A Life in Parts

On an ordinary winter day, Loretta Goebel was busy wrapping Christmas gifts in her basement when the doorbell rang. She rushed to answer the door and, in her haste, hit her hand on the banister as she ran up the stairs. This seemingly innocuous injury resulted in the loss of both her legs, her left hand, and most of the fingers on her right hand.

While suffering through several rounds of amputations and painful prosthetic parts, Loretta had to adapt to life without fingers or feet. Fiercely independent, she refused to succumb to life as an invalid. Even the simplest things seemed insurmountable at first, but she relearned how to do everything—from feeding and dressing herself to driving a car.

Her adjustment and recovery led to a friendship with Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, also an amputee. Heather helped Loretta find comfortable and attractive artificial legs that allowed her to regain her confidence and feel feminine again.

Through all her pain and loss, Loretta never gave up, and her story of triumph is a testament to anyone who is struggling to adjust to difficult circumstances, whatever they may be.