About Rebecca

Rebecca Levenberg is a teacher, writer, speaker, peer mentor, and adaptive traveler.

In November 2010, while bicycling to work, Rebecca was struck by a garbage truck as it made a right turn across a city bike lane.  The truck crushed her left leg and caused life-threatening injuries.  Fortunately, she was wearing a bike helmet and sustained no head injury.

Rebecca was rescued by paramedics and transported to the nearest trauma center, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.  There, trauma surgeons saved her life, but they had to amputate her left leg to do so.

She is now a transfemoral (above-knee) amputee who uses a prosthesis daily.

Shortly after the accident, Rebecca received a necklace from her aunt and uncle, inscribed with this quote:

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

It inspired her to set a goal:  To walk 1000 miles on her prosthetic leg.

(Not all at once, of course.)

The journey required both phyical and emotional adjustment.  Rebecca relearned many skills including how to live on her own, navigate city sidewalks, skate, bike, dodge kids in the school hallways, and travel!

She writes about ability and disability, amputation and prosthetics, rehabilitation and resilience, and adaptive travel.  

After her amputation, Rebecca also discovered a passion for rock climbing.  She competed on the national level and, in 2018, climbed for Team USA in the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria.

Rebecca shares her story at Trauma and EMS conferences, Surgery Grand Rounds, medical school classes, and physical therapy programs.  She presents trauma from a patient and family perspective, focusing on the human side of health care -- and the many factors that enabled her not only to survive, but to thrive. 

Rebecca also talks with school groups about prosthetics, goal-setting, disability, and -- of course -- the importance of wearing bike helmets!

Sometimes they walk a mile too!

Rebecca has written for Amplitude, In Motion, and The Sun magazines, studied at the Paris Writing Workshop with travel writer Rolf Potts, and appeared on Disability Pride PA's podcast, "Living Loud and Proud," to talk about adaptive travel. 

Rebecca is a graduate of Northwestern University, with a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and M.A. in Learning Disabilities.  After 20 years of teaching special education, she now coordinates the amputation support program at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation. 

Click to see a sampling of Rebecca's writing and events.