Prosthetics Outreach Foundation

Celebrating Father’s Day

POF — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:21:28 +0000

Faya and Father

One in one thousand children are born with clubfoot. POF seeks to educate communities around the world about clubfoot and the use of the Ponseti Method as an affordable and highly effective solution. Treatment is not a a quick fix, it is a process and requires dedicated involvement from parents. So, we are taking this opportunity to thank parents who play a main role in the cure. Please, join us in thanking fathers around the world this Father’s Day.

2013 Pacific Science Center Expo

POF — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:50:48 +0000

Ray Pye Talks about Prosthetics

This year we joined several fantastic organizations to celebrate science at the Science Expo! It was a wonderful opportunity to share the work we are doing around the world with the Seattle community!

Update from Haiti!

POF — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:09:19 +0000

Mobility for Schnailove

We just received an update from Schnailove: Months ago she dreamed of riding a bike, now it is a reality!

Last chance!

POF — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:47:43 +0000

"A Heart for Mom" Bracelet

Last chance to get this gift for your mother and give to mothers around the world! When you purchase “A Heart for Mom Bracelet”- POF receives $5! Perfect for Mother’s Day!

Read more: https://thehungersite.greatergood.com.

Also, watch this video of Schnailove’s story from Haiti, by the GreaterGood.org team.

Update from Vietnam!

POF — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:38:46 +0000

Ta Xan Hieu

We recently received an update and photos of Ta Xan Hieu in Vietnam! Ta Xan Hieu was born in 2011 at the medical station of Dong Anh Ha Noi and quickly the nurses realized that the baby boy had clubfoot. Hieu’s mother was scared because she feared he would not be able to live a healthy life like normal kids. However, after taking Hieu back to the hospital, the doctor informed her that clubfoot is treatable. With POF’s help, his clubfoot was treated through casting and he is now able to wear a shoe brace. He will wear the brace until he is five years old. With the treatment, he has been able to learn how to walk. He can now live a healthy life and grow up to have a childhood his mother has always hoped for him.

THEN: Hieu and his mother learning the process.

NOW: Clubfoot treatment working for Ta Xuan Hieu.

Help POF and Support Boston! “Boston- We Stand Together”

POF — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:08:33 +0000

One man is taking action to do something positive after the recent, tragic events that took place in Boston. He is asking people to stand together in support of the city of Boston, victims of the bombings, and amputees around the world (by donating part of the proceeds to POF!). Read about his project here: http://www.bostonwestandtogether.org/.

“A Heart for Mom Bracelet”

POF — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:59:00 +0000

When you purchase “A Heart for Mom Bracelet”- POF receives $5! Just in time for Mother’s Day! Read more: https://thehungersite.greatergood.com.
Also, watch this video of Schnailove’s story from Haiti, by the GreaterGood.org team.

Successful training! Sierra Leone National Clubfoot Program

POF — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:41:05 +0000

The Sierra Leonean Ministry of Health and Sanitation, in partnership with Prosthetics Outreach Foundation and CURE International, held the second annual, national, ponseti training in Sierra Leone from March 12-14. The training, facilitated by Ghanaian orthopedic surgeon Dr. Prosper Moh, and physiotherapist, Anna Vines, was a huge success! Thanks to everyone for the support and to Ponseti International Association for their continued work advocating for Ponseti clubfoot treatment around the world.

Exciting prosthetic design collaborations with UW and WSU

POF — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:52:23 +0000

POF is pleased to announce collaborations with engineering students from the University of Washington and Washington State University. The student groups are researching improvements in prosthetic design, led by Ray Pye, Director of Program Quality and Emerging Programs at POF.

When designing prosthetics for developing countries, one of the greatest challenges is finding a balance between functionality, cost, lifespan, and manufacturing capabilities. The prostheses must be durable, adjustable, and if parts are to be made in the developing country, be within the capacity of that country’s manufacturing base.

A team of five UW Mechanical Engineering students are creating a low-cost lower limb design that can be manufactured and maintained in Sierra Leone. The team will assess the materials and manufacturing environment of Sierra Leone, identify design requirements, and develop multiple concepts. As part of this process, different designs will be modeled using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and tested using computational stress analyses. They will then select the best design for a prototype before the end of this academic year. The team will be aided by faculty advisor Randy Ching, Ph.D. and clinical collaborator Dr. Danny Abrahamson, CPO.

POF is partnering with the Industrial Design Clinic at Washington State University, led and organized by Dr. Chuck Pezeshki and Gene Jones. Jones is a retired Hewlett Packard engineer and one of the leading experts in the world in injection molding. Under the joint direction of all three parties, students are analyzing cost and performance trade-offs for viable foot manufacture and distribution in Sierra Leone. They will also develop low-cost solutions for high-tech processes, such as 3D printing and rapid prototyping, so that systems can be delivered to Sierra Leone and run using something as simple as a smartphone. The teams hope to have a locally manufactured solution made out of recycled plastic barrels that will reduce the cost of a single foot to under $25 in one year’s time.

These projects hold promise for design improvements of prosthetic limbs and their components, ultimately improving local services for amputees in Sierra Leone and other developing countries.

10th Annual Dinner Auction Gala’s Master of Ceremonies

POF — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:32:44 +0000

2013 Master of Ceremonies: Angela Russell from KIRO

POF is thrilled to welcome back Ms. Angela Russell as our Master of Ceremonies for the 2013 Steps to Healing Dinner Auction Gala. You may recognize Ms. Russell as the co-anchor of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Friday alongside Steve Raible and Chief Meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson. Her experience includes reporting on the major national and local news of the day. She covered the historic 2008 presidential race, issues on national security at the height of the War on Terror, and many more notable stories. Ms. Russell has also interviewed injured Iraq war veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In December 2011, Ms. Russell sat down with President Barack Obama for a one-on-one interview in the White House. Traveling to the other Washington, she interviewed three of our region’s top leaders who took on roles in the Obama Administration: Gil Kerlikowske, Gary Locke and Ron Sims. In January 2010, she traveled to Haiti to cover the devastating earthquake and the people from Western Washington who helped survivors. Her full profile is available on KIRO’s website- http://www.kirotv.com/staff/angela-russell/.