The Born To Run Foundation Donates Running Blade to 9 Year Old Amputee from Melrose
Ryan Feeney is recipient of the 7th prosthesis donation by the foundation
The Born To Run Foundation recently donated a running blade to 9-year-old Ryan Feeney of Melrose, a below-the-knee amputee. This was the foundation’s seventh prosthesis donation which was presented to Ryan on February 13, 2020 during his 4th grade Melrose Recreational League basketball practice.
“We have been waiting for a running blade for years and we are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with The Born To Run Foundation,” said Jill Feeney, Ryan’s mother. “We never thought Ryan would be able to keep up with his brother and all of his friends and now he can.”
Feeney was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and Tibial Dysplasia. After a rod surgery that failed, his parents decided just before his second birthday to have his leg amputated below the knee to give him a life with no limits. With his new running blade, Ryan will play soccer, basketball and tackle football. He is in the 4th grade at the Winthrop Elementary School in Melrose. Ryan works with Bob Emerson, CP from A Step Ahead Prosthetics in Burlington, MA where his new running blade is from.
“It was really nice of Noelle to donate this leg to me,” said Ryan Feeney. “This leg has a lot of spring to it and will let me go faster.”
The foundation was founded by Noelle Lambert, 23 of Manchester, NH, who lost her leg in a moped accident on Martha’s Vineyard in 2016. She is a former Division 1 college athlete who played lacrosse at the UMass Lowell and established the foundation to help young amputees obtain specialized athletic prosthetic devices so that they can live fulfilling lives. She is now a member of the U.S. Paralympic team and is currently training for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo in the 100-meter race in Track and Field. On November 13, 2019, Noelle set a new U.S. record at the World Paralympic Championship games in Dubai running the 100-meter in 16.31 seconds.
“Ryan’s story extremely compelling and the foundation was more than happy to have the opportunity to provide him with a running blade so he can compete in sports,” said Lambert. “It was so uplifting to be able to see Ryan in action with his new running blade playing basketball with all of his friends.”
About The Born to Run Foundation
The Born to Run Foundation was established to help young amputees obtain specialized prosthetic devices so that they can live fulfilling lives. Founder Noelle Lambert of Manchester, New Hampshire, created the foundation after she lost a leg in a moped accident in 2016. As an athlete herself and former Division 1 college lacrosse player at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Noelle wanted to ensure that young amputees who cannot afford costly athletic prosthetics have the opportunity to have an active lifestyle.
