Amy Siegler, co-founder of LimbTech, a seating and positioning company based in Hendersonville, doesn’t want anyone to be told “no.”

Formerly a teacher at South College, Siegler was approached by colleague Blaine Singleton of Revolution Access about wheelchairs and accessibility. An idea was sparked in Siegler’s mind, and she decided right then and there that she was going to start a company that helps people get into the wheelchairs that they need. 

LimbTech offers services to a variety of area patients. After another local pediatric clinic closed, she began seeing more pediatric patients. She offers occupational therapy which consists of work in sensory, behavior, and activities of daily living. Occupational therapy can determine the specific mobility assistance needs of each patient and help improve patients’ quality of life.

Siegler said that she wanted to be something different in the medical community, and that she sees pro bono patients because she has a hard time saying no regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Because she is a mother herself, she said it is difficult for her when parents tell her they continue to hear “no” from their insurance companies.

“I got really tired of hearing ‘no, I can’t do that’ or ‘I’m sorry, we can’t help you with that’ from insurance companies, and I started to feel angry.” Siegler said that she is constantly fighting with and writing letters to insurance companies to prove disabilities of patients. “These patients will not get a fix or a cure; they need approval to simply improve their quality of life.”

Siegler’s business does more than provide service to patients. She has several of what she calls “passion projects” fueled by her desire to see people of all abilities in the community have what they need to thrive. 

“I started the Mobility Matters Foundation because I believe that every kid deserves a bike,” Siegler said. “Adaptive bikes can have lots of positioning equipment and can support any level of mobility, but the price of them ranges from about $3,000 to $7,000. These are sometimes considered by insurance companies to be ancillary products and not covered since insurance defines them as luxuries, not necessities. Thanks to the help of WNC Bridge Foundation, Freedom Concepts, and other partnerships supporting this foundation, 10 kids will be able to receive bikes this year.”

LimbTech Foundation’s Annual Adaptive Bike Day allows anyone to try out a Freedom Concepts Adaptive Bike. Trained professionals are present to conduct evaluations and determine product sizing for children and youth over the age of three.

“It’s amazing to see the smiles on the faces of kids when they get on these bikes,” Siegler said. At the last Bike Day, one woman walked over to me and handed me a credit card to purchase a $5,000 bike for one of my patients. The mother cried tears of joy. It was such an incredible thing to witness. We want to help facilitate this for other children, as well.”

Siegler also helps raise money to donate crocheted octopuses for babies in neonatal intensive care units at local hospitals. These octopus help to occupy babies’ hands so that they don’t unknowingly pull on the tubes that are supporting their life.

Another “passion project” of Siegler’s is to create a task force for Hendersonville to talk about accessibility in the downtown area. “By having the conversations, educating the community, and building awareness of the needs of some of our community members, we may be able to help people get what they need to access all of these areas of our town,” Siegler said.

LimbTech also works with interns to help them not only learn more about the practice, but how to run a healthcare business, as well. She said that her interns learn to help with paperwork and documentation, learn clinical reasoning, get study practice for board exams, and are able to put what they learn into practice. 

“We also work together with our staff and interns to discuss the emotional aspects of this work,” Siegler said. “I used to get super emotional, especially when working with children who are victims of trauma. My staff and I are real people and we do a lot of reflection together. Sometimes the lines between empathy and sympathy get crossed. We understand that life can change in a heartbeat, and we use this emotion to try to empower these families.”

Siegler has big goals for the future of LimbTech. She said that she would like to have the Mobility Matters Foundation fully up and running with a building for a pro bono therapy clinic for families with Medicaid or who otherwise find copays financially stressful. She also said that she wants to build Bike Day to multiple cities and to help more families cover ancillary equipment costs.

“Our mission is truly to be supportive of the community,” Siegler said. “We want to give people their quality of life back. I also really just want to never have to tell another family ‘no’.”

Amy Siegler is an Occupational Therapist and board certified orthotist who owns and operates LimbTech. LimbTech was started in 2019 to serve the clients and families of Western NC, and has quickly grown to serve families and communities in multiple states. Learn more at LimbTechNC.com.