Meet our Latest Limbs of Love Recipients: Terri French & Abel Bravo

Two Lives, One Dream

When amputees Abel Bravo and Terri French wheeled themselves into the Amputee and Prosthetic Center on Monday morning, they both sat in disbelief.

"This is a dream. This has to be a dream," said French in tears. "I still can't believe I'm this close to getting a new leg!"

Little did she know she wouldn't be the only whose dream would be coming true. Although they had never met, Bravo and French realized they had one thing in common: they would both be receiving limbs through Houston-based charity Limbs of Love, taking their first steps after being wheelchair bound for years.

French, a feisty 45 year-old grandmother from New Caney has had her share of troubles. Over 20 years ago, as she was coming from a friend's house, she was stabbed in the back by a stranger. Then a poisonous spider bite lead her to the tough decision of getting her leg amputated at the age of 19. It was tough enough being a young adult, but was even more difficult being a young adult who happened to be an amputee.

"People would stare at me like I wasn't normal," she said. "After a while I got used to it; just didn't faze me. I got married and raised an amazing daughter; now I'm hanging out with my grandkids."

Currently, "hanging out" entails mostly staying in the house. When she's able, Terri takes them out through assistance from friends, and sometimes strangers. She found it very difficult to ask for help. "I was used to being independent: doing things for myself and doing things for others. I traveled, ran, exercised.but now I'm confined to my house."

After hitting a brick wall with her insurance company, Terri found out about Limbs of Love after spending time surfing the Internet. With determination, she submitted her story to the organization and received the answer she was looking for in six words: "We are able to help you."

While French was forced to accept the fact that her insurance company would not cover her prosthesis, Bravo was facing a whole other set of challenges.

When what Bravo believed to be a minor leg injury resulted in his leg being amputated above the knee, doctors told Bravo that if he planned to walk again following his amputation he would need a $20,000 prosthetic limb, which he did not have the funds to pay for.

Due to the amputation, Bravo was confined to a wheel chair, preventing him from continuing his career as a truck driver and doing simple activities that many of us take for granted.

When Bravo's friend Ernest Beliz heard about Limbs for Love he thought he may have found the answer he was looking for.

While most charities that reach out to amputees in need require recipients to meet certain criteria, Limbs of Love's only requirement is that you be an amputee without the resources to obtain an artificial limb.

As a resident of Mexico, Bravo did not qualify for other assistance programs and was ready to give up hope. When Beliz came in contact with Limbs of Love, he nominated his friend in hopes that they could give Bravo his life back.

Six months later, Bravo and Beliz received the news they had been waiting for: Limbs for Love would provide Bravo with an above the knee prosthesis.

"I knew for the first time in a long time I would be OK. Without the money for a leg, I thought I would be in a wheelchair forever. I thought this was my life, and I would have to accept it," said Bravo.

"The cost of a prosthesis alone can be overwhelming, not to mention the loss of mobility," said Limbs of Love Founder Joe Sansone. "People like Terri and Abel deserve to live a full life, which can be challenging when a simple task like walking is taken away from them. Limbs of Love is here to help them get back on their feet again. "

As French and Bravo were fit for their prosthesis and took their first steps, they talked about their plans for the future.

"I can't wait to walk again! I especially can't wait to drive my family to different places, and treat my grandkids to some fun," French said as she held her granddaughter for the first time on her own two feet. "I had resigned myself to living a life with limitations, but now I don't have to anymore!"

For Bravo, his plans were limitless, "I have been given a new life and there's nothing I can't do now. Limbs of Love gave me a new life, and for that I will forever be thankful."

As they walked on their new limbs, friends and family fought to hold back tears. It was clear Bravo and French were prepared to start their new lives, on their own two feet.

As Bravo and French exited the Amputee & Prosthetic Center, leaving their wheelchairs behind, French turned to thank Limbs of Love one last time, "You people saved my life. I can never repay you for what you've done."

For Sansone, it's simple. "On a day like today when we see a woman beaming with pride, pick up and hold her granddaughter while she stood for the first time ever, well let me just say, it makes us want to work even harder to do this over and over again for as many people as possible."

To hear other Limbs of Love recipients stories, click here