Three months into my role at The Next Step, the only Israeli nonprofit solely dedicated to serving individuals living with limb loss and limb difference, I planned to be learning systems, strategy, and structure.

Before I officially began, I made it a priority to meet members of the community. I wanted to understand who they are, how they got here, and what this organization means to them. It did not take long for a pattern to emerge.

There is no single story of limb loss.

It can happen to a soldier in combat. It can happen in what was supposed to be a safe zone. It can happen when a terrorist pulls someone from their truck on the morning of October 7. It can happen in a workplace accident, at a family barbecue, or following a sudden medical diagnosis where amputation becomes the only way to save a life. Sometimes it is instantaneous. Sometimes it follows a long and painful........

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