The people of Haiti have begun two days of remembrance ceremonies to honor and mourn the more than 230,000 people who were killed after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the island nation.
The Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS), Deschapelles, Haiti, in conjunction with the Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation, is hosting a remembrance event today, the one-year anniversary of the earthquake. The event will focus on hope and restored mobility. Managing Director of the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) Ian Rawson, MD; Hanger prosthetist Jay Tew, CP; the four Haitians prosthetic technicians who are employed at the Hanger clinic in Haiti; and amputee patients who benefitted from the work at the clinic will be in attendance.
Tew was the first lead prosthetist at the Hanger Clinic in Haiti, located at the HAS. The clinic was established in February 2010 through Hanger’s charitable arm, the Ivan R. Sabel Foundation. Tew served at the clinic from February through May 2010, providing prosthetic care to 300 Haitian amputees.
Since then, more than 70 prosthetists and technicians from Hanger Orthopedic Group, Austin, Texas; guest prosthetists from around the world; and medical professionals from Physicians for Peace have served clinical rotations at the Hanger Clinic, providing prosthetic care to nearly 700 Haitian amputees.