Why We Do What We Do

Two weeks ago, I was contacted by a journalist in Vancouver, British Columbia, who was trying to help a 23-year-old Iraqi woman obtain a prosthesis in Baghdad. The woman, who has two young children, lost her arm six months ago in an accident, and while she had been through some physical therapy sessions, she was frustrated with the wait in obtaining a prosthesis.

The journalist had read " Teaching Prosthetics in Iraq: Performing Under Fire ," by Judith Philipps Otto in the December 2006 issue of The O&P EDGE , and contacted me as "a long shot" after researching the topic extensively in an effort to try and help this young woman. She knew about the Red Cross Center at Erbil, which she understood to be the only place where an Iraqi civilian could obtain prosthetic services. But 220 miles is a long and potentially dangerous trip for a young mother of two. The journalist wanted to know if the Baghdad prosthetics clinic described in the article was still operating.

I contacted 1 st Lt. Joe Miller, CP, MS, and U.S. Army Reservist, who was part of the team that instructed Iraqi nationals in prosthetic fitting and fabrication when the clinic opened. He put me in contact with Chris Cummings, the Baghdad prosthetic clinic's advisor and former U.S. Army civil affairs sergeant. Less than 48 hours later, I received word that Cummings had seen the young woman at the clinic and taken a cast. The young woman was "elated."

O&P manufacturers and practitioners alike are well aware of the direct impact their products and services have on people with limb loss, limb difference, or functional impairments that require orthotic intervention. The O&P profession can tear your heart down and then build it back up all in a day's work. And while I can't claim to have experienced firsthand how it feels to help people like this every day, I must admit that I was extremely proud that The O&P EDGE played a role in putting this young woman in contact with people who could help her.

What impact has The O&P EDGE had on you or your practice? This year, we have featured stories on upper- and lower-extremity prosthetic advances, new surgical techniques to help prosthetics fit and function better, information on scoliosis bracing, diabetic patient care, osteoarthritis, and foot and gait disorders. We have provided expert advice on administrative processes and practice financing as well as advice on facility design and marketing opportunities-all with the end goal of helping you stay on top of industry trends and run your practice more effectively.

Please let us know how we are doing. Send and e-mail to karen@opedge.com and let me know what The O&P EDGE can do to help you make an impact in 2008.

Karen Henry Editor, The O&P EDGE

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