A Virginia woman who lost her arm in a shark attack in Florida is crowdfunding a prosthetic limb after being denied coverage by her insurance. Elizabeth Foley, 45, of Ashland was seriously injured in the June 7 attack.
“All of a sudden I looked behind me and saw this thing that looked like a torpedo,” Foley told Boston 25. He spent several years in Massachusetts before moving to Virginia. “It was a huge crowd.”
She tried to kick the shark and that’s when she felt pain for the first time – the shark had attacked her lower leg, the Independent reports.
Foley remembered reading about punching to ward off sharks. As soon as she started swinging, the shark pulled her underwater and she started fearing for her life.
When she came to the surface again, she realized that she had lost her hand.
The attack caused Foley to require extensive medical care, including amputation of the middle part of his left arm and treatment for injuries to his midsection. She spent 60 days in the hospital before finally returning home after two months.
Despite her recovery, Foley is still suffering the aftermath of the attack. She has been advised to undergo multiple surgeries to repair the nerve damage and reconstructive procedures.
Now, medical experts recommend a myoelectric prosthetic hand – an advanced device that will enable him to perform more specific tasks and gain greater functionality.
Foley was scheduled to receive his new prosthetic hand on Christmas Eve, but his insurance company reportedly refused to cover the cost, claiming the device was not medically necessary. The specific insurance provider was not disclosed.
“It felt like a punch in the gut because I just want to get back to normal,” Foley told NBC Boston.
Determined to move forward, Foley began raising money and launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $73,000 to cover the cost of the prosthetic limb. As of Thursday, the campaign had reached 81% of its goal, with more than $59,260 raised.
The page reads, “Elizabeth’s medical team strongly recommended a myoelectric prosthetic hand, a special device that is powered by residual muscles in the hand that send signals to the device that cause the artificial wrist and hand to perform specific tasks. It is made.”
“Without this hand, Elizabeth will face a future with limited skills, restricted mobility and a reduced quality of life.”
