James Edward Kelly

Born: 1835, in Black Lick, Pennsylvania

Served: Private, 56th Pennsylvania Infantry, 1861 to 1863

Died: October 26, 1913, in Burrell Township, Pennsylvania

Kelly was severely wounded in the left leg during a skirmish on the Rappahannock River in April 1863. The musket ball shattered his femur and the surgeons had to remove his entire leg at the hip joint. Kelly survived this risky operation, plus a month-long stint as a POW in Richmond shortly afterward. He was discharged in good health in December 1863, and could walk well once provided with a prosthetic.

Image credit:

Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine.

RELATED HISTORY.

When the Civil War broke out, 18-year-old James Hanger enlisted in the Virginia cavalry. Two days later his left leg was torn off at the knee by a cannon ball. A Federal surgeon amputated his leg just below the hip, saving his life. It was the first amputation of the Civil War—the first of over 60,000 to follow.

A few months later, after a prisoner exchange, Hanger returned to his home in Churchville, Virginia. He would later say that when he returned home, “I was the prey of despair. What could the world hold for a maimed, crippled man!”

As it turned out, the world held a lot for James Hanger. Instead of wallowing in his despair, he devoted himself to designing a prosthetic leg, leading ultimately to a revolutionary innovation that relieved the suffering and enhanced the lives of tens of thousands of amputees. James was issued patents for his new design and the company he founded, now called Hanger, Inc., is today the world’s leading manufacturer of prosthetics, valued at over $1 billion.

James Hanger overcame his adversity, turning it into an opportunity to improve himself and to make the world a better place.

Credit Daily dose of history


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