Mr. and Mrs. Bevilhymer certainly chose the appropriate name for their only daughter: “Hope.” Today Hope A. Bevilhymer is a fount of hope and inspiration globally through her Limbs of Hope Foundation (LOHF). The organization was launched by Hope in October 2003 along with her brother Jared and a friend, Micah Done. The latter had worked in a local care center for the disabled.
“I went through life depending on people to take care of me,” Hope says. After “experiencing amputation first-hand, it's my turn to give back. I wanted to create an organization that would assist amputees in obtaining prosthetics.”
Fund-raisers were held to raise money to make her own limb purchase, “a struggle I’m destined to face again,” she explained. Prosthetics need replacement as often as every three to five years. “It’s through [LOHF] that I wish to alleviate stress for amputees, to whom I relate so well.”
Born with bilateral clubfeet, by age 25 Hope had undergone 30 surgeries. Each time she would start school, she would have to quit for another surgery. She was taking 100 Tylenol a week and worried about organ damage. “The best way to describe the pain is if someone were to take a hammer and pound your thumb over and over,” she recalls vividly.
Ban on reuse Faced with the difficult decision between amputation or enduring more surgeries, she chose amputation of the right foot in June 2002, a decision that couldn’t be reversed, couldn’t be abrogated. Hope received used prosthetics from people who thought she could use them; however, U.S. product liability laws prohibit the reuse of prosthetic limbs. “I put two and two together: We're throwing away all these prosthetics, but there are people in the world, particularly in Third World regions, who can use them,” she stresses.
Buying her first prosthetic was a trying time “because my insurance didn’t cover the cost. In the U.S., they can range from $3,000 to $100,000, depending on what kind you get. In developing countries, they can range from $150 to $300 depending on where you are.”
LOHF began after Hope saw a documentary on African and Laotian refugees and was “shocked” that so many refugees were land-mine amputees who couldn’t afford prosthetic limbs. She realized her life wasn’t so bad; she had choices that these people didn't have. “I can't imagine what they go through,” she notes. So Hope decided to establish a foundation to aid amputees in developing countries.
She and volunteers went with 25 used prosthetic limbs to Cambodia on Sept. 26, 2004, and spent two weeks teaching orphaned children how to play baseball. When Hope and volunteers traveled to Cambodia the first time, she wore pants the whole time. “The amputees looked at me as just another American,” she said. “When I went back, I made it a point to wear shorts to show them I, too, was an amputee.”
LOHF delivered limbs to Romania, Hungary, Germany, and Austria in 2006. “I’m not traveling out of the country this year, and I will be in Ethiopia in March 2008.” As for shipping, LOHF now tries to help 15 countries: Iraq, Cambodia, Romania, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Columbia, Mexico, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Rwanda, Guatemala, Hungary, and India. There has been no foreign government interference. “The only interference I’ve encountered” is in the U.S. “Limb loss happens so frequently, and I can’t donate a used prosthetic in the U.S. because of product liability laws.”
‘Little things’Of her amputation, Hope recalls that initially she didn't know what to expect. “I didn't consider little things, like taking a shower or driving a car. Now, I'm the most active I've been in my life.” Afterward, Hope was able to play hockey, snowboard, run, play basketball, and “basically live a normal, active life.”
Meanwhile, LOHF advocates changing U.S. product liability laws that prohibit the recycling of prosthetic limbs. She wants to get applicable U.S. laws overturned so that she can start donating used prosthetics to those in need in our own country, too.
Foundation funds buy new prostheses for amputees. Used prostheses are disassembled and rebuilt to suit individual needs, and LOHF offers “informed medical referrals and financial assistance.” Another LOHF effort is Project H.O.P.E., an acronym for Helping Others Play Equally, which tries to help the disabled “gain confidence and pride.” With help from sponsors, it attempts to provide sports/recreational opportunities, including installation of basketball courts and softball fields, distribution of equipment, and aid in instruction. On the drawing board are awards, such as trophies and medals to boost self-esteem.
Camp Amp is held every August as an overnight trip that’s free except for transportation to the camp at Willard Bay near Ogden, UT. “We’re looking for participants ages 12-18 who have suffered some type of limb loss. They can contact me at 801-548-0553 if they have questions.”
