Hillary
Age: 26
Residence: Walpole, MA
Prosthetic Donation: Cosmetic / High heel below the knee
Donation Partner: Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics, Newton, MA
Though it might seem like a cliche, it may be safe to say that many women have a very special relationship with their shoes. Shoes can be an expression of a woman’s personality, or mood, or just an expression of her sense of fashion – and a very important part of anyone’s self-worth.
At 26 years old, Hillary had never worn high heels in her life, because she had been born with a disease that affected her right leg called “neurofibromatosis”. Neurofibromatosis a painful condition that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue. Hillary’s right leg was amputated at age 24 due to complications from the disease, and her “everyday” prosthesis is designed to be worn with only flat shoes – meaning that Hillary would never get the opportunity to wear high heels.
That’s when The Heather Abbott Foundation stepped in to provide our help. Our stated mission is to help our beneficiaries “live their live”, and Heather knows more than anyone the invaluable sense of well-being and self-esteem that a beautiful pair of high heel shoes can bring.
In most cases, insurance companies do not consider high heel feet or cosmetic legs to be “medically necessary” and therefore are not covered. Our donation, made in partnership with Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics of Newton, allows Hillary an opportunity to expand her options, and gives her the freedom to express herself using her footwear and killer sense of fashion.
learn More
USA Today article on our donation
About Next Step Prosthetics