April Newsletter Vol. 7 Issue 4
Team A Step Ahead 10K & 5K RACE
The 33rd annual ASPIRE 10K & 5K race took place on a cold, windy morning on Saturday, March 27th. In spite of the weather, some great performances were turned in by the adult and junior athletes.
Eric Grimes (Below Knee) ran the first 10K race of his life in 1:08:24. He was paced by veteran Team A Step Ahead runner and triathlete Tommy Koehler (Below Knee). Michael LaForgia (Below Knee/Partial Foot) ran his personal best for a 10K in 57:36. Nick Roumonada (Below Knee), one of the newest members of Team A Step Ahead, ran his first 10K in 43:28. Rounding out the adult team in the 10K was Ben Simmons (Above Knee) in 55:08 and John Tartaglio (Bilateral Hip Disarticulation) in 2:49:35. Nick Andriola (Below Knee), Antoinette Dorazio (Above Knee), and junior athletes James Lozano (Bilateral Below Knee), Cate Hughes (Below Knee), Larry Mantilla (Above Knee) and Jake Lillis (Bilateral Above Knee) all ran the 5K race. The junior athletes were accompanied by Bernie Guzman, C.P. and Erik Schaffer, C.P.
Patients in the News
Sean McBride (Hip Disarticulation), a new patient of A Step Ahead, attended the 2010 NBA All Star weekend in Dallas, Texas. After waiting for two years, Sean was granted his wish by the Make a Wish Foundation to attend the NBA All Star game. Sean and his father met the all-stars, the legends players, and attended all of the All Star game events. A video on the NBA website highlights the event: http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2010/03/24/20100324_makeawish_show.nba/index.html
15-year-old Colin Gooley (Van Ness), his father, and his grandmother had their heads shaven as part of a fundraising event for the St. Baldricks Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for children with cancer. Their motto is “Shaving the Way to Conquer Kids’ Cancer.” To see a video of the event and to learn more about the St. Baldricks Foundation, go to the following links:
 | Colin Gooley
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 | Paul Martin
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A Step Ahead Supports the National Meningitis Association
A Step Ahead is pleased to be supporting the upcoming National Meningitis Association (NMA) gala benefit dinner entitled “GIVE KIDS A SHOT” on April 26, 2010, at 6:30 pm at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. Founded in July  2002, The National Meningitis Association's mission is to educate families, medical professionals, and others about bacterial meningitis and prevention approaches to the disease. NMA is focused on raising awareness and protection among adolescents and young adults, many of whom can be protected through education and vaccination. This year at the benefit, the Nancy Ford Springer Inspiration Award will be presented to Adam Graves, New York Rangers hockey legend.
A Step Ahead is all too familiar with the seriousness and devastation of this disease, as it has been involved in treating a number of patients who have lost limbs as a result of meningococcal infection. A Step Ahead is also encouraging others to join us on April 26th in strengthening NMA’s mission to create awareness of and encourage immunization against the disease, which strikes 3,000 toddlers, adolescents and young adults annually. A Step Ahead patients Peter Purdy (Bilateral B.K./partial fingers), Michael LaForgia (B.K./transmetatarsal) and Heather Tufano (B.K./fingers), Gerald Pe (bilateral trans-metatarsal) and their families are actively involved in promoting the mission of NMA.
Help support the mission of the NMA. Go to their web site to learn more about the disease http://www.nmaus.org/programs/getting-it/, about NMA’s work http://www.nmaus.org/ , or how to buy tickets to the Gala fundraising event at: http://www.nmaus.org/gala2010.htm (or call 1 (866) 366-3662).
Junior Team A Step Ahead Whiteface Mountain Ski Trip
On March 13th and 14th, ten junior athletes braved the slopes of Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. Julia Brietenbach (Above Knee), Wil Kehler (Van Ness), Maggie Gaal (Below Knee), Cate Hughes (Below Knee), Bryanna Copeland (Bilateral Above Knee), Rachel Grusse (Bilateral Below Knee), Edriss Tate- Crawley (Above Knee), James Lozano (Bilateral Below Knee), Jake Lillis (Bilateral Above Knee), and Davonni Baboolali (Below Knee) skied and snowboarded throughout the weekend. Assisting the junior athletes were Craig Pratka, Amy Palmiero-Winters, Dave Balsley, and the adaptive ski instructors at Whiteface.
The ASPIRE Support Group meetings are on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm at the Hospital for Special Surgery located at 535 East 70th Street, NY. For more information about the ASPIRE support group meetings, contact Charlie Steele at charlieatl@aol.com or (212) 877-7050.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Amputee Education and Support Group
every first Friday of the month 10:00-12:00 PM. Milstein Hospital 8 Garden North Dayroom (8th floor rehab unit) Milstein Hospital Building 177 Fort Washington Ave. For more information contact Sharon Clark at 212-305-3964
Rusk Rehab Amputee Support Group (34th Street/1st avenue) meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM. For more information about the Rusk Rehab Support Group contact Dr. Jeff Heckman at 631-873-6223 or by email at: jtheckman@yahoo.com
The Long Island Amputee Support Group meets the first Saturday of each month at South Side Hospital, 301 East Main Street in Bayshore. Contact Jodi Adler at 631-968-3330.
For more information on amputee support groups around the country, go to http://www.amputee-coalition.org/npn_about.html
ACA Legislative Updates
2010 will be the first year that the Amputee Coalition of America has advanced legislation on multiple fronts, and they need your help to support these important initiatives.
25 in 25:
If you live in a state without parity or work for a self-insured company, this initiative hits home for you. With your help, the ACA will continue to pick up momentum nationwide to ensure fair access to care (AKA parity) for the limb loss community. With your help, the ACA will make sure insurance companies know that arms and legs are not a luxury. To date, eighteen states (AR, CA, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, NH, NJ, OR, RI, TX, VA and VT) have passed fair insurance access to prosthetic devices. The ACA wants to make that 25 by the end of 2010, in honor of our 25th anniversary in 2011.
On the federal level and in the midst of the healthcare reform chaos, they will continue to work for introduction of parity legislation in the Senate this year and a hearing in the House for H.R. 2575, which was introduced in 2009.
National Limb Loss Awareness Month:
Ever wonder why there is a special month for everything but limb loss? We did, too, and decided to do something about it. To raise awareness about limb loss and about living with limb loss, the ACA is advancing a federal resolution to name April National Limb Loss Awareness Month. Special thanks go to Rep. John Duncan (2nd TN), who introduced the resolution in the House (H.Res. 1056). With passage of this resolution, starting in 2011, amputees across the country will be specially recognized during the month of April.
Respectful Skies:
If you fly, you know how frustrating airport security has become. Because the ACA has heard from amputees across the country that the screening procedures by TSA in airports are inconsistent and disrespectful, the ACA is advancing legislation that will require TSA to develop standard procedures for amputees going through airport security. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (1st RI) has agreed to be our champion on this important issue.
Quality of Life:
This year, the ACA is also advancing a community reintegration program, the development of a national limb loss registry and the development of a national caregiver peer support program. These initiatives are important to support amputees in reaching their full potential where they work, play and raise their families.
To read more about the ACA and their legislative efforts go to: http://www.amputee-coalition.org/
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