Born with a partially developed left leg, Diane was fitted with many prosthetic legs over the years, but because of the design and the time and patience it took to get used to them, she had her share of stumbles and tumbles. "This past October I fell down a flight of stairs. My leg was still at the top of the stairs. I landed at the bottom, “ she recalled.
Many doctors have told her she needed a computerized leg to ensure stability and reduce, if not eliminate, her falls. Unfortunately, her insurance didn't cover this device. That was when the charitable organization, Limbs of Love, stepped in to make things happen.

Limbs of Love was founded in 2007 by Joe Sansone, CEO of TMC Orthopedic and The Amputee and Prosthetic Center of Houston. Its mission is to provide limbs to those patients in Houston and across Texas who have lost a limb but do not have the resources to pay for a prosthetic device.

With the assistance of Limbs of Love, Diane was fitted with the "Lexus of Prosthetic Legs", a computerized leg that includes a microprocessor in the knee. This state-of-the-art wonder uses hydraulics to keep her from stumbling. It is the same technology that is currently being used on soldiers who have lost their limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Diane recalled the first time she began walking using her high-tech leg with one word: awkward. "Walking with two legs was and is a learning curve," she said with a laugh in her voice, "but I've been told I'm doing just fine!" Each night, she charges her leg for eight hours and gets around with a cane in the interim. The Amputee and Prosthetic Center practitioners believe that she will be walking with ease within two months.

Delighted and grateful for their help, she, along with the organization, met with the state's top politicians to discuss a parity bill that would provide minimum coverage for amputees equal to Medicare. The bill recently passed with Governor Rick Perry's blessing.

"I believe Texas is one of a handful of states that have passed this bill, and Joe [CEO of the Amputee & Prosthetic Center and Founder of Limbs of Love] and I would like to see this happen nationwide," she said. "If Limbs of Love ever needs my help again, I would most certainly be there to share my story and offer my support."

It may have taken 60 years and several trial-and-errors with other prosthetic legs, but with Limbs of Love's generosity Diane Johnston can finally begin to walk with confidence. Click here for photo gallery.