List of Famous Amputees

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A large proportion of amputees experience the phenomenon of phantom limbs, they feel body parts that are no longer there. These limbs can itch, ache, and feel as if they are moving. Some scientists believe it has to do with a kind of neural map that the brain has of the body, which sends information to the rest of the brain about limbs regardless of their existence.

In many cases, the phantom limb aids in adaptation to a prosthesis, as it permits the person to experience proprioception of the prosthetic limb.

A prosthesis is an artificial extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of fusing mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control lost by trauma, disease, or defects.

Though many prosthetics are clearly made of artificial materials, the practice of cosmesis, the creation of life-like limbs made from silicone or PVC, has grown in popularity. Such prosthetics, such as artificial hands, can now be made to mimic the appearance of real hands, complete with freckles, veins, hair, fingerprints and even tattoos.

Famous and Well Known People Who Are or were Amputees

• Adam Hills - Australian comedian and radio and television presenter. Hills was born without a right foot and wears a prosthesis, which has become a frequent source of comedy in his acts.
• Aimee Mullins
• Alex Brooker (Alexander James "Alex" Brooker) - Brooker, originally from Ashford, Kent, was born with hand and arm deformities and a twisted right leg which had to be amputated when he was a baby, he now wears a prosthetic leg. In 2014, Brooker fronted a campaign called "End The Awkward" which used comedy to bring awareness to the awkwardness some people feel about disabilities. Brooker appeared in advertisements that focused on awkward situations people may encounter with a disabled person.
• Alex Zanardi
• Amy Winters
• Aron Ralston - Aron Lee Ralston
• Aviva Drescher
• Barbara Adside
• Bethany Hamilton
• Bill Veeck
• Blake Leeper
• Bonnie St. John Deane
• Brett Smrz
• Casey Pieretti
• Curt Marsh
• Daniel Inouye
• Don Blas de Lezo
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Erick Kaffka
• Erik Stolhanske
• Francis Anthony Melby "Tony" Iommi
• Glenn Malmskog
• Harold Russell
• Heather Mills
• Herbert Marshall
• Ian Gregson
• ILSE - Born without her left arm, ILSE grew up withstanding the challenges of being different, including verbal and physical bullying in her childhood and uncomfortable stares from strangers. ILSE has overcome the odds and made her way to center stage, enchanting listeners with her voice and songs of determination, romance, and, above all, inner human emotions.
• James Stacy
• Jessica Cox - Recognized around the world as an inspirational keynote speaker. Born without arms, Jessica flies planes, drives cars, and otherwise lives a normal life using her feet as others use their hands.
• Jim Byrnes
• John Wesley Powell
• KENNEDY Ted Jr. - Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr.
• Max Cleland
• Oscar Pistorius
• RaShad Bristo - (DOB: 12/18/1974, Shreveport, LA) - Born with one arm and successfully graduated from a police academy in Louisiana. Worked in the field of law enforcement as a deputy sheriff, D.A.R.E. officer, juvenile probation officer and correctional officer. Was the first person in the State of Louisiana and the first person in the country to achieve this goal despite being born with one arm.
• Rick Allen
• Robert David Hall
• Robert Kerrey - Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey
• Ronan Tynan
• RoseMarie Siggins
• Sarah Bernhardt
• Sarah Reinertsen
• Scott Rigsb
• Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader
• Sudarhan Gautam
• Sudha Chandran
• Suzan Ball
• Terry Fox - Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox
• Tom Whittaker

NOTE: If you know of a discrepancy in this list please contact us so we can amend the entry.