A third-grade class at Fishers Elementary recently raised money for New Life with Limbs, an organization meeting the physical and spiritual needs of amputees.
School nurse Darcy Hehner has known Katie Richmond, a local woman involved in the New Life with Limbs organization, for several years. When Hehner learned Richmond was working to take more than 200 prosthetics to Sierra Leone, she decided to donate to the cause.
When she had lunch with third-grade teacher Stephanie Jones, the two talked about the organization and Jones brought it up with her class.
“Any money you raise was going toward a prosthetic for a child or an adult in need, and (Jones) was thrilled about the whole process,” Hehner said. “She took the bull by the horns and they ran with it.”
Jones’ class raised approximately $700 by making Christmas ornaments, snow globes and coasters and selling them at a school craft show. Proceeds will provide at least one prosthetic to someone in Sierra Leone in Africa.
“I decided to take on this project with my class because the No. 1 thing I want my kids walking away with is to help others and be kind to everyone, to be good people. This project really opened the students’ eyes on how blessed we are to live where we do,” Jones said. “I also have a daughter with special needs. We aren’t sure if she will ever be able to walk. If someone could give her that life-changing gift of being able to walk, I would be beyond thankful.
“For me, this project became extremely personal due to that.”
Jones said the students were excited to help someone on the other side of the world.
“I’m just so proud of (Richmond) and the work she does and so proud of our students,” Hehner said. “(Richmond) came and talked to the kids about the science and art (of making prosthetics) and her interests about what got her doing this as a profession.”
Richmond brought prosthetics into the class so students could see and touch them before the fundraiser. One prosthetic costs approximately $500 to make.
Richmond is traveling to Sierra Leone with the prosthetics this month. Many of the amputations in Sierra Leone are caused by infected gunshot wounds to victims of that nation’s civil war.
For more, visit newlifewithlimbs.org.
