AOPA Press Release Archives
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steven Rybicki
srybicki@AOPAnet.org
(571) 431-0876
AWARD WINNING 15 YEAR-OLD INVENTOR TO ADDRESS AOPA’S 2007 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Aug. 9 – Grayson Rosenberger, who won the 2007 Bubble Wrap Young Inventors contest for his innovative use of the packaging material, will give an account of his work, assisting those in need of prosthetic care in West Africa, during the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association’s National Assembly, Sept. 17-20, in Las Vegas.
AOPA, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is the largest non-profit organization dedicated to helping orthotic and prosthetic businesses and professionals navigate the multitude of issues surrounding the delivery of quality patient care. This year the association celebrates the 90th anniversary of its founding, when needs of returning veterans in the aftermath of World War I required a national organization to address the educational and research requirements of the industry.
Inspired by his mother, Gracie, a double amputee, the youth’s experimentation with Bubble Wrap, a heat gun, flesh-colored hose and artificial limbs resulted in an inexpensive cosmetic covering to help make the prosthesis more realistic.
Gracie Rosenberger will appear on Wednesday, September 19, with her son and sing the national anthem to kick off the AOPA Member Breakfast and Annual Business Meeting. She is an accomplished vocalist from Nashville, whose long list of performance credits included the groundbreaking ceremony of the new amputee-training center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The Rosenbergers will be featured additions to the roster of high-profile lecturers, educators, and speakers from the field of orthotics and prosthetics who will attend the Assembly, which provides association members access to the latest technology within the sector and effective strategies that optimize business productivity.
The family is involved in efforts to provide artificial limbs to amputees in West Africa through their organization, Standing with Hope. Grayson entered the contest as a way to improve the lives of amputees around the world by allowing them to interact more effectively within their cultures. The family is available for interviews on Wednesday, September 19th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.