A Virginia woman who lost her hand in a shark attack in Florida is crowdfunding for a prosthetic limb after her insurance denied coverage. Elisabeth Foley, 45, of Ashland, was seriously injured in the June 7 attack.
“All of a sudden I looked behind me and saw this thing that looked like a torpedo,” Foley told Boston 25. She spent years in Massachusetts before moving to Virginia. “It was a huge mass.”
She tried to kick the shark, and that’s when she felt the pain for the first time. The shark had attacked her lower leg, the Independent reported.
Foley remembered reading about hitting a shark to scare it away. As she began to swing, the shark dragged her underwater, and she feared for her life.
When she came back up, she realized her hand was gone.
The attack left Foley requiring extensive medical care, including the amputation of her left mid-forearm and treatment for injuries to her abdomen. She spent 60 days in the hospital before finally returning home two months later.
Despite her recovery, Foley continues to endure the aftermath of the attack. She has been advised to undergo multiple surgeries to repair nerve damage and reconstructive procedures.
Now medical experts are recommending a myoelectric prosthetic hand: an advanced device that would allow her to perform more specialized tasks and regain more functionality.
Foley was scheduled to receive her new prosthetic hand on Christmas Eve, but her insurance company reportedly refused to cover the cost, claiming the device was not medically necessary. The specific insurer has not been disclosed.
“It felt like a punch in the gut because I just want to get back to normal,” Foley told NBC Boston.
Determined to move on, Foley began raising money, launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise $73,000 to cover the cost of the prosthetic. As of Thursday, the campaign had reached 81% of its goal, raising more than $59,260.
“Elizabeth’s medical team strongly recommended a myoelectric prosthetic hand, a specialized device that is powered by the remaining muscles in the arm and sends signals to the device, allowing the prosthetic wrist and hand to perform specialized tasks,” the page said .
“Without this hand, Elisabeth will face a future characterized by limited skills, limited mobility and a reduced quality of life.”