leg and connected to cables running along the top of the orthopedic bar mounted to my bed. Various weights hung from those cables creating the appropriate tension on my crushed legs as they healed. Any adjustments to those weights caused such pain to course over my body that is impossible to describe with mere words. Only a patient care technician named Frank Drake, a legend at Saint Thomas, could appropriately adjust the weights to relieve any of the anguish caused by the traction system. Screaming and begging for Frank to come in the middle of the night, the crucifix remained passively suspended in front of my tortured body.

In that position, having to do any restroom type functions became nightmares of agony and humiliation. The crucifix hung on the wall as I moaned in shame and pain.

Over time, gazing day after day at the rods piercing my legs, the details of the crucifix grew clearer to my eyes, and my heart was flooded with awareness; He truly understood.

Slowly, I came to view the crucifix differently. I gradually accepted that Jesus endured the cross, and all that suffering and humiliation, on my behalf. I accepted Jesus as my savior years earlier in the encounter with Corrie ten Boom, and although failing to understand His purpose in my suffering, I made the decision in that very hospital room to continue trusting God. But I guess it never registered how much suffering He endured due to my black heart.

In an abstract way, I knew He died for the sins of the world …particularly because of people like Hitler, but lying in my bed at Saint Thomas Hospital, the awful realization crept over me; He chose to die because of me. Me personally; not just all mankind lumped together. As He hung there, He knew my name.

Pondering that thought, I looked at my pierced, broken, and scarred legs hanging from ropes and pulleys lifted in the foreground …almost as if they were lifted up to the crucifix in the background.

Wiping the tears now rolling down my face onto the hospital gown and sheet; I couldn’t even get to a box of Kleenex. It’s hard to bow your head in a hospital bed, so fumbling with all the tubes and IV lines, I put my hands over my face …and sobbed. All I could do was simply say His name.

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”

Several years passed and finally, after dozens of surgeries and years of struggling, I made peace with the crucifix; thankfulness replaced my misguided anger and indignation. When confronted with the reality of Christ’s sacrifice for me, gratitude floods my heart. Gratitude for the precious gift of salvation that God provided, gratitude for His own profound understanding of suffering, pain, and humiliation …and gratitude for a little nun who pointed me to Him.

Postscript
When a member of the Daughters of Charity passes away, a library containing photos, letters, publications, and a variety of other collected items is established to honor the member’s life. The Daughters of Charity placed this story in the library of Sister Euphemia Baschnagel.

 

[nggallery id=5]

Changing Lives …One Leg At A Time

Seven years ago (January 2005), we launched a prosthetic limb outreach in Ghana …on faith with no training, funding, or support.  After becoming a double amputee, Gracie simply felt a calling in her heart from God to reach others missing limbs.

We built a training program, provided supplies …and since then hundreds of people have received the gift of walking …and hundreds of thousands have heard this story and more importantly, the life changing message of God’s salvation!  We started with one local technician in Ghana …and now there are six, and two additional ones have trained from neighboring Togo.

Now, inmates are volunteering for a groundbreaking program to disassemble donated used limbs that we collect from around the country.  We recycle all components possible …and use them in our work in West Africa.

Below is a testimony from our first patient, Jonathan Anu-Kwa.  Sadly, we lost Jonathan to Malaria two years ago …but, for five years,  he WALKED until the day he went to be with the Lord.

We want to reach even more people …and lift even more amputees up on high quality prosthetic limbs.  We invite you to participate by contributing a 100% tax deductible year end gift today.  Watch Jonathan’s story …and consider supporting Standing With Hope.

[album id=3 template=extend]

Operation “Foot Loose”

Don’t let an artificial leg go to waste …and just collect dust.

We can recycle the limbs not being used …particularly the feet. Now, with our partnership with Corrections Corporation of America, inmates volunteer to disassemble those donated limbs …so that we can recycle all the useable parts.

We are working to get the word out to keep gathering used limbs, and the volunteer inmates, who really love this program, are working faster than expected …and are asking for more limbs.

