Physicians for Peace and AT Home Care Inc. are holding their sixth annual Limb Drive on Saturday, June 7, to collect new and used prosthetic limbs and braces for amputees in developing countries. The event is sponsored by AT Home Care, an independent home healthcare agency based in Virginia; Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics Inc., Bethesda, Maryland; and Virginia Commonwealth University's Physical Therapy Department, Richmond; along with Physicians for Peace. Prosthetic limbs and orthotic devices will be collected from hospitals, physical therapists, and amputees from all over the country. The prosthetics are then disassembled and used for the Physicians for Peace Walking Free program in developing countries such as Jordan, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Guatemala, and the Philippines. These old prostheses cannot legally be reused in the United States, so they are often stored in attics or closets. The Walking Free program was developed by AT Home Care physical therapist David A. Lawrence, MSPT, ATC, in 2002 by partnering with Physicians for Peace to provide the much needed equipment and to set up sustainable rehabilitation centers in these countries. The support that the group provides to reach this goal of long-term sustainability includes education and training, patient care, business support, and assistance with access to supplies including donated components. According to Physicians for Peace and AT Homecare, to date, the annual Limb Drive has collected almost $1 million worth of equipment and is the only such event in the country. "This is a wonderful way to reuse these devices and help those who would otherwise not have the chance to become independent and functioning members of their community" Lawrence said. "It also creates jobs for people whose chances of employment are very limited. Your donation could change the lifeof an amputee living in another part of the world." The event will run from 1-4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Diamond stadium, 3001 North Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia. For more information, visit www.physiciansforpeace.org
