About Us > Our History

Limbs 4 Life is the vision of Melissa Noonan and Jacinta Dyson who recognised that amputees needed an organisation that provided up-to-date information and formalised peer support.

The Limbs 4 Life founders met after Melissa lost her right leg (above-the-knee) in an accident and was admitted to the rehabilitation centre that Jacinta worked in. During her rehabilitation Melissa craved up-to-date information about her condition and wanted to meet other amputees who had overcome their disability to resume an independent life, a service that wasn’t available in Melbourne at that time. Through her own experience, meeting others like her along the road to recovery and learning about the increasing incidence of limb loss in Australia, Melissa realised that the community needed a service that would allow amputees to connect with information and others who had been through a similar experience.

After working in rehabilitation for a number of years, Jacinta also felt there were gaps in the support provided to amputees and their families. Jacinta believed that in combination with good physical care, amputees would experience a more holistic treatment approach if it was one that included peer mentoring and access to independent information. Over time, and often during Melissa’s rehabilitation sessions, both women discussed the development of an amputee support organisation that could fill the gaps in current services.

Pictured left to right : Jacinta Dyson - Programs Manager,
Don Elgin - Patron, Melissa Noonan - Executive Director.

Once Melissa was discharged from rehabilitation, development began in earnest, with many evenings and weekends spent planning the formation of the organisation. During this time Melissa and Jacinta also recruited a passionate and committed group of supporters who shared their vision, and the team spent many months bringing the organisation to life. A little over one year after Melissa’s accident, Limbs 4 Life was formally established as a charity.

Now in its fourth year, Limbs 4 Life has proven itself to be a very important and in-demand organisation with links to amputee support organisations internationally and in other parts of Australia. The importance and value of our work has been recognised by a range of philanthropic and corporate supporters, and in the coming years Limbs 4 Life hopes to expand its services so that even more amputees can receive the support they deserve.