Not Asking for Much – Just an Arm and A Leg
by Karol Wilson

“The cure for an amputee has been discovered – it’s a prosthetic arm or leg.” So says Doug Brooks, Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Brinker International, who, with wife Holly, champions the Limbs for Life Foundation. The global nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing fully functional prosthetic care for individuals who cannot otherwise afford it and raising awareness of the challenges facing amputees. The Brooks’ discovery of, and commitment to, Limbs for Life, came with a price – the loss of Doug’s left leg after a jogging accident.

Eight years ago, a limousine driver made an illegal turn and rammed into a van, which then careened into Doug, pinning him underneath. Luckily, a woman looking out her window quickly called emergency responders. Airlifted to Parkland Hospital’s famed trauma unit, Doug was facing near-fatal blood loss, plus the prospect of losing his leg.

“The team at Parkland literally saved my life,” says Doug. “Dr. Ron Anderson (Parkland’s chief administrator) and crew were unbelievable.” After some harrowing moments, the family faced a decision on the possible amputation.

“Holly and our sons, Taylor and Kyle, 16 and 12 at the time, gathered around my hospital bed, and we discussed the options and what the future might hold. Having that solid, united support of the decision to amputate meant the world to me.”

Doug also received the solid, united support of his corporate family at Brinker International. Company founder Norman Brinker and then-wife Nancy flew in top specialists from all over the world to treat Doug while he was at Parkland and later at the Zale-Lipshy Hospital in the famed University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center complex. Today, Brinker employees are avid supporters of Limbs for Life, contributing through the corporate charity program to Limbs for Life and to many other charities as well, including a recent $50 million commitment to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Once home to recuperate, there were a few “pity parties,” Doug admits. “But Holly would let me know when it was time to leave that party.” Doug probably had his “Aha!” moment when he visited with Craig Gavras, a former Dallas police officer who also had lost a leg and is now executive director of the Limbs for Life Foundation.

“Here was this tough ex-cop who’s in the same boat as I am, looking me straight in the eye and telling me that life can be normal…that’s when the light went on and I knew that I would not only be okay, but that I could make a difference.”

And so began his involvement with Limbs for Life. Doug and Holly have both been active on the organization’s board, working on projects large and small to get the word out on Limbs for Life’s commitment to assist, without charge, amputees in need. It is estimated that three thousand individuals in the United States alone become amputees each week.

“Doug has many demands on his time but always finds time to help amputees by answering their questions or attending fundraisers of the Foundation,” says Craig Gavras. “Doug has taken an unfortunate event in his life and turned it into a positive by helping Limbs for Life help thousands of amputees who are unable to afford prosthetic care and are going without a prosthetic limb receive a limb and return to a normal and productive life.”

That same “Aha!” moment also inspired his immediate and large, extended family to get involved in the cause and in philanthropy in general. “It’s been amazing to watch friends and family become a small army of philanthropists. They all chip in, all have great ideas, and all involve their friends, whether it’s for Limbs for Life, or another worthy organization.”

Holly and Doug are looking forward to the sixth annual Limbs for Life gala, “Limb-A-Go-Go,” to be held at Dallas’ Market Center on February 24, 2007. The event started as a fairly humble affair with 150 guests held at a laid-back Dallas roadhouse. Now, 600+ guests will relive the “disco” days, while contributing to the more than one million dollars raised to date. That translates to 500 limbs to help people live normal and productive lives. Diabetes, cancer, congenital diseases, and accidents of all types will always keep Limbs for Life busy and in need of support. The ever-enthusiastic Doug reminds us that life does go on after a tragedy, oftentimes deeper and richer: “Don’t put a period where God intended an apostrophe.”

For further information about the Limbs for Life Foundation and “Limb-a-Go-Go”, visit www.limbsforlife.org or contact Craig Gavras at 1-888-235-5462.