Mountain Brook Teen Survivor Funds VR Therapy for Amputees

Lulu Gribbin's foundation awards $100,000 to Axolo Health for virtual reality treatment of phantom limb pain.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 1:05am

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Lulu Gribbin, a teenage shark attack survivor from Mountain Brook, Alabama, has awarded a $100,000 grant from her Lulu Strong Foundation to Axolo Health, a company that develops virtual reality therapy to treat phantom limb pain in amputees. Gribbin, an amputee advocate, says supporting Axolo's work is a 'full-circle moment' as the doctors who treated her after the attack co-founded the company.

Why it matters

Phantom limb pain is a common and debilitating condition for amputees, and virtual reality therapy has shown promise as an effective treatment. Gribbin's grant will help make this breakthrough technology more accessible to amputees who need it.

The details

Lulu Gribbin, a native of Mountain Brook, Alabama, founded the Lulu Strong Foundation to support amputees and advocate for their needs. The foundation has awarded its first-ever grant of $100,000 to Axolo Health, a company that develops virtual reality therapy to treat phantom limb pain. Axolo Health was co-founded by the doctors who treated Gribbin after her own shark attack, which resulted in the loss of her leg.

  • Lulu Gribbin founded the Lulu Strong Foundation.
  • The Lulu Strong Foundation awarded its first-ever $100,000 grant to Axolo Health in 2026.

The players

Lulu Gribbin

A teenage shark attack survivor from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who is an amputee advocate and founder of the Lulu Strong Foundation.

Axolo Health

A company that develops virtual reality therapy to treat phantom limb pain in amputees. It was co-founded by the doctors who treated Lulu Gribbin after her shark attack.

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What they’re saying

“Being able to support their work through our foundation's first-ever grant feels like a true full-circle moment.”

— Lulu Gribbin, Founder, Lulu Strong Foundation

What’s next

Axolo Health plans to use the grant funds to expand access to its virtual reality therapy for phantom limb pain treatment.

The takeaway

Lulu Gribbin's personal experience as a shark attack survivor has motivated her to help other amputees through her foundation's support of innovative treatments like Axolo Health's virtual reality therapy. This grant represents an important step in making breakthrough technologies more accessible to the amputee community.