The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) released its latest webcast in which Nicole Ver Kuilen, NAAOP’s inaugural fellow and consumer vice president, discussed NAAOP’s partnership with the Range of Motion Project (ROMP) for Limb Loss Awareness Month as part of ROMP’s national component collection drive. Ver Kuilen is helping to lead the effort with ROMP.
Launching in April, and continuing throughout this spring, ROMP is collecting new and gently used prosthetic components from clinics, manufacturers, and individuals throughout the United States to ensure ROMP’s clinics in Guatemala and Ecuador can continue to provide high-quality prosthetic care to access-limited people with amputations. This is part of ROMP’s Components for a Cause (C4C) year-round component recycling program.
“What better way to help those with limb loss during this important month for the O&P community than through this project that our first fellow is working on,” said George Breece, NAAOP’s executive director. “NAAOP and our board of directors congratulate every organization and individual involved in making the lives better for those with limb loss worldwide.”
ROMP has over 150 clinic partners in the United States who have joined the movement for equitable access to prosthetic care. This represents just five percent of clinics nationwide, which is why ROMP is calling for hundreds more to join in the effort, Ver Kuilen said. In 2020, ROMP collected over 5,000 pounds of components and hopes to collect 7,000 pounds in 2021.
“Since 2005, ROMP has been working with the most marginalized individuals in the Americas who would otherwise not have access to prosthetic care,” said Dave Krupa, CPO, ROMP’s executive director and cofounder. “We are proud to share that we just surpassed our 4,000th prosthesis delivered in 2021. This journey would not be possible without ROMP’s C4C donors and partners like NAAOP who are dedicated to breaking down economic and systemic barriers that keep individuals from obtaining the freedom that comes from mobility. We believe in mobility for all.”
The webcast is posted on the NAAOP website.
