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Limbs For Life Co-founder Craig Gavras’s Sackcloth Admission and Apology

On stage at the Saturday night gala for Limbs For Life in front of blinding spotlights and 500 people who have financially and emotionally supported his efforts, LFL Executive Director/Co-founder Craig Gavras (pictured) admitted and apologized for a lie — allowing the world to think that he had lost his leg as a result of a “mob” incident while serving as a Dallas police officer. Choking back tears, he was contrite and humble emphasizing that it was stupid and not one cent had been earned through his telling his tale.

That is where a question must be raised. The Dallas Morning News revealed Saturday morning that Craig simply made up the story to impress a fellow amputee in 1996. As Craig helped grow LFL, he made public appearances and the media picked up on the “mob” incident via research. Craig did not deny it. Over the years, people were advised that Craig preferred not to discuss the incident. This “preference” only added to the mystique of Craig’s loss. One cannot help but wonder if doors and budgets weren’t opened to him because of his “silent courage” regarding his victimization at the hands of a mob. (What mob? The only mob in Dallas is the crush of people trying to get into Best Buy on Black Friday.)

But perhaps even greater than Craig’s lost limb is the shadow cast on the actual good that has been achieved since his co-founding Limbs For Life. There are thousands of men, women, and children who have been provided with prostheses thanks to Limbs For Life since its founding in 1995. These great accomplishments are still in place. However, the pristine reputation of the organization has been tainted, not destroyed.

Lessons Learned From This Situation

1. Don’t give life to a lie. Craig’s embellishment of the truth years ago took on a life of its own through his silence.
2. If a lie is birthed, kill it immediately by owning up to the truth and apologizing to those affected by it. Craig admits that his silence over the years let the lie continue and appear to be the truth.
3. Don’t compound the original lie with follow-up lies. There is a reason for Sir Walter Scott‘s “Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise (sic) to deceive!”
4. Don’t complain about the media’s behavior. While it may be true that the media tends to get into a frenzy mode, it’s only feeding on what you’ve provided. Plus, you’ll make an even greater foe that will continue to hound you.
5. As painful as it was for Craig to admit publicly and to be showcased in a newspaper article that will live forever, he must be greatly relieved that his dirty little secret is finally out in the open.

When Craig started his life of a fib, it was a different world. Today in this day and age of Internet accessibility to information, lies can easily be uncovered. If you have lied, correct it immediately without being “caught.” Yes, your lie will color your reputation, but Americans are a very forgiving people. If you immediately admit your mistake and walk the straight and narrow, they will eventually embrace you and give you a second chance. If you allow the lie to live and deny it’s being a lie, your betrayal will never be forgiven nor forgotten.

Finally, there are those who have described the source of Saturday’s DMN article as a disgruntled former Dallas police officer. Let’s take a deep breath and admit something. If you were a member of the force and heard that someone was claiming to have been one of the brotherhood who had suffered loss in an act of duty, you’d probably be pretty disgruntled, too. There are unfortunately too many officers who have truly suffered harm and death honorably to have someone weasel their way into this group. This officer did what Craig should have done years ago — kill a lie and let the truth live.

Perhaps Craig might consider apologizing to the Dallas Police Department, too.