Airborne Amputees Annual Skydive Event

The thought of jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet in the air and plummeting to earth at 120 miles per hour didn’t intimidate the more than 150 amputees and 17 Wounded Warriors who signed up at the Airborne Amputee skydive event at Skydive Spaceland, just south of Houston.

While this was the third year that Limbs of Love hosted the event, this year’s Airborne Amputee Skydive was unlike any it had hosted before. With BBQ, bands, moonwalks, patient rehab games, miniature horse rides, face-painting and an Oreo cookie Dunk-off, the 130 acre airpark was transformed into a festival! “The primary purpose of this event is to allow amputees to prove to themselves, and the world, that the sky is the limit after amputation,” said founder Joe Sansone.

The Wounded Warriors arrived at the venue surrounded by lengthy escort line that stretched for almost a mile including  motorcyclists, law enforcement and fire departments from around Texas, all organized by the Brazoria County Cavalry, to serve as the guests of honor. The military heroes, who had made the extreme sacrifice in losing limbs defending our country, were truly an inspiration to the estimated crowd of over 600 as they received standing ovations throughout the day.

The event not only provided the experience of a lifetime for the Wounded Warriors as well other amputees, but also served as an exciting way to raise money for Limbs of Love, a charity that provides artificial limbs to amputees that cannot otherwise afford them. Two amputees including Aaron Acosta, who lost all 4 of his limbs after coming in contact with a live power wire, will receive prosthetics from Limbs of Love as a result of the event.

Unfortunately, due to overcast weather, the group was unable to jump on Saturday, but many of the amputees in attendance, including the 17 Wounded Warriors, returned on Sunday to make their jump to prove that life is not over after amputation. And from the look on the spectators’ faces as dozens of amputees touched down on the ground, the perception of the abilities of amputees made a huge leap forward.