Dutch Man Who Turned His Amputated Leg Into A Lamp, Can’t Make A Buck Selling It Online
Amputees have always had it hard. They have extensive difficulties in their everyday lives, and have to struggle completing tasks that able-bodied people take for granted. However, that isn’t the end for a Dutch man who recently shot to fame when he fought the hospital authorities to collect his own amputated leg — in order to turn it into a one-of-a-kind lamp.
Leo Bonten’s right leg was surgically removed in June this year, after he developed a serious infection following a kiddie pool accident that saw him shatter several bones two years earlier. Bacteria targeted his knee joint and ate away at his bone — leaving him with a dead, stiff limb that needed to be amputated.
However, instead of putting the painful memory behind him and moving on, he chose to preserve his amputated leg in a very unique way. But first, Leo had to fight tooth and nail with the hospital authorities to collect his own severed leg.
Initially, the medics dismissed his idea, saying the hospital was responsible for the disposal of the leg and that it would be incinerated. However, despite the hospital vehemently rejecting Leo’s unusual request, the amputee managed to secure his own severed limb, only to have it converted in an eerie-looking leg lamp.
Seeking the help of pathologist Frank van de Goot and designer Willem Schaperkotter, Leo was able to neatly preserve the leg and convert it into a working lamp. But, it wasn’t clear why he wanted to build a lamp out of his leg, that is, until his reasons for doing so became apparent by his actions.
Leo wanted to sell the one-of-a-kind lamp to make some money he needed to pay off his medical bills and set up a foundation to help other fellow amputees deal with their condition. He even hoped to make enough money to buy a bionic leg. But his dreams were short-lived; eBay, the online marketplace that Leo chose to sell his leg lamp, pulled down his auction, saying it violated its policy, reported New York Daily News.
Just like Facebook, eBay clearly states it does not condone or allow the sale of human body parts. However, Leo hasn’t lost hope. He is now looking for some other platforms that would allow him to offload his leg lamp. If you can find a buyer for a jar of mountain air, you could surely find a buyer that is interested in placing a leg lamp in his or her home.
[Image Credit | Neatorama, Facebook]
