Lost Limb Riders

John Thompson knows what it feels like to lose everything and have to rebuild from nothing.

A serious illness led to the amputation of his right leg below the knee. The surgery saved his life, but it also thrust him into a world most people never see — a world of hospital rooms, rehabilitation centers, phantom pain, prosthetic fittings, and the slow, grueling work of learning to walk again.

During those early days of recovery, John faced something just as painful as the physical loss: isolation. He didn't know another amputee. He had never seen someone with a prosthetic leg living a full, active life. He had no roadmap, no community, and no one who truly understood what he was going through.

That changed when he connected with a community of riders — bikers who lived life on their own terms. They didn't treat him like a patient. They didn't feel sorry for him. They treated him like one of them — someone who had been through hell and come out the other side. They showed him that losing a limb didn't mean losing his life. It meant finding a different road.

That experience planted a seed.

John realized that what had helped him most wasn't a medication or a medical device — it was people. People who refused to let him feel sorry for himself and who rode beside him as an equal.

Lost Limb Riders was born from that conviction.

John believes that no amputee should ever have to face the journey alone. Not in the hospital. Not in rehabilitation. Not at home. Not on the hardest days or the best ones. Every person who loses a limb deserves to know that there is a community waiting for them — people who will stand beside them, ride with them, and remind them that their life is far from over.

That is why Lost Limb Riders exists.

Lost Limb Riders exists to support amputees, limb‑different individuals, and their families through community, mentorship, public awareness, adaptive opportunities, and practical resources—including housing and independence advocacy—that restore hope, rebuild confidence, and remind every person that nobody is left behind and nobody stands alone.

Our mission is built on a simple but powerful belief: no one should have to navigate limb loss alone.

Through peer visitation, mentorship programs, community rides, and fundraising events, we work to help amputees, people with limb differences, and their families regain confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging.

Lost Limb Riders envisions an annual fundraising ride and community event in Iowa that brings together amputees, people with disabilities, motorcyclists, families, businesses, healthcare providers, and community supporters.

This event will be more than a fundraiser. It will be a celebration of life after limb loss.

Lost Limb Riders is John Thompson's mission, but it cannot be built alone.

John is a survivor, an advocate, and a leader. He has the vision, the passion, and the lived experience to drive this organization forward. What he is seeking now is guidance from people who have done this before.

There are community leaders, event organizers, and experienced fundraisers in Iowa who have successfully built and run charitable events — people like the organizers of the Angel Ride and similar community-driven fundraising efforts. John is reaching out to these individuals and organizations to ask for their wisdom, their mentorship, and their partnership.

Losing a limb doesn't mean losing your future. Sometimes it simply means discovering a different road to travel — and no one should have to travel it alone.

John Thompson has lived that truth every day since his amputation. He has faced surgeries, rehabilitation, phantom pain, and the slow, difficult work of rebuilding his life. He has also experienced the profound impact of community — of being surrounded by people who understand, who care, and who refuse to let him quit.

Lost Limb Riders is John's way of paying that forward.

Every amputee who receives a peer visit, every new rider who discovers they can still ride, every person who finds community and hope through our programs — that is the mission in action. That is what your support makes possible.

He invites you to be part of this journey. Whether you ride, volunteer, donate, sponsor, or simply spread the word — you are helping build something that will outlast any one of us. You are helping ensure that the next person who loses a limb in Iowa will not face it alone.

Thank you for your time. Thank you for your consideration. And if you ever want to ride with us — you're welcome.

Lost Limb Riders is organized as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Iowa. Our organizing documents and tax information are listed below for public reference.