At 14 years old, Annika Emmert of St. Augustine, Florida, has gone through a lot of prosthetics.

.

Born without much of her right arm, she was given prosthetics early. They were clunky.

 .

“My first ever prosthetic was very heavy for a 2-year-old. I just put it in my toy box.” Her mother, Karon Bryson Emmert, calls it “the most expensive toy box in the hood,” because so many of Annika’s prosthetics ended up there.

 .

Children outgrow prosthetics quickly, and they need replacing. Prosthetics can range from $2,000 for a finger up to well over $50,000 for a more complex limb.

 .

“My leg was $22,000,” said Craig Demartino, a climbing instructor in Colorado who lost his leg in a climbing accident. Insurance covers 80% of the leg he uses for walking. Whereas children outgrow prosthetics, adults wear them down, […]

Click here to view original web page at www.marketplace.org