Hope was born with bilateral clubfeet. By age 25, she had undergone over 29 surgeries, though none was successful. Each time she would start school she would have to drop out for another surgery. She was taking 100 Tylenol a week and was worried about organ damage as well.

At age 25, Hope was faced with the decision to either amputate one leg from the knee down or face an untold number of additional surgeries. She chose to amputate. After the surgery, Hope was able to play hockey, run, snowboard, play basketball and basically live a normal, active life.

Soon after her leg was amputated, Hope saw a documentary on Africa and Laotian refugees. She was shocked that so many of these refugees were land mine amputees who could not afford prosthetic limbs. In response, Hope decided to start the Limbs of Hope Foundation to aid amputees in developing countries.

At present, Hope is collecting prosthetic limbs to take to Cambodia in September 2004. She will donate these prosthetic limbs to amputees in need. Also while in Cambodia, she will teach orphaned children how to play baseball.

In addition, Hope will continue to travel to other countries where her services are needed. Romania is scheduled for 2005. She is starting with countries that have hidden land mines, because many people in these countries have at least one missing limb (e.g., in Cambodia 1 out of every 3 people has a missing limb).

Hope is also advocating for change here in the U.S., fighting the product liability laws that prohibit the recycling of prosthetic limbs. She hopes to get the U.S. laws overturned so that she can start donating used prosthetics to those in need in our own country as well.

The Limbs of Hope Foundation, however, does more than advocate for change and donate prosthetic limbs. This group also has a division that is raising money to start clinics and refurbish ones to provide specific health care to amputees. In addition, the eponymous H.O.P.E (Helping Others Play Equally) project takes donations for athletic equipment to start centers for disabled children in developing countries.

Finally, Hope plans to use sports as a form of rehabilitative therapy for amputees here in the United States. She hopes to start an "Amp Camp" for child and adult amputees, with activities for amputee children and adults such as horse back riding, arts and crafts, swimming and quality of life workshops.

For Hope, donating the prosthetic limbs is just the beginning. As she has said, “At age 27, I'm an amputee. So what? Maybe this is my purpose in life. It sounds corny, but I just want to help the world - one limb at a time."

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