Newsletters

May Newsletter Vol.  7     Issue 5

A Step Ahead Providing Prosthetics for Haitian Amputee Girl

As part of our efforts to reach out to the large community of individuals with limb loss impacted by the devastating earthquake in Haiti, A Step Ahead will be providing prosthetic care for ten-year-old Ornichleel Ulysse. Ornichleel, who is from Port au Prince, Haiti, sustained injuries during February's earthquake that required her right leg to be amputated below the knee. In May, Ornicheel and her mother will make the long journey to A Step Ahead for one week, where we will provide her with prosthetics so she can resume an active, healthy lifestyle and live life without limitations.

A fundraising dinner and live auction at Burton & Doyle restaurant will be held on May 19 to raise money for her future prosthetic care; if you are interested in attending, you can call (516) 487-9200 for more information. If you cannot attend the benefit dinner, tax deductible donations can be sent to: ASPIRE c/o Ornichleel 128 Mercer Ave. Hartsdale, N.Y. 10530

On Sunday, May 2, Rachel Grusse (Bilateral Below Knee) received the Michael Savage Spirit of Sport Award. This is the first presentation of the Spirit of Sport Award and it is dedicated to Michael H. Savage, who is retiring this year as Executive Director of  The Connecticut Association of Schools & The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Rachel swam for her high school swim team for four years and will be attending Edinboro University in Pennsylvania in the fall.

On April 19th, Kenny Bontz (Above Knee) shot a 5-under-77 at Copper Hill Country Club to grab one of fifteen available qualifying spots for the NJ Mid-Amateur Championship. This is especially significant as it marks the first time in the US that an amputee has qualified for a state amateur championship. Kenny is using a custom designed above knee prosthesis specifically set up for the demands and needs of golf. Read more about Kenny at the following stories from the Asbury Park Press: 

http://www.app.com/article/20100419/SPORTS0338/4190351/Bontz-qualifies-for-Mid-Amateur-Championship    http://www.app.com/article/20100414/SPORTS/100414133/Against-All-Odds

Kenny Bontz

Team A Step Ahead's Michael LaForgia (Below Knee/Trans-Metatarsal) was the subject of a recent episode of Soul Survivors. Each week, this program focuses on a person who has suffered a tragedy and gone on to be a source of inspiration to others. Michael's episode chronicles his long journey from the time of his diagnosis with meningococcal meningitis and the difficult decision to become a double amputee to his current status as an athlete, marathoner, and leader in the campaign for meningitis awareness.

To watch the full episode, click the link below. Look for "Episodes" on the bottom half of the page and click on Michael's to begin the video:
http://ebru.tv/en/p.fullepisode.html?prg_id=157

Sarah Reinersten (Above Knee) is this month’s cover story for Long Island Magazine, a publication of the Long Island Association. The article highlights Sarah’s story of growing up on Long Island, her introduction to sports, her accomplishments as a runner and triathlete, and her other adventures including appearing on the CBS show The Amazing Race. Sarah’s story from the Long Island Magazine can be found at: http://www.astepaheadonline.com/limagcover.pdf

Paul Martin (Below Knee), a long-time member of Team A Step Ahead, was featured in an article in the Hopkinton Crier. Paul spoke to the students at the Hopkins Middle School about his life, his accident, and his athletic career. Paul is a four-time Triathlete world champion, ten-time Ironman finisher, and two-time Paralympic medalist. You can read more about Paul’s presentation at: http://tinyurl.com/y2wq4ak

You can also read about Paul at his website: http://www.onemansleg.com/ and about his running of the fifty-six mile Comrades Marathon at: http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/pages/team-world-vision-comrades-marathon?Open&campaign=12380716

Paul also discusses why he'll be running the Comrades Marathon in this two-minute Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pApO0mvYngI

Amy Palmiero-Winters Named Winner of AAU Sullivan Award 

In an exclusive ceremony at the New York Athletic Club on April 14th, the Amateur Athletic Union honored A Step Ahead's Amy Palmiero-Winters (Below Knee) with its highest honor, the James E. Sullivan Award. Presented annually for the past eighty years to the top amateur athlete in the country, the Sullivan Award is often called the "Oscar" of sports awards and has been given in the past to athletes including Michael Phelps, Michelle Kwan, Peyton Manning, Bruce Jenner, and a plethora of others.

Amy was judged from among six finalists as the winner for her accomplishments in ultramarathoning as well as character, leadership, and her dedication to helping younger amputees build confidence and overcome their limitations by introducing them to sports. Her 2009 achievements included beating all able-bodied male and female competitors in the 24-hour Arizona Road Racers 24-hour race (running 130.4 miles in the process) and being named to the USA 24-hour running team which will be competing at the world championships in Brive, France.

Amy’s story was recently covered in 2 prominent national newspapers, The New York Times and USA Today. The stories and photos can be found at the following links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/sports/26vecsey.html?ref=sports
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/track/2010-04-25-amputee-runner_N.htm

On April 25, Jack Ahrens (Below Knee) and Ben Simmons (Above Knee) competed in the National Duathlon Festival Championships in Richmond, Virginia. The duathlon consists of a five kilometer run, a thirty-eight kilometer bike, and another five kilometer run. Jack, an experienced duathlete, took 2nd place in the physically challenged division with a time of 2:15:12. Competing in his first duathlon only a few days after receiving his custom cycling prosthesis, Ben took 5th place with a time of 2:47:49.

Jack Ahrens	Ben Simmons

Bryanna Copeland (Bilateral Above Knee) and Jeff Glasbrenner (Below Knee) both received all-tournament team awards at the National Wheelchair Basketball Association National Championships, which were held April 7-10 in Denver, Colorado. Bryanna was named to the female all-tournament team as a member of the New Jersey Jr. Nets and Jeff was named to the 1st Team All-Tournament team as a member of the Arkansas Rollin Razorbacks.

On May 1 Jeff Glasbrenner (Below Knee) completed his 8th Ironman competition at the Ironman St. George in Utah. Considered one of the toughest Ironman competitions with over 8000 feet of climbing on the bike course and an extremely difficult running course, Jeff completed the triathlon in 13:19:29.  

Colin Gooley (Van Ness Turnoplasty) is starting on the Baldwinsville Bees JV lacrosse team in Baldwinsville, NY. Colin plays the attack position and is the captain of the team. He currently leads the team in goals scored and points averaging 2.7 goals and 1.2 assists per game. In a recent game against Corcoran HS, he scored six goals and one assist. Colin has been playing lacrosse since he was 5 years old. 

Colin Gooley

Upcoming Events:

Empire State Games – Junior Team A Step Ahead, June 3-4
Hope & Possibility 5 mile race – Central Park, New York June 27
New York City Triathlon – July 18

Amputee Support Groups

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

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, 18 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/