SUDBURY, MA – Set in the picturesque historic Wayside district in Sudbury, the Wayside Inn is known for rustic charm, rich history and exquisite hospitality. For the Who Says I Can’t organization, it is also the place where dreams have continued to become a reality.
Founded by Jothy Rosenberg, the Who Says I Can’t organization works tirelessly to provide prosthetics and adaptive equipment in cases where insurance cannot cover bulk of the cost. “A running leg for a kid with an above-knee amputation..that’s about a $21,000 item,” explains Jothy. “No matter how much you adore your kid, where are you gonna come up with that?”
A cancer survivor who lost his own leg to the disease, Jothy’s journey inspired him to become a bestselling author and dedicated athlete on a mission to empower those looking to return to an athletic lifestyle.
“Jothy stepped in early on in my career and said ‘you know, I want to help people do things that allow them to be active’,” says Robert Emerson of A Step Ahead Prosthetics, a longtime partner of the organization that has to date provided over $250,000 worth of adaptive equipment. “A Step Ahead is driven to allow people to live life without limitations. Insurances focus on providing ‘medically appropriate’ devices so that people can function on a daily basis – well, those devices don’t always allow for pursuits outside of just normal walking. Patients are always curious what else they can do, wether it’s riding a bike or running again.”
For beneficiaries like Jackie Hamwey, a competitive athlete who lost her leg in a 2016 boat propeller accident off the coast of Cape Cod, it means being able to return confidently to the sports she knows and loves. “This organization is more than just giving someone a snowboard leg, or sports equipment. It really opens up a whole world in the amputee community. It really helps people get back to their identity of being an athlete and getting involved in sports.”
A beneficiary of the Wayside Inn annual soiree, Maya Oberstein shared her excitement in the knowledge running may be a possibility again for her one day in the near future. “This has been a dream of mine since I had my leg amputated when I was 9,” she explains. “I’ve been very limited in what I can do to try to get back to where I was and so being able to run, being able to play sports, and not have to worry about my prosthetic hurting me or having an issue again – it means the world.”
Kim Collier, whose daughter Emma received a custom-fitted prosthetic leg that would allow her to run, says her favorite part of the organization is the ability to support their daughter as she grows. “We were so excited, and then she grew out of it in six months and we were heartbroken,” she shared, knowing the adaptive equipment would be an expense their family could not continue to afford so frequently. “Then they said ‘Hey, we’re going to supply her with a leg until she stops growing’. It is a $20,000 leg that just – you can’t get. Seeing her run, the smile on her face, from not being able to do that in an every day leg..it was her smile. Her whole demeanor, her confidence changed.”
To learn more about Who Says I Can’t, visit their website.
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Emmalyn Reid 