Here’s a quote from  one of the inmates who wrote me a letter:  Before I was locked up, I never thought about people crippled in their bodies.  Standing With Hope has not only opened my eyes, but opened my heart.” 

(See the Press Release)

 

We’ve heard from many families over the years who called to say that a loved one who wore a prosthesis passed away …and they didn’t know what to do with the limb. Often with great emotion, they ask if we would take the device.

We are so honored that spouses, children, and other family members will trust us with a used prosthesis…and we absolutely will take those limbs, recycle all the useable parts, and ship them overseas to help serve another person. Gracie herself has rummaged through the closet to find prosthetic feet or other materials she no longer uses …and we recycle virtually every part!

Prosthetic socks, liners, sleeves, and belt systems …we will take it all.

Mail The Used Limbs to:

Metro Davidson County Detention Facility
Standing With Hope Program
Attn: Mr. Wilson
5115 Harding Place
Nashville, TN 37211

If you would like a receipt of this donation in kind, please include the name of the individual donating the limb with the device (confidentially maintained).  Also, if there is a shoe on the prosthetic leg, please include the other shoe!

 

So turn that Foot Loose (oh c’mon you know that’s hysterical), and recycle that prosthetic limb in order to help someone else be able to walk.

(Click below to watch a short video showing more!)

 

Friday, November 18, 1983

We all have significant events that chart us away from our dreams or plans. Far different from “roads diverged in a yellow wood,” these life-altering moments thrust us into the uncharted, unexpected, and unimagined. From blowing out candles on a cake …to a memorial service, it seems hardwired into our psyche to count the milestones placed in some type of sequential order to mark an occasion that forever changed our lives.

For our family, today is one of those times where we pause briefly to reflect on the journey.

On Friday, November 18, 1983, seventeen-year-old Gracie Parker climbed into her car on the campus of Belmont University …and embarked on a journey beyond anything she imagined. At approximately 12:30 PM, (CST), she fell asleep at the wheel, slammed into a cement abutment …and violently and irreparably changed the course of her life.

 

Less than an hour prior to the accident, Gracie scribbled lyrics to a friend’s song she listened to while driving (yes, she knows that was not the best idea). Authorities collected the bloodstained notebook containing those lyrics following the wreck, and it is in my office today. As Gracie continues recording the audio version of her book, I heard her sing that tune for the first time, and so I thought I would include it in this letter …click on picture to enlarge. (You can hear Gracie sing the tune by clicking on the video link below).

Many people are familiar with Gracie’s journey, but yesterday provided another chapter …in the unlikeliest place: a correctional facility. (Not for me! Honestly, did you really just go there?!)

We launched a partnership with Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) to start a work project for inmates to disassemble the used prosthetic limbs we receive …so that the components, pylons, feet, adaptors, connectors, etc. can be recycled in Standing With Hope’s prosthetic limb outreach in Ghana.

The program works out of the Wheels for the World shop at the prison. Wheels for the World is the wheelchair ministry of our dear friend Joni Eareckson-Tada. Gracie and I called Joni after leaving the prison to tell her about the day …and you could hear the deep emotion Joni expressed at hearing the news of yet another chapter in HER life. Joni’s comment was eloquent and simple: “Broken people, working with broken people …to reach more broken people.”

Yesterday, I watched Gracie, who is struggling to walk now, take the arms of inmates who helped her from room to room. I saw the tears and laughter in her eyes as she witnessed God weaving more stories into her life …and through her life. You can’t witness such a thing without feeling a profound impact.
Sharing with reporters, I said “What better place to commemorate the anniversary of Gracie’s wreck and how God continues to touch lives through that event …than at a facility full of people who made heartbreaking choices with lifetime consequences?”

 

 

While teaching the inmates how to disassemble the used limbs (they didn’t teach me that in college where I majored in music!), I looked at the men gathered in the room and said, “You are here because of bad choices you made; choices with severe consequences that can’t be changed. But your story is not limited to this place. People will stand and walk because of your work with Standing With Hope …and your story is now connected to their story.”

