[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 66 (Friday, April 16, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             LIMB LOSS AND LIMB DIFFERENCE AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference 
Awareness Month. More than 2 million Americans live with limb loss or 
limb difference, and an additional 28 million are at risk of amputation 
surgery. It is estimated that more than 500 Americans lose a limb each 
day. With great advances in prosthetics, sometimes we may not even know 
that those around us may be missing a limb.
  There are many causes of limb loss, some not immediately apparent to 
us, including, number one, vascular disease, 54 percent of which 
includes diabetes.
  Americans of all ages, from children to our seniors, are affected. 
Eighty-eight percent are over 45 years old. Of course, many of our 
brave servicemembers suffer injuries resulting in limb loss, over 1,500 
currently from Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Each of these Americans has their own story and faces unique 
challenges. Many amputations result from some preventable disease and 
have preventable issues, such as diabetes and peripheral vascular 
disease. This is another reason to raise awareness of limb loss and 
educate ourselves and others about what it is like to live with limb 
loss and limb difference.

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