Heather Abbott Foundation Donates First Prosthetic Limb

It's something 26-year-old Hillary Cohen never expected she'd do again after part of her right leg was amputated due to a nerve disease that causes painful tumors.

Now she's stepping out in style with a brand-new amazingly lifelike prosthetic leg- compete with toenails- thanks to the Heather Abbott Foundation. Abbott, who lost a leg in the Boston Marathon Bombings, is on a mission to help fellow amputees live their lives to the fullest.

"It means so much to be able to do this for her and to know that she is the first of many people that I hope the foundation will be able to help," Abbott explained.

For Hillary, that means slipping into a pair of heels- three inches to be exact. Something she's never done before. It's an emotional moment for Hillary's mother.

"Two years ago she made the choice to amputate it. And she never she never thought she'd be in this position to wear heels and you know, be like a real girl," Diane Cohen, Hillary's mother said.

Now she's smiling ear to ear and confidently walking a few inches taller. Heather understood Hillary's desire, she has her own prosthesis- with a four inch heel.

"It looks just like my left leg and it's really nice to look in the mirror and see that fact that I have two normal looking legs and no one's gonna know. I don't see a metal rod there where my ankle used to be," Hillary explained. "This is real life."

The leg was designed at Next Step Bionics and Prosthetics in Newton.

"You'll find most female amputees, if you ask them 'would you like to wear high heels? Put on nice sandals again, paint your nails?' Most of them will say yes," Arthur Graham, Next Step Bionics and Prosthetics explained.

"It really hasn't hit me yet. I'm just very grateful, very honored just to be a part of this and to really hopefully, someday be able to pay it forward," Hillary explained.

Heather tells necn that the next person to receive a prosthesis from the Heather Abbott foundation is an 8-year-old girl from Somerset who wants to be able to run. 

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