Knights Help Provide Prosthetic Upgrades to Boston Marathon Bombing Amputees

One year after the Boston marathon bombing, the Knights of Columbus Stand With Boston Program is providing assistance for people who lost limbs in that tragic event.

The latest in a series of Knights’ initiatives to help provide mobility for individuals in the United States and worldwide, the Boston program is designed to cover the cost of additional or higher-quality prosthesis in order to help amputees regain as much mobility as possible.

The Order is donating more than $33,000 to help three people who lost limbs in the bombing. For two of the amputees, the funding has helped pay for costs not covered by their health insurance, supporting upgrades to state-of-the-art military grade X-3 micro-processor knees. In the third case, the K of C is helping to pay for a prosthetic running leg that supplements the prosthetic leg that is used by the person for most day-to-day activities.

“Medical coverage often has its limits,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, “but we are very happy that we are able to help bridge those limits with this charitable program designed to help those who lost a limb in the bombing recover even greater mobility.”

Supreme Knight Anderson added: “Following the example of the Good Samaritan, the Knights of Columbus has always sought to help those in need. What happened in Boston was a terrible reminder of the reality of evil in the world, but by responding with care for those who were hurt, we can show that the power of love is stronger than hatred or evil, and that evil does not have the last word.”

In implementing the program and reviewing applications, the Order continues to consult with experts in the field of prosthetics and rehabilitation.

We have a long history of assisting those with mobility issues, providing more than 40,000 wheelchairs to individuals throughout the United States as well as worldwide, from Latin America to Vietnam.

In the wake of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Order committed $1.5 million in aid and launched the “Healing Haiti’s Children” initiative together with several partners that has so far helped hundreds of Haitian children with prosthetic and rehabilitation care.