Nodding with understanding, many of them looked at me with deep emotion on their faces.

 

As Gracie lay trapped and dying in her twisted, burning car nearly three decades ago this afternoon, she cried out, “Jesus, only you can save me now!”

Sometimes, we slam into things that are so painful …and they have us completely trapped. Cut off from all we know, we sit in our own twisted wreck …and despair; often while seemingly looking into the very fires of Hell itself.
It is in that EXACT moment when we cry out, “Jesus, only you can save us!”

Twenty-eight years ago today, Gracie had no idea of the story God purposed to tell through her life. Those inmates are part of that story, YOU are part of that story.
If God does this with incarcerated men and a woman with a broken body, be encouraged to the amazing story He is working in your life today.

Broken people working with broken people to reach broken people …while pointing to the ONE who was broken for us.

Peter Rosenberger

VIDEO/AUDIO CLIP OF GRACIE

How it Started

 

I’m Gracie Rosenberger, and from my own journey of having both legs amputated, I know the lifetime needs of caring for people with limb-loss.  But lifetime …can also translate to “dependent,” and we want the people we treat to stand on their own two feet (literally!)

After giving up both of my legs following my car accident, I knew that God impressed upon my heart to reach others who didn’t have access to prosthetic limbs. As great as our health care system is here in America, there are amputees who can’t afford a limb …and so for a while I served on the board of directors for Oklahoma-based Limbs for Life. (A great organization that helps Americans who can’t afford artificial limbs.)

Wanting to reach even more amputees, my heart was pulled beyond our borders to developing countries …where not only were limbs unaffordable for most, but in many places there aren’t even prosthetic services being offered.  I shared my vision with our friends at Wheels for the World, a ministry started by my dear friend, Joni Eareckson-Tada …and they suggested we start in Ghana.  Gulping (actually Peter nearly had a cow at the thought of taking me to West Africa), we trusted Joni’s team …and more importantly Christ …and we launched our prosthetic limb outreach in Ghana. (You have to read the whole story in my new book …it will make you laugh and rejoice!)

Clearly understanding the lifetime needs of an amputee, we created an infrastructure to care for each patient’s ongoing requirements.  We trained (and continue training) local workers to create custom-fitted carbon fiber sockets for each patient, and then used recycled components, feet, pylons, knees, etc… from used limbs here in the US. (Some materials cannot be recycled and have to be purchased new ...but we reuse every possible component from donated limbs.)

Starting November 2011, inmates incarcerated with Corrections Corporation of America will launch a brand new work program to help us disassemble the donated used limbs …and then we will ship all the components to West Africa to be used to help others walk.
One of America’s most sacred values is independence …and we promote that value by equipping citizens of other countries with the training and resources to build custom prosthetic limbs for their own people.  Contributing to Standing With Hope, you not only help provide a limb …but you also:

• Create jobs for local prosthetic technicians
• Make it possible for amputees to return to work.
• Equip children missing limbs to attend school
• Enable a parent missing a leg to raise a family
• And assist people with limb-loss in living an active, independent, and productive lifestyle in cultures where individuals with disabilities are often cast aside.

• BubbleWrap Coverings (You’ve GOT to read this …you’ll  shake your head in amazement!

• Recycle a Prosthetic Limb (We take used prosthetic limbs, disassemble them, and re-use the parts …I’ve even done it with some of my own!)
• Sponsor a Prosthetist (We have amazing team members who give of their time to go with us and train local workers!)
• Life and Limb Bags(Peter thought this was a clever name for this bag of important items to care for the patient’s limb —and heart.)

