Q: A 6-year-old boy lost his prosthetic leg. It was found on the street, but it was no longer functional. Is there a fund for this boy and his family?
—Joanie Eddy, Atlanta
A: Contributions to the Blü Riggs Benefit Account can be made at any First Athens Bank & Trust location. Blü, who is 6 years old, and his family lost the leg when it fell off a roof of a car after they unpacked from their move from Oregon to Watkinsville this summer. His leg was found by a jogger on the side of an Athens area road on July 23, but was too damaged from the fall to be used. The fund was set up and Fritz Orthotics and Prosthetics in Athens decided to replace the leg at no cost. Blü was born with Moebius Syndrome, a rare congenital neurological disorder that keeps him from using his facial muscles and from speaking. One of his legs was so deformed that it needed to be amputated when he was 2. The family said some of the money will be used to buy a wheelchair for Blü, who communicates through an iPad app called Proloquo2go, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. "I'm blown away. It's overwhelming," Blü's mother Melissa Riggs told the paper. "I never expected this many people would want to come forward and want to help." First Athens Bank & Trust's website is www.afbtbank.com and it can be reached at 706-357-7070 or 706-357-7000.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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