A Story of Perseverance

How the First Amputee of the Civil War changed the world!

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.