Gracie Rosenberger, Founder

[nggallery id=5]

Prosthetic Limb Outreach FAQ

 

1. What is the number one cause of amputation world-wide?
   Surprising many people, the number one cause of amputation world-wide is due to complications from disease …specifically, diabetes. All that said, most of the children and young adults we treat lose limbs from injuries . Standing With Hope founder, Gracie Rosenberger, lost her limbs as a result of a car accident. Landmines and war certainly create large numbers of amputees, as well, but limbs with poor circulation due to diabetes create all types of problems for patients …and sadly often end in amputation–particularly in developing countries where medical services are limited.
2. What type of prosthetic limbs does Standing With Hope fabricate?
   Taking in consideration the work and living environments in developing countries, Standing With Hope teaches prosthetic technicians how to build below-the-knee, endoskeleton acrylic resin sockets with a pylon and SACH (Solid Ankle Cushion Heel) foot (or similar type foot). We also developed training clinics for above the knee limbs.
   

   Kraig Helberg showing Alex his new prosthetic limb

3. What is an endo-skeletal prosthesis?
   A prosthesis built more like a human skeleton with support and components on the inside and a cosmetic cover on the outside. This type of socket allows for easy maintenance, adjustment, replacement of feet, etc. Gracie uses this type of prosthesis.
4. What is an exo-skeletal prosthesis?
   A prosthesis that is hollow on the inside with a hard outer surface to bear weight.
5. What is a socket?
   A socket is the portion of prosthesis that fits around the amputated or residual limb (commonly called a “stump”). Prosthetic components are attached to the socket. There are many ways to make a socket including using materials such as wood, polyester resin, acrylic, and thermoplastics. Each of those methods and materials has its own benefits and detractors. For example, a socket carved from a piece of wood is inexpensive but very heavy and usually poor fitting. A thermoplastic socket can be made quickly and for relatively low costs, but requires specialty equipment such as an oven. Thermoplastics are also not as strong and long lasting.
6. What type of socket does Standing With Hope make?
   We use acrylic resin due to its strength and ease to use. Gracie wears an acrylic resin socket, and hers last for many years. They are lightweight, but durable and can withstand the often-extreme conditions in developing countries. They can also be made in a low-tech environment. Standing With Hope uses various resins such as Orthocryl and Eco Lamm that make for better working conditions (no fumes) and these type of resins set up better. Three pieces of machinery are required to make this type of socket: A vacuum pump, a cast saw, and a socket grinder/sander. The clinic in Ghana has all three, and replacements can be provided quickly if necessary. We also have two complete electrical systems (110 and 220) in the event that Ghana’s electrical power is interrupted (happens often). We can quickly utilize the 110 generator provided by Standing With Hope that remains onsite at the clinic …and be back in business within minutes. This model avoids using the large ovens needed for thermoplastic sockets. Those ovens are expensive …and if one breaks, they are not easy to repair or replace.
   Rather than get into the technical steps, watch a short video of the whole process by click on the video at www.standingwithhope.com
   
   
   
   

   Standing With Hope founder, Gracie Rosenberger, helping Emmanuel take his first steps.

