In celebration of the 21,611 CoolKids served since our first patient in 2003, and in support of those who still wait, join our CoolKids Club with a monthly donation.
Here's to the next 20 years: together we can change the future for the next generation of CoolKids.
You've been there for our CoolKids, from adjustments during growth spurts to repairs from kids just being kids. Thanks for providing the continuous care to keep our CoolKids moving through the age of 21 and towards their dreams.
Your support has helped us build partnerships with 11 local providers in 10 of the most underserved countries devastated by poverty and war. Together we're providing sustainable care that transcends cultural barriers and reaches the most vulnerable.
From designing our own modular prosthetic limb, The Joshi, to supplying custom orthotics and appropriately fitted wheelchairs, you’ve helped elevate the standard of care for children living with disabilities in the developing world
Refan’s parents were riding their motorbike with Refan wrapped in a sarong against his mother’s chest, common in Indonesia, when their bike crashed.
Born with a congenital disability, living in poverty, and suffering discrimination, Namini faced a bleak future without the opportunity mobility affords.
Bhuwan lives with his family in a remote rural area of Nepal where the muddy roads are treacherous and walking is the main form of transportation.
Want to be featured below? Email Hannah at hschumacher@altso.org.
“My 20th birthday wish for ALTSO: launch two new program sites.”
“To continue to give hope and promise to those who need it the most - our Cool Kids.”
“My 20th birthday wish for ALTSO is that they can continue to bring the gift of mobility to children around the world through awareness, action and music.”
“Seeing the changes in lives that ALTSO has made over the last 20 years has been amazing and a true blessing. Long live ALTSO.”
“ALTSO’s mission has resonated with me from the moment I learned about the organization. Having grown up in Malaysia, I can imagine how having any disability can hamper one’s ability to live a normal life. Over the years, I have become family with the selfless, tireless and good people at ALTSO who inspire me to be a better person. Thank you for all that you do and Congratulations on your big 20th. I hope me and my children will be involved for years to come.”
“I am gobsmacked by the impact ALTSO has had on people's lives and will gleefully continue to advocate for this important work. My 20th birthday wish for ALTSO is to ten-fold our impact in the next 20 years. I'm confident we can do it too because we have a small but extraordinary team of professionals leading ALTSO operations. Their passion for the mission inspires me because they keep the CoolKids front-of-mind at all times.”
“We were introduced to ALTSO by one of our team members, Doug Newsome. We were taken in by the mission and all the wonderful things ALTSO does for the children that are lucky to have been found by ALTSO and are living their best lives with new limbs. We now have Acoustic Karma who plays annually at Rocktoberfest NYC with 3 of our team members and guest appearances from Doug’s son and my stepdaughter. It is now a staple in our calendar for Perkins Fund Marketing and our families and is our firm’s chosen charity. We are proud to support ALTSO and especially the CoolKids.”
“ALTSO is important to me because of the great impact it has in changing lives. As we are so blessed to be living with so much abundance and wealth, to be able to touch someone’s life in a part of the world that has so little is a great gift given to us. It is incredibly rewarding to know there are children in the world, and their parents and brothers and sisters whose lives are made so much richer with the gift of mobility that ALTSO enables.”
“My wish for ALTSO’s 20th birthday is for another 20 years to get to treating 50,000 cool kids! It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of the ALTSO adventure! Thank you for the fun!”
“ALTSO is important to me because the organization enables so many people to do 2 things they love- perform live and change lives. Being able to make a difference to a cool kid is really special.”
“ALTSO is important to me because I can see in my everyday life how I helped ALTSO because there is a seventh grader in my school who has 2 prosthetics. I am very passionate and dedicated to helping others.”
“Happy Birthday, ALTSO! Thank you to the ALTSO team, partners, and donors for continuously supporting our cause for 20 years. And shout out to our CoolKids, their resilience is inspiring and it's an honor to serve them.”
“ALTSO is important to me because restoring mobility to kids allows them to attend school, secure jobs, and participate in their community. ALTSO's mobility equipment changes individual lives and empowers children to break the cycle of poverty for their families, creating lasting ripple effects in the developing world.”
“My 20th birthday wish for ALTSO is that they continue to empower disabled children and adolescents around the world, by helping them access the care and education they need to live full and free lives.”
“My wish is that ALTSO can one day expand to reach 100% of the population of children across the world that need access to affordable and effective mobility solutions. Mobility is a human right…and how incredible would it be if everyone had it?”
“ALTSO provides life changing impact to the CoolKids, as well as to their families and communities. Giving positive confidence, transforming mobility, creating equality, breaking the cycle of poverty and so much more! Thank you to the ALTSO staff, partners and volunteers in making this happen over the years. Here's to many more years ahead and to the CoolKids! One step/ roll at a time!”
“It was a huge honor to be invited onto the Board of Directors as the Medical Director, and it remains a continuing source of pride and reward…What is truly remarkable now is the expanding group of ALTSO Cool Kids who are now adults, leading meaningful and fulfilling lives, and contributing to society is ways they could not have foreseen without your presence. For that we are all hugely grateful. And we look forward to watching continued growth in ALTSO, including collaboration with more organizations in other countries and regions yearning for the assistance.”
“On their 20th birthday, I wish the very best for ALTSO, and all the dedicated individuals working tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of children across the world. I also wish that ALTSO continue to drive change and impact positively on the lives of those they serve at an even greater scale into the future. May they always be resilient, passionate, and committed in providing the care and support that these children most need and deserve.”
“Ensuring that each #CoolKid is granted a birthday gift of life-changing mobility and the opportunity to celebrate with lots of love, joy and laughter! Happy Birthday ALTSO and cheers to the next 20 trips around the sun!”
“ALTSO is such a great charity that helps change children’s lives for the better and by giving them mobility these children can make a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. I would like to see more smiles from more CoolKids!”
“I have never seen a team so invested in the emotional and physical well-being of those they represent and this infectious unwavering support makes them so easy to believe in. As someone with ancestral ties to India, it makes me proud to see ALTSO change the lives of so many “Cool Kids” in Gujarat by providing them with the opportunity to restore their mobility and live their lives to the fullest. My 20th Birthday wish for ALTSO is to hope for the activation of new sites across the world so that every child can experience the love, support, and kindness that the ALTSO leadership team provides.”
“It's truly amazing to review what ALTSO has accomplished in its first 20 years. Not only is ALTSO's work life-changing for so many, but it also galvanizes the financial industry together around a common love of music and giving. For ALTSO's 20th birthday, I give ALTSO my heartfelt congratulations, thank you for all you've done to provide the gift of mobility.”
“As a lifelong athlete, mobility has been such an important part of my life. ALTSO's impact on the CoolKid community fills me with gratitude. [My birthday wish for ALTSO] is to reach and inspire the next generation of ALTSO supporters and volunteers to continue ALTSO's incredible work.”
"20 or so years back few like minded passionate social reformist from all sectors from USA met to gather and founded an organization…Such specially designed lightweight strong prosthetics got [ALTSO’s CoolKids] on feet to stand, walk, run and brought their inner hidden spirit to be part of society... That journey to provide mobility to children have continued with pride and now has made global impact...ALTSO extends their sense of gratitude and thanks to all but specially to where it began.”
“ALTSO is important to me because it has helped me appreciate the gift of mobility. Knowing that I am helping children around the world gain such an essential function so that they can go to school and play with their friends is infinitely gratifying.”
“A combination of my love of rock and a deep-seeded desire to make a difference is what first attracted me to ALTSO. The concrete difference they make to cool kids’ lives is what keeps me coming back. Happy 20th to the incredible team that makes ALTSO such an incredible organisation! “