Someday, LOHF would like to fund construction of rehabilitation clinics and improve existing clinics. That would fit with Camp Amp, where recreational activities aid campers in their personal struggles. “Esteem workshops are offered and attendees are [among] others in a similar situation,” Hope states. “We hope to make financial aid available and offer all amputees a chance to simply have fun and feel good about themselves in a warm, safe, and secure environment.”
Accidents, birth defectsThe need for prostheses worldwide is an issue that “must be recognized,” and Hope feels that with LOHF assistance many lives can be made better for those who have lost their limbs due to accidents, birth defects, and disease. “No matter who you are or where you are, try to make a difference in one person's life, whether it’s your neighbor or someone 6,000 miles across the world,” she maintains.
For her accomplishments, on March 24, 2005, Hope received (from among 4,272 U.S. nominees) the grand prize in the Volvo for Life Awards. That earned her a Volvo XC90 V8 sport utility vehicle, the first free Volvo every three years for her lifetime. At the awards ceremony, Hope recalls, “They read my name out of this envelope, and it took me a minute or two to register while I got up on the stage,” Hope says. At the New York City ceremony, “They wanted me to talk, but the first words out of my mouth were, ‘I'm speechless.’ ”
In addition, the Quality of Life award gave her $50,000 for the charity of her choice. It’s not hard to guess that one: Limbs of Hope. The winners were selected by celebrity judges, including baseball slugger Hank Aaron, basketball legend Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Academy Award-winning actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, astronaut Sally Ride, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Volvo states: “Protecting our kids, helping our neighbors, saving our earth—this is what heroes do: the real-life heroes we honor each year at the Volvo for Life Awards.”
If that wasn’t enough, there would be another bonus. “Prior to the award, I was known in Utah for the work I was doing. Now, I’m known on a national/international level. I still have donations of prosthetics coming in from all over the country.”
‘Our community’Hope sees so many places in need that “more trips would be a godsend. That $50,000 will be a boost. We're trying to go as many places as we can with our finances.” Being up-front and personal not only helps Hope and volunteers get a grasp of an area's specific needs, but also allows them to create a network so work can continue after they leave. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Hope says, “we believe we can reach the LOHF goal of improving the quality of life for those affected by limb loss.”
Hope, Jared, and Michah Done have held their meetings in the living room of the Bevilhymer family home in West Jordan. They obtained a business license from the city, and registered as a nonprofit organization with the Internal Revenue Service. Their objectives include, but aren’t limited to:
“We reach these goals with the help of our community.” It‘s through fund-raising efforts and donations that “we’re able to make these steps toward relief,” Hope observes. “We’re working to become established throughout the world, that we might become a permanent force in the war against human suffering.”
‘Make a difference’Limb donations must be mailed to: Limbs of Hope Foundation, 6782 S. Dixie Drive, West Jordan, UT 84084, U.S.A. The e-mail address is donate@limbsofhope.org, or call 801-548-0553. Outside the U.S., call 11-801-548-0553. Donations of funds must be in U.S. dollars via money order, cashiers check, or personal check payable to: Limbs of Hope Foundation, P.O. Box 116, West Jordan, UT 84084-0116 U.S.A. All donations are tax-deductible.
LOHF is “always in need of volunteers,” Hope admits freely, adding “Whether you would like to travel with us to another country to build facilities, deliver prosthetics to those in need, or help us with our day-to-day operations in the U.S., we need dedicated individuals who would like to make a difference.”
What is Hope’s greatest hope?“To one day operate the foundation full-time. We’re 100 percent volunteer, and I have to work other jobs to keep it running. I would like Camp Amp to run all summer on a property we can call home; we just rent space now. I would like to raise awareness [globally] about amputees and their struggles. I started by helping one person, and to date we are over 1,000.”
The second oldest of four children, Hope has three brothers. The eldest sibling is Jared; brothers Derick and Cody follow Hope. If you’re curious as to how Hope got her given name, she explains: “My parents named me Hope for two reasons: one, I was named after a great aunt named Hope Ann, and two, when I was born and my dad saw my disability, he said, ‘That is what we’re calling her—Hope.’”
In his wheelchair, Jacksonville, FL resident Herb Drill heads Able Me & Associates. His e-mail address is herbdrill@ableme.com.
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