1. How long does it take to create a limb?
   The workers in the National Prosthetic Center in Ghana can now create a below-the knee prosthesis in less than six hours. (That is down from the two weeks it took to carve a wooden leg when Standing With Hope arrived in Ghana).
2. Are there faster ways to make limbs?
   Yes. For example, in the USA, computers and machines are used to make the sockets relatively quickly. Computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing has been successfully used in prosthetic applications since 1980s. The principle of socket design, however, has been around for a long time. Due to the lack of hi-tech machines in developing countries, Standing With Hope trains workers to build sockets by hand in a low-tech environment. It is a little more labor-intensive, but there are benefits. The technicians learn a skill that has been around for decades rather than depend upon machines. Devices such as ovens to make thermoplastic sockets, and CAD machines that quickly create sockets are helpful and wonderful … but they are very expensive to purchase and costly to maintain. Taking a different approach that does not rely on technology that is frequently unavailable, Standing With Hope trains workers in time tested principles of socket modification, design, and alignment … in a low-tech environment. Even in the USA, there are many times that Gracie herself requires an expert eye and skill-set in order to properly fit her prostheses. Through the training provided by our experts, we are imparting those skill sets.
3. What is the value of the limb made by Standing With Hope?
   A limb created by the technicians in Africa, using the supplies and training provided by Standing With Hope, is the equivalent of a $7,000 limb in the US. Each limb is developed utilizing the same technique and materials that Gracie herself uses. The greatest emphasis is placed on the socket and alignment. A proper fitting socket ensures comfort, a better walking gait, and less stress on other body parts to compensate. With the advancement of high tech components or conversely less expensive components, the emphasis is often placed on the foot itself i.e. a cheaper foot would be advantageous to developing country. Standing With Hope primarily uses a SACH foot, which has been a long time industry standard with its functionality and ease to repair. In addition to leaders of international prosthetic organizations and suppliers, Standing With Hope relies on the counsel of certified prosthetists who are well respected in international circles. Standing With Hope also leans heavily on Gracie Rosenberger’s own experience as double amputee herself.
4. Who supervises the training of prosthetic technicians in developing countries?
   Standing With Hope recruits US certified prosthetists (CP) to train local workers on building these devices. Each team-leader prosthetist traveling with us has at least twenty years of experience. Our senior prosthetic advisor, James S. McElhiney, has nearly forty-five years of experience as a prosthetist. Mr. McElhiney has served as Gracie’s personal prosthetist since she lost her right leg in 1991, and Mr. McElhiney lost his own leg many years ago. In addition to Mr. McElhiney’s vast experience, our standards reflect Gracie’s and Mr. McElhiney’s personal understanding of limb-loss.
   

   Senior prosthetic advisor, James S. McElhiney working with Ghana Health Services' James Annang.

5. How much does each limb cost?
   At the start, it cost nearly $700, but through training, shipping consolidation, and growth, we’ve been able to cut the cost in half to approximately $350 to provide a limb to an amputee in Ghana. This includes all parts (foot, pylon, etc.) materials for fabricating the limb (resin, carbon fiber, stockinet, adaptors, etc.) and manufacturing costs such as equipment, shipping, and labor. In addition, this cost includes high performance liners and sleeves that below the knee amputees wear. These sleeves and liners are exactly what Gracie herself wears with her prosthetic limbs For above knee amputees, we also provide hi-quality knee units and belt systems.
   There are many ways to make a prosthetic limb, and several of them are cheaper. We feel a responsibility to make hi-quality limbs that will last and perform well in the often-difficult conditions of developing countries. As Christians, we are putting this leg on in order to reflect the Gospel. We want provide the very best we can. We cannot accept placing a limb on an amputee that we know will not last and perform for the patient. As Gracie states, “ I will only place a limb on an amputee that I am willing to wear myself.”
   The patients used in training receive a limb for free and their maintenance is free, as well. For all other patients, the government subsidizes the limbs, and a nominal fee for labor is charged to the patient. That fee comes to approximately $100 for a below knee limb. Many can afford that fee. For those who cannot, the clinic director in Ghana coordinates with Standing With Hope for us to underwrite the costs for the patients …ensuring that no qualified patient is turned away. Our focus is on children and active adults who can return to the work force. The fee is simply for labor of the technicians who work for Ghana Health Services.
6. Can patients in Africa afford paying even a nominal charge?
   Many can afford that fee (See previous FAQ). That is a fee that the ministry of health charges and it goes towards their own expenses. It does not come to Standing With Hope, but instead helps sustain Ghana Health Services’ clinic …so that they can treat more patients.
7. How long does the socket/limb last?
   Each socket is designed to last for a minimum of five years for a fully-grown adult. To date, Gracie’s own prostheses have lasted her for more than six years. Simple maintenance for such things as foot replacement, alignment, etc. , is done at no costs to the patient after the socket is made.

“Turn that FOOTLOOSE!”

 

Don’t let an artificial leg go to waste …and just collect dust. We can recycle the limbs not being used …particularly the feet. Now, with our partnership with Corrections Corporation of America, inmates volunteer to disassemble those donated limbs …so that we can recycle all the useable parts.  See the Press Release

So turn that Foot Loose (oh c’mon you know that’s hysterical), and recycle that prosthetic limb in order to help someone else be able to walk.

