March 3, 2005 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Photograph courtesy of Volvo Cars of North America
Hope Bevilhymer endured years of pain and frequent surgeries because she was born with clubfeet. In 2002, the pain grew to be so great that she decided to have part of her right leg amputated.
A year later, Ms. Bevilhymer (shown here) started her own charity, the Limbs of Hope Foundation, in West Jordan, Utah, to help others who need prosthetic limbs. She came up with the idea after watching a documentary on landmine victims who could not afford to buy prostheses. Last September, Ms. Bevilhymer traveled to Cambodia to deliver prostheses she had persuaded individuals and corporations to donate.
Because of product-liability laws in the United States, used prostheses cannot be donated to individuals here. But Ms. Bevilhymer, 28, still intends to add a domestic element to her work.
“We’re trying to set up a sponsorship program for people who can’t afford prosthetics here in the United States,” she says. She hopes cash donations will enable her to buy new prostheses, which can cost $3,000 to $100,000 each, for U.S. residents who need them.
Ms. Bevilhymer, who also works as assistant manager at United Cerebral Palsy’s Utah affiliate, is one of 100 semifinalists in the Volvo For Life Awards, which honors people who work to improve others’ safety or quality of life or to protect the environment. Three winners, who will be announced on March 24, will receive $50,000 to donate to any charity they want, with the top winner also winning use of a leased Volvo car for the rest of his or her life. Six finalists will receive $25,000 to donate to charity.
Last year, the Limbs of Hope Foundation took in about $6,500 in private donations and 90 used prostheses.
Ms. Bevilhymer says attention from the Volvo award program has already helped her attract some new gifts.
“Our fund-raising goal this year is $20,000,” she says. “It’s a big goal for us to hit, but I think we can do it.”
