MILWAUKEE — At the age of 11, Lori Kopchinski was told that she had an 8% chance of living for three more years.
She was diagnosed with Osteogenic Sarcoma - an aggressive bone cancer. Her doctor said she needed to amputate her leg and begin chemo right away.
Her amputation was a week later.
Since losing her leg at 11, she says her goal has been the same: “I just wanted to live as normally as possible,” said Kopchinski.
After defying the odds stacked against her and living 42 years longer than her doctors predicted, she's now facing a new challenge for the first time: not being able to afford a new prosthetic leg.
She says this is in part to changing coverage for prosthetics over the years, which are not deemed a ‘medical necessity.’
That means, if approved by your provider, insurance will only cover 80% of the cost.
That leaves the other 20% up to the amputee to pay.
“Now prosthetics are customized, they fit the body better, they're much safer,” shared Kopchinski. “But they also cost sometimes as much as $80,000 or more.”
After growing out of her previous prosthetic following several health-related surgeries on her amputated leg, she has been unable to afford her end of the cost for a new prosthetic.
She’s been without a leg for the past two years, relying solely on her crutches.
It was her daughter, Abigail, that pushed her to reach out for help.
“My mom has always had a prosthetic in my life, and it’s always been important to her,” Abigail shared. “I could just see, when she didn’t have a leg, how it affected her.”
Lori now has a GoFundMe raising up the costs to get a new leg. Thanks to a supportive community she’s reached a large portion of her goal.
“In a matter of days, I’ve started to have hope,” she said. “I can't wait. I can't wait to be mobile again.”
She says she’s looking forward to being able to do things on her own again, like grocery shop, household tasks, and even walking around the neighborhood.
She’s incredibly grateful for the help she’s received from her support system, and hopes this will bring to light the cost-prohibitive nature prosthetics pose to many amputees.
“I have so much support, so much love around me. What is it like for people who don’t have a huge community of support to help them through this?”
Her daughter Abigail is also thankful for the help through this.
“She wouldn’t have been able to be the amazing mom that she was without her leg and I just think it’s so important that she’s had it. It just helps her be a part of my life and I get to be a part of her life more.”
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