(Click below to watch a short video showing more!)

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve heard from many families over the years who called to say that a loved one who wore a prosthesis passed away …and they didn’t know what to do with the limb. Often with great emotion, they ask if we would take the device.

We are so honored that spouses, children, and other family members will trust us with a used prosthesis…and we absolutely will take those limbs, recycle all the useable parts, and ship them overseas to help serve another person. Gracie herself has rummaged through the closet to find prosthetic feet or other materials she no longer uses …and we recycle virtually every part!

Prosthetic socks, liners, sleeves, and belt systems …we will take it all. If a shoe is on the artificial foot, please don’t forget to include the other shoe!

Shipping address:

Metro Davidson County Detention Facility
Standing With Hope Program
Attn: Barton Wilson
5115 Harding Place
Nashville, TN 37211

“Pallet-High”

 

For several years, our friend, Bill Clark, has provided us with wooden pallets for shipping supplies.  Bill’s company, ITNOLAP, is located in Murfreesboro, TN.

Bill educated me on what kind of pallet is needed for overseas shipping, and so forth (you know …I’m a music major and they didn’t teach pallet and shipping logistics in college).

Yesterday, Bill showed up with another one…but on this one, Bill used a marker to write: Isaiah 35-5-6 which reads:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
 and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
 and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
 For waters break forth in the wilderness,
 and streams in the desert;

24 hours later …the pallet is loaded, shrink-wrapped, and ready to ship to Ghana.  (We “piled it high” …get it, PALLET HIGH?  Would you prefer “Bali Ha’i from South Pacific …or is that too obscure?)

(Sigh)

Moving on, the piled high pallet contains: pylons, feet, adapters, connectors, prosthetic socks, liners, and all kinds of other needed items.  This is in addition to the materials we sent last month.

We also have a box of recycled prosthetic legs needing disassembling …that we will soon be taking to the local prison where we will launch the inmate work program partnership with Corrections Corporation of America. (watch the video below).

Starting with Gracie (who continues to rest and deal with her challenges), each link in the chain of help reaching all the way to Africa is comprised of broken bodies and broken lives …all connected to reach other broken bodies and broken lives.  We do this to point to THE ONE who was broken for us.

From something as simple as a pallet …to helping with shipping cost, there are so many ways to equip others to continue Standing With Hope!

 

If You’re Feeling KNEE-dy …This May Help!

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I agree …it is a clever pun, but I cannot take credit for it.  A friend shared it with me this morning.  He chooses to remain anonymous due to his fear of comedy.

Moving along, however, we send out a quarterly newsletter (hard copy) that is now available online, and it’s just what the doctor  …er, prosthetist ordered if you’re feeling like a heel.

OK, that one was mine.

Just click HERE or on picture  …and you can read our new Fall Newsletter. 

SWH-Fall 2011 (pdf)

While we’re at it …you know how a lot of donor driven organizations have categories of giving?  Like Bronze, Silver …or descriptive words like Eagle or President’s Circle?

Well, we want to do the same, so here are a few names I thought up that were descriptive of the artificial leg outreach of Standing With Hope.  See what you think:

 

• $50    Toe Hold
  
• $100  Foot in the Door
• $350   A Leg Up on Someone
• $1000 Thigh Master!

Sometimes, well, I just amuse myself!

Hey, Want to Get a LEG UP on Someone?!!

Here’s your chance to get a foot in the door …a toe hold, a leg up on someone.  OK, I have a million of them, but the offer still stands to help provide an artificial limb to someone who really needs one.

Wait …there’s more!!!!  Watch this short video to see the latest and greatest cool thing happening at Standing With Hope!

We’ve heard from many families over the years who called to say that a loved one who wore a prosthesis passed away …and they didn’t know what to do with the limb. Often with great emotion, they ask if we would take the device.

We are so honored that spouses, children, and other family members will trust us with a used prosthesis…and we absolutely will take those limbs, recycle all the useable parts, and ship them overseas to help serve another person. Gracie herself has rummaged through the closet to find prosthetic feet, or other materials she no longer uses …and we recycle virtually every part!

Prosthetic socks, liners, sleeves, and belt systems …we will take it all. If a shoe is on the artificial foot, please don’t forget to include the other shoe!

Shipping addressL

Metro Davidson County Detention Facility
Standing With Hope Program
Attn: Barton Wilson
5115 Harding Place
Nashville, TN 37211

 

 

 

And Now For Something Completely Different

Here’s a few things we find meaningful, interesting, or just plain fun. We thought you might, as well!

This is a video of Tim Cooper, who is married to Gracie’s cousin, Kristin (you can see Kristin driving the car in the video).
Tim’s a great guy …and we love his voice. This video has absolutely nothing to do with prosthetic limbs or anything else we do here at Standing With Hope …we just like it, and thought others may as well. If you’re a fan of country music (and, since we’re in Nashville …), then enjoy. If not, well …give it a shot.

Yes, Gracie learned to snow-ski as a double-amputee

Our first patient, Jonathan.

PBS show “A Wider World”

Check out this piece that aired on PBS stations.

Recycling Prosthetic Limbs

Hey!  Don’t throw that leg away …we’ll take it!!!!  (video)

We’ve heard from many families over the years who called to say that a loved one who wore a prosthesis passed away …and they didn’t know what to do with the limb. Often with great emotion, they ask if we would take the device.

We are so honored that spouses, children, and other family members will trust us with a used prosthesis…and we absolutely will take those limbs, recycle all the useable parts, and ship them overseas to help serve another person. Gracie herself has rummaged through the closet to find prosthetic feet, or other materials she no longer uses …and we recycle virtually every part!

Prosthetic socks, liners, sleeves, and belt systems …we will take it all. If a shoe is on the artificial foot, please don’t forget to include the other shoe!

Shipping address:

Metro Davidson County Detention Facility
Standing With Hope Program
Attn: Barton Wilson
5115 Harding Place
Nashville, TN 37211

 

 

 

Vision/Impact of Standing With Hope

I’m Gracie Rosenberger, and from my own journey through the amputation of both of my legs, I know the lifetime needs of caring for people with limb-loss. But lifetime …can also translate to “dependent,” and we want the people we treat to stand on their own two feet (literally!)

One of America’s most sacred values is independence …and we promote that value by equipping citizens of other countries with the training and resources to build custom prosthetic limbs for their own people. Contributing to Standing With Hope, you not help provide a limb …but you also:

• Create jobs for local prosthetic technicians
• Make it possible for amputees to return to work.
• Equip children missing limbs to attend school
• Enable a parent missing a leg to raise a family
• And assist people with limb-loss in living an active, independent, and productive lifestyle in cultures where individuals with disabilities are often cast aside.

• BubbleWrap Coverings (You’ve GOT to read this …you’ll shake your head in amazement!

• Recycle a Prosthetic Limb (We take used prosthetic limbs, disassemble them, and re-use the parts …I’ve even done it with some of my own!)
• Sponsor a Prosthetist (we have amazing team members who give of their time to go with us and train local workers!)
• Life and Limb Bags(we thought this was a clever name for this bag of important items to care for the limb.)
  Gracie Rosenberger, Founder,
  Standing With Hope, Inc

Strength Through Weakness

Recently, an actress twittered her followers to “…join in and protest [Bristol] Palin’s possible appearance” at Washington University for the school’s Sexual Responsibility Week. (Foxnews.com) Bristol Palin is the teen Abstinence Ambassador for Candie’s Foundation which fights teen pregnancy.

Kate Walsh, reported to be a member of Planned Parenthood Federation of America Tweeted, “Welcome to the Idiocracy! RT @elliekirsh: @katewalsh please join students at Wash.U. to boycott Bristol Palin’s speech on abstinence. What does she know about college or abstaining?”

Palin made a choice to engage in sexual activity as a teenager; a choice which resulted in her becoming a single mom. As a teenager, I, too, made a choice that resulted in challenging consequences.  At seventeen, I got behind the wheel of a car while too tired …and fell asleep ninety minutes later.  The result was a catastrophic car accident that has cost me more than seventy operations, including the amputation of both legs, nine million dollars in health care costs …and non-stop severe pain for nearly three decades.

Opposing a teenaged, single mother promoting abstinence to single women …makes about as much sense as boycotting my showing up at a driver education class to encourage students to avoid getting behind the wheel of a car while too sleepy.

It appears Kate Walsh does not want Bristol to reach even one student at Washington University with a message of abstinence; a message with the potential to spare young women a great deal of heartache.  God forgives instantly …when asked.  People take a while, but most eventually come around. Nature, however …never forgives.  My story and journey have been used to help amputees in West Africa obtain high quality prosthetic limbs through the ministry my husband and I founded, Standing With Hope. But, as many people as I help, and as others hear our story and are hopefully inspired …I still have to put on my prosthetic legs every day and face a lifetime of pain.  Bristol is using her story to reach others, out of her own pain, mistakes, and struggles …all while dealing with the ongoing difficult task of being a single mom. Bristol’s choice cost her a great deal.  My choice continues to cost me more than I can convey in this article.

The bravery of many individuals who share their pain, shortcomings, and even disabilities continues to inspire me …and strengthen my courage to walk out on stage, on television, in front of wounded warriors, in schools, and even to the grocery store while displaying my robotic looking legs.  Hoping to model the Apostle Paul, I “…boast all the more gladly in my weakness so that Christ’s power can rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

It is my hope that Bristol will be encouraged to continue doing the same.

Gracie Rosenberger is founder of Standing With Hope, an evangelical artificial limb outreach.  She is also the author of the new book published by Liberty University Press, Gracie-Standing With Hope.

Prosthetic Limbs

Got word from Germany this morning that “part 1″ of our resin shipment to Ghana is FINALLY in transit.  This acrylic resin is critical to making the sockets of prosthetics.  Prosthetic limb sockets can be made from less expensive materials such as plastics (or even wood), but Standing With Hope uses acrylic resin laminated over carbon fiber (KEVLAR) (see picture) for long lasting, lightweight prosthetics.

Standing With Hope founder, Gracie Rosenberger uses these type of sockets for her own prostheses, and her policy is to not put prosthetics on anyone that she is not willing to wear herself.

Contribute to Standing With Hope’s Prosthetic Limb Outreach


[Picture--Parker Rosenberger helping pack a roll of carbon-fiber (Kevlar) to make sockets in Ghana]

The next shipment of acrylic resin leaves the docks this month …and by clicking on the link above and donating, you can help ship this critical part of Standing With Hope’s prosthetic limb outreach!

A Mishap While On Mission

Tuesday( November 23) took an unexpected turn (literally), when we experienced a serious car accident while enroute to Fort Gordon to speak at a Thanksgiving luncheon.  Although both cars involved appeared to be totaled, everyone escaped with only minor scrapes and a few bruises.

Fort Gordon sent a car for us …and we traveled on to Augusta to participate in the event.  While waiting for the team from Fort Gordon, the paramedics noticed our new books scattered about in the back of the SUV after a box of them opened in the crash.

They all wanted a copy …and so we gave them away to the paramedics who treated a scrape on Gracie’s elbow.  They, along with the witnesses and even the other driver asked for signed copies and pictures with Gracie …so, protecting her elbow, she obliged.

She also signed books for soldiers later, and then the army docs on base took x-rays of her arm to make sure she was OK.  She was released with instructions to rest (which she is doing).

From emergency technicians, to soldiers, to an Imam chaplain …we connected with so many from such different walks of life —while struggling with yet another mishap for us, but also another opportunity to “boast all the more gladly in our weakness so that Christ’s power may rest upon us.” ( 2 Corinthians 12:9)

We have a lot to be thankful for.  Gracie missed three feet from being hit by the other car …and we are deeply grateful that only “things” were hurt.

I thought this video was funny (although at the time it was a little surreal)

Happy Thanksgiving!