Florenico Is Back!
Category:Actualities
Florencio preparing a patient’s leg mold to be thermoformed.
We would like to give you an update regarding Florencio Calle, the head prosthetist at Centro de Miembros Artificiales (CMA), our main partner in Bolivia. Florencio was the indispensable worker who makes all the prosthetic limbs for our partner. He needed critical surgery that he could not afford and we asked for you to help him in early July. And help you did, so now we have great news for you. Thanks to your generous support we were able to take care of all of Florencio’s hospital bills which covered two surgeries, a few weeks in the hospital and the follow-up medical care he needed. Due to this excellent care, he was able to avoid another amputation and is on the road to a full recovery.
Florencio was ready and eager to get back to work in August to begin to help more low-income amputees. With the help of the assistant prosthetist, Bismark (see next story in this newsletter below), he has already produced and delivered 5 new prosthetic limbs and has been working on many more. See below information on the patients that have already received artificial legs in August due to Florenico’s work:
- Lidia, 28 years old, suffered from bone cancer as a child. She tried using a prosthetic in the past but these were not adapted to her. She heard about CMA and the tailored work that we do. She left the center on the 11th of August with a new and comfortable prosthetