Össur, Reykjavik, Iceland, and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) are teaming up with “Healing Haiti’s Children,” established by the Knights of Columbus and Project Medishare in 2010, to provide every child who lost a limb in the earthquake to be eligible for a two-year course of free prosthetics and physical therapy.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held March 5, the collaborating organizations will unveil Össur’s International Prosthetics and Orthotics Laboratory at the Project Medishare Hospital Bernard Mevs, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Össur’s founder, Össur Kristinsson, will present more than 600 modular prosthetic systems to Project Medishare and unveil the new laboratory at the event.
The Knights of Columbus funded the laboratory’s equipment through the Healing Haiti’s Children program, and CAF will provide rehabilitative opportunities to assist children with limb loss to achieve a high level of physical performance, according to a Knights of Columbus press release.
“We are pleased to be able to help to heal those children injured in the devastating earthquake and to give them renewed hope in the possibility of living life with regained mobility,” Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said. “Providing the limbs, therapy, and support to these children is truly a life-changing gift, and one that we are very pleased to be able to give in partnership with Medishare and with the help of Challenged Athletes Foundation and Össur.”
In addition to the production of prostheses and orthoses, the new lab includes classroom space for training locals to serve as clinic staff. Two Haitians have been hired and are being trained to fabricate, adjust, and fit sockets and liners, as well as prosthetic knees and feet. More people are expected to be hired in the near future.
To date, more than 100 children have been fitted with prostheses through the Healing Haiti’s Children program.
