First Published in 2010

Debola with her family.

Traffic in Bangladesh is chaotic to say the least.  The combination of slow moving rickshaws and farm equipment competing for the same narrow road space with fast moving buses and trucks creates an environment for accidents.  In 2010 Debola stepped out of a bus into traffic and was hit by a speeding truck.  This accident not only took her leg, but also a part of her identity and self-confidence.  She could no longer cook, visit neighbors and family, help her husband with his work, or simply get around the house.  Debola feared she would become a burden to her family.  After her amputation surgery in Calcutta, she broke down emotionally.

In September 2010, the Nalta Hospital’s Prosthetics Center heard about Debola and informed her they could provide her with a prosthetic leg.  This gift, in just a few months after the accident, allowed her to regain most of her mobility, but the reality of losing a leg still haunted her.  The trauma of losing a limb is a difficult ordeal to overcome emotionally for many amputees.  Howver, one man in particular understands the difficulty of coping with the emotional and physical rehabilitation after a life changing accident.

Golam is a fisherman from Shatkira who received a prosthetic limb from POF and the Nalta hospital in 2007.

Golam working!

Golam was inspired by the help and support he received after his accident. He now travels twice a week to the prosthetic center at the Nalta Hospital to help other patients accept and overcome the emotional aspect of their disability.

The first time we interviewed Debola, she was extremely nervous.  Her demeanor was withdrawn and at one point she could not speak through her tears.  The next day, Debola returned to the prosthetic center for a follow-up appointment and was introduced to Golam.  After spending time with Golam, she was noticeably more relaxed and much happier.

POF helped give Debola the physical tools to overcome her disability and regain her mobility, Golam empowered her with the emotional tools to restore her self-confidence.

What an inspiring evening! Thank you to all who supported the Steps to Healing Dinner Auction Gala. We are pleased to report that $300,000 was raised, including $90,000 from matching gifts!

A special thank you to our table captains, matching gift fund donors, sponsors, volunteers and everyone else who made this event possible.

We hope that you take pride in knowing that your donation will provide children and adults in developing countries with mobility and independence.
Please help us continue to raise awareness by sharing stories about the gift of mobility, and the impact POF makes in the lives of others.

Thank you for your generous support and for giving the gift of walking!

Photos courtesy of Mike Nakamura.

First Published in 2007

The first time I met Trang, she was running with her classmates during a PE class at Tu Son High School.  Her long hair, bright face, and small figure appeared and disappeared behind every tree.  Her uniform blended in with those of classmates, and from afar, no one could tell that she was running with a prosthetic limb.

Having lost her limg in 1993 at the age of two, Trang could not recall the details of her accident, but her grandmother forced back tears as she recounted the event.  Tran was just a toddler; she barely knew how to walk.  Her grandfather took her to play near the train tracks behind the house and she got away from his watchful eyes.  A train passed by and he, upon hearing his granddaughter’s cry, turned back to see her leg caught under the track.  “The train seemed to take so much longer to pass our house that day,” her grandmother said with much difficulty.  “When I went outside to see what had happened, I saw my granddaughter lying on the track.”

The little girl was immediately rushed to the hospital.  “While she was in the hospital, we were all afraid.  She was so young and precious…but all we could do was wait,” said her grandmother.  And so they waited, in fear and doubt, as Trang was treated for her injury.  She was released from the hospital shortly after; her leg had been amputated.

The new few months were challenging for Trang’s family.  Still shocked by the accident and fearful for the future of their little girl, the watched as Trang went about her playing and growing, not fully aware of the heavy atmosphere pressing on the rest of her family.  “When my child learned to take her first steps, she learned to take them with a cructch,” her mother described.  “It was difficult and she could only move around the house.”  Each step she took seemed to bring more questions; each fall seemed to evoke more fear.

Six months after her surgery, however, Trang was fitted with her first prosthesis by POF.  The grief that overshadowed her family and the guilt that haunted the mind of her grandfather were slowly relieved as she learned to walk again – this time, without the help of her crutches.  Many years have passed, and Trang is now a sophomore in high school.  She rides her bike to school every day, plays with her friends, and attends her classes.  Her prosthesis allows her to climb stairs, run during PE, or simply help her mother with household work.

Ms. Hong, coordinator of the POF center in Hanoi, commented, “In a way, Trang grew up with our program.  For more than ten years, we’ve seen her and fitted her for a new prosthetic limb every six to twelve months.  We’ve been watching her grow up.”  Her mother and grandmother smiled in agreement.

The doctors also attended a surgical clinic at Bangladesh’s leading public orthopedic hospital, NITOR, in the country’s capital and toured the facility.

POF Executive Director Winfried Danke, Board President Mary Gladhart, Board members Ernest Burgess and Ruth Verhoff, and POF supporters Beth Rutherford and Charles Thomas participated in this trip. The group visited with amputees served by the Nalta Hospital, paid a visit to a clinic in nearby Jessore that treats young children with clubfoot through the Walk For Life Program, and had fruitful discussions with hospital staff and Minister Haque.

The Independent, a major Bangladeshi newspaper, published an article about the recent surgical project that occurred at Nalta Hospital in southwestern Bangladesh: http://bit.ly/wpJazV

POF looks forward to continuing to serve the needs of disabled children and adults in Bangladesh.

Acting upon the advice of their relatives and community, Tiuc’s parents took her to the local clinic where they learned of the partnership between POF and the Son La Hospital to treat children with clubfoot using the Ponseti method. Tiuc received her first casting when she was 20 days old. After completing a series of six casts, her feet are now straight and she is wearing braces to maintain a normal foot position.

Tuic’s mother, all smiles now, can confidently look forward to her daughter’s future. Tuic will attend school and between classes learn farming and household chores.