A Leg for Louie (or Why South Carolina Needs a Parity Law...)
SUMMERVILLE, South Carolina — Amputee John Lewis loves volunteering for the Pine Ridge Fire Department, but charging into action on an old artificial leg can leave him weary and worn by the end of a call.
The prosthetic limb Lewis keeps in his fire boot is 15 years old, with a crack up the side and a knee socket that's falling apart. It rubs his shortened right leg raw over time.
"I ain't had to sit out any fires, but it's sure had me sore," said Lewis, who lost his leg in a motorcycle crash 29 years ago.
Lewis, 51, has another prosthetic limb for daily use, but that one has about five years of wear and tear on it. He's reluctant to take that one into a fire because his health insurance won't cover the cost of a new artificial leg. He figured he would have to make do.
That didn't sit right with his friend Angela Prosser. She figured if Lewis was willing to risk his life to help others, he should at least have a decent leg under him for support.
Prosser last week launched the "Leg for Louie" fundraising campaign to buy Lewis a new prosthetic limb. Models and prices vary, but she estimates that about $15,000 should get Lewis the leg he needs. "I think there will definitely will be an outpouring of support for something like that," she said.
The effort got a boost from North Charleston-based Floyd Brace Co., which offered to help cover about half of the cost of a new leg, Prosser said.
Larry Wiley, co-owner of the company, said he has known Lewis for years and considers him to be a true inspiration.
"Many who suffer limb loss look to others for safety and security. Louie dons his fire suit and his prosthetic leg and puts himself in harm's way to provide safety and security to our community," he said. "Truly amazing."
3 comments:
I'm from Charleston, SC, and I sure hope they get a parity law passed. This story was first published in the local paper, The Post and Courier, and I found it on Elizebeth Mansfield's blog http://www.AskElizebeth.net.
Hi Bill!
I had no idea you were from South Carolina! I loved the photo of Louie's "leg." BTW - it's Elizabeth, with an a :)
AskElizabeth.net
Sorry, Elizabeth, I do that all the time even with my own daughter whose middle name is Elizabeth. I don't like people misspelling my name either, but they have a better excuse; McClellan is more common (even though McLellan is more ancient).
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