Here is my June Blog: Hello Summer! And, this is a Call to Advocacy!

My word of the month: ad·vo·ca·cy. Advocacy means public support for the recommendation of a particular cause or policy.

Advocacy means taking action!

On April 26, 2020- April 28, 2020, Dankmeyer clinician Marlies Beerli Cabell, CPO and I attended the Amputee Coalition’s virtual advocacy forum. Formerly known as Hill Day and held in Washington, D.C.,  due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Amputee Coalition came up with the great idea to hold it as a virtual conference. This removed any barriers that amputees, caregivers and other interested parties might have had in attending in person. Marlies and I began our advocacy journey by attending to learn how to become a voice, advocate and lead our patients to advocate for the amputee community.

The topics that were explored during the conference opened our eyes and gave us a direction to take action within our government to ensure that key legislative bills are passed. These bills hold critical funds that directly affect how amputees’ care is paid for and how resources are funded. The bill that is currently in the House will be voted on in November due to COVID-19.

Our first talk was about “Year round advocacy”, which is a service provided to us through the Amputee Coalition. Go to their website and read all the fantastic resources there for you. The Amputee Coalition works tirelessly to tackle the tough issues that amputees face every day. The speakers that so generously volunteered their time to educate and empower us were wonderful. These are the dedicated advocates that we had the pleasure to learn from and you can read all about the speakers in depth on the Coalition website: Carol Blymire, MS, CEO of Blymire Communications; Raissa H. Downs, JD, Founding Partner, Tarpin Downs & Young LLC; Dan Ignaszewski, Chief Policy and Programs Officer, Amputee Coalition; and Mary Richards, President and CEO, Amputee Coalition.

The event was recorded and is on the Coalition website. The information and the encouragement they share is contagious and it shows you that everyone can make a difference. We were taught how to write letters and send them via email to legislators so they know we need to be heard. COVID-19 has made it a challenge to feel like we are making a difference and being heard. A simple, old fashioned, hand written letter can make an impact to someone in our electronic world. If we educate ourselves now we will be ready to go once the world opens back up. The Coalition has classes and I think you will find that there is something for everyone.

The Grassroots Advocacy Center is where you can learn how to get your Certified Peer Support Certification, be a Peer Advocate, Media Advocate, Policy Advocate, and Community Advocate. These are samples of the training programs that are being updated and/or coming soon. The Coalition is reworking all the online classes so that no one that has an interest is left out. Marlies and I will be pursuing the Lead Advocate certification so that we can make a difference for amputees all over the United States through our government.  We in turn can let other amputees know how they can make a difference on the community level as well as the state and federal level. Go to the Google Play Store and iTunes Store to get the new Amputee Coalition App (free download!) and have a wealth of resources by your side every day.

I challenge you to respond to a “Call to Action” to make your voice heard, because together we can move mountains.

“ALONE we can do so little; TOGETHER we can do so much.” - Helen Keller

These tips are informed suggestions. If you do not feel comfortable with them, please do not attempt them. Instead as always contact your medical professional or your prosthetist for help and advice. 

If you have a question for me about living as an amputee, ask! And if I don’t know the answer, I will find it for you, and I will leave no stone unturned to help you find your own personal new normal. If there is a topic you would like me to feature please let me know! I want us all to grow strong together.  Email me at Dawn@dankmeyer.com. This email is not secure, so if you wish to keep any specific health information private, you should call us!

Dawn Miranda recently joined Dankmeyer, Inc. as a Prosthetist Assistant after relocating from San Antonio, TX.  To read more about Dawn on our Clinical Staff page, click here.