Amputee riding for Spokane boy
Cross-country trip raising funds for prosthetics
LARAMIE, Wyo. – A man without arms is crossing Wyoming on a cross-country bicycle tour to raise money for a boy born without hands or forearms.
Hector Picard lost his right arm and part of his left arm after being shocked in 1992 while working in Florida. He went on to become a triathlete and is biking from Miami to Washington state to help pay for prosthetic arms for 1-year-old Jameson Davis, of Spokane.
Picard stopped in Laramie Tuesday, where he spoke to firefighters and police officers, and was escorted by fire trucks as he left for Rawlins.
“I owe my life to people like yourselves,” he told them.
The Laramie Boomerang reported that Picard uses a bicycle that allows him to brake with his right knee and steer by putting his left arm in a cuff attached to the handlebars.
Picard said he struggled with depression after his accident and then slowly began to learn how to take care of himself. His rehabilitation work got him interested in working out and eventually triathlons.
Prosthetic arms cost about $35,000 and Jameson will need to replace them often as he grows, Picard said. His goal is to raise money Jameson’s parents can use to cover co-payments.
He plans to arrive in Spokane on July 13.