Shared struggle between 2 NH women who lost their legs leads to waterproof prosthetic donation

BOSTON (WHDH) - A charity started by a local woman who lost her leg in a moped accident recently donated a waterproof prosthetic leg to another young woman recovering from a stroke.

Noelle Lambert and Emma Graham, both from Manchester, New Hampshire, connected through a shared struggle of losing a leg while going to college.

“We can relate to each other on a whole ‘nother level, things other people can’t relate to,” Graham said. “When your leg falls off, no one really has that happen, but we can relate to each other.”

In 2016, Graham lost her leg after suffering a stroke, just six months after Lambert lost hers in a moped accident. The two met during their recovery at Catholic Medical Center.

“If we were having bad days, we would pick each other up,” Lambert recalled.

Lambert is a lacrosse player and had a running leg donated to her by the Challenge Athletes Foundation. This inspired her to create a charity called Born to Run.

“If you want to be able to run, play sports, swim you need specialized prosthetics these days,” she said.

Specialized prosthetics are generally not covered by insurance, according to Lambert, and can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000.

Through her charity, Lambert was able to help her friend Graham by donating a waterproof prosthetic.

“I tried it once. I tried it in the shower. It was like amazing to be back on two legs,” Graham said. “I felt like I wasn’t even an amputee in the shower.”

Graham is most looking forward to swim in the ocean again.

“The beach was my happy place, so when I was in ICU I would shut my eyes and pretend I was at the beach,” she said. “So now to be back there and be able to go in the water is something I never thought I would get to.”

Graham is working on giving back by volunteering at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital with the goal of becoming a child life professional.

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