Need a used Hip Joint for hip disartic patient
Jim DeWees
Description
Collection
Title:
Need a used Hip Joint for hip disartic patient
Creator:
Jim DeWees
Date:
4/28/2010
Text:
Hello list member,
For a change, this is NOT a political email at all. This is an email asking for help.
I need a good, decent, hip disartic prosthetic unit for a teenage boy in the Dominican Republic.
Over the past couple weeks, I have gotten a few emails and phone calls from family members of some Haitian amputees that have been transported to the Domincan Republic. I have had a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization there since 2003 and work with a private office in Santo Domingo to do the fabrication and fitting of prosthetic limbs. The organization is also working with a disability group in the Dominican Republic, which is helping serve many amputees in that area. We have also gotten together with the LDS Humanitarian Missionaries and they have given a couple grants to them for prosthetic help and financial support for some of this work (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Mission Program in Santo Domingo).
Last week, for example, I got a phone call from a man who lives in the US, but his son (age 17) was trapped in their home in Haiti for 4 days and lost his leg due to the crush injury and infection that set in. His father was able to get to Haiti a few days after the quake, and helped dig out his family. Only 2 survived the incident: his mother and his son. He lost 5 family members in the house. His mother only has some bruises and cuts...she was outside the home cooking in the back when this happened. The son was trapped under the collapsed structure, which was 3 stories of blocks and concrete. His father drove him to the Domincan Republic immidiately, and went from town to town, and couldn't get help, and finally ended up in Santo Domingo. He had a hip disarticulation, and from the photos that he sent me, it is healing nicely and his son is gaining his strength back. He has visited the prosthetic office in Santo Domingo and they are planning on making a leg for this young man.
I am going there on May 12th, and I have several good knee units that I will be taking down there, and also several feet to take with me. I am planning on working there for about 10 days, and seeing as many patients as possible during that time. The people that own and run the office there are sending me a list of components that they really need at the moment. They have been doing some work for several Haitians that have had surgery at the Darius Contreras Trauma hospital, and also a few other surgical centers in Santo Domingo. Of course, I can always use more feet and basic components, pyramid adapters, pylons, tube clamp adapters, etc. So if anyone has a few of these laying around collecting dust and have no plans for them, please let me know if they are something that I could use there.
What I really need at this time though, is a good used decent hip joint that I can use to make a prosthetic leg for this boy. He is a really strong, healthy, active young man, and is in the process of getting his visa to come to the US to live with his father. But, that will take at least another year for that to process, according to the CIS (immigration) office that is processing this request. This boy does need a leg so that he can walk and stand. He understands that ambulation with a hip disartic prosthesis is going to be a challenge, and isn't going to be easy....BUT with his age and physical condition and his determination, I think he will be able to walk with a prosthetic leg.
If anyone has a hip joint that they can donate for this patient, I would greatly appreciate it. I will pay for shipping if anyone can donate the parts.
Thank you,
Jim DeWees, CP
Prosthetic Center of Indiana and
Prosthetic Limbs for the Dominican Republic, Inc.
_________________________________________________________________
The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail.
<URL Redacted>
For a change, this is NOT a political email at all. This is an email asking for help.
I need a good, decent, hip disartic prosthetic unit for a teenage boy in the Dominican Republic.
Over the past couple weeks, I have gotten a few emails and phone calls from family members of some Haitian amputees that have been transported to the Domincan Republic. I have had a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization there since 2003 and work with a private office in Santo Domingo to do the fabrication and fitting of prosthetic limbs. The organization is also working with a disability group in the Dominican Republic, which is helping serve many amputees in that area. We have also gotten together with the LDS Humanitarian Missionaries and they have given a couple grants to them for prosthetic help and financial support for some of this work (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Mission Program in Santo Domingo).
Last week, for example, I got a phone call from a man who lives in the US, but his son (age 17) was trapped in their home in Haiti for 4 days and lost his leg due to the crush injury and infection that set in. His father was able to get to Haiti a few days after the quake, and helped dig out his family. Only 2 survived the incident: his mother and his son. He lost 5 family members in the house. His mother only has some bruises and cuts...she was outside the home cooking in the back when this happened. The son was trapped under the collapsed structure, which was 3 stories of blocks and concrete. His father drove him to the Domincan Republic immidiately, and went from town to town, and couldn't get help, and finally ended up in Santo Domingo. He had a hip disarticulation, and from the photos that he sent me, it is healing nicely and his son is gaining his strength back. He has visited the prosthetic office in Santo Domingo and they are planning on making a leg for this young man.
I am going there on May 12th, and I have several good knee units that I will be taking down there, and also several feet to take with me. I am planning on working there for about 10 days, and seeing as many patients as possible during that time. The people that own and run the office there are sending me a list of components that they really need at the moment. They have been doing some work for several Haitians that have had surgery at the Darius Contreras Trauma hospital, and also a few other surgical centers in Santo Domingo. Of course, I can always use more feet and basic components, pyramid adapters, pylons, tube clamp adapters, etc. So if anyone has a few of these laying around collecting dust and have no plans for them, please let me know if they are something that I could use there.
What I really need at this time though, is a good used decent hip joint that I can use to make a prosthetic leg for this boy. He is a really strong, healthy, active young man, and is in the process of getting his visa to come to the US to live with his father. But, that will take at least another year for that to process, according to the CIS (immigration) office that is processing this request. This boy does need a leg so that he can walk and stand. He understands that ambulation with a hip disartic prosthesis is going to be a challenge, and isn't going to be easy....BUT with his age and physical condition and his determination, I think he will be able to walk with a prosthetic leg.
If anyone has a hip joint that they can donate for this patient, I would greatly appreciate it. I will pay for shipping if anyone can donate the parts.
Thank you,
Jim DeWees, CP
Prosthetic Center of Indiana and
Prosthetic Limbs for the Dominican Republic, Inc.
_________________________________________________________________
The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail.
<URL Redacted>
Citation
Jim DeWees, “Need a used Hip Joint for hip disartic patient,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 19, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/231388.
