OUR STORY
Mission & Vision.
Customized prostheses cost far more than insurance will cover, and most people who lose a limb are forced to give up the life they knew. The Heather Abbott Foundation exists so that cost isn't the reason someone stops living the life they want.
Mission
The Heather Abbott Foundation helps provide customized prostheses to those who have suffered limb loss through traumatic circumstances.
Vision
The Heather Abbott Foundation envisions a world where individuals who have suffered limb loss through traumatic circumstances can live the lives they want.
The Why
Individuals who have lost limbs due to traumatic circumstances face physical and emotional obstacles that can leave them feeling overwhelmed. Those who have a strong support system, and access to a caring network able to provide the needed resources, will do the best transitioning to their new life. Unfortunately, for most amputees, the steep price of a customized prosthetic device alone is too great a hurdle to overcome.
While most insurance companies will cover a portion of the cost for a basic prosthetic device, they will not help with specialty prostheses. These devices range in price from $15,000 to more than $100,000, making them far too expensive for anyone hoping to regain more of the life they once lived.
Heather learned early on that having her custom prostheses allowed her to return to doing the things that meant the most to her. Whether it was being able to paddle board again or wear high heels, these devices were key to Heather’s emotional and physical healing.
The Heather Abbott Foundation was created to help other amputees like Heather thrive in their recovery and return to the life they love.
Join us as Heather helps to “pay it forward.”
HOW IT STARTED
To give others what strangers once gave her...
The Heather Abbott Foundation is Heather’s commitment to “pay it forward.” The 2013 Boston Bombing on Marathon Monday gripped our nation. In the days and weeks that followed, thousands of people donated money to help all those who were injured that day. For Heather, that generosity made it possible for her to have two prostheses. One device that allowed her to wear high heals again – something that proved key to Heather’s emotional healing, and another that allowed her to run and paddle board again.
Most amputees aren’t so fortunate. Many are forced to give up the life they once knew because they can’t afford the prosthesis they need to get their life back.
Heather wants to change that – for all those who, like her, have lost a limb due to traumatic circumstances. Hers is a story of triumph over tragedy made possible through the kindness of strangers near and far. Now it’s Heather’s desire to do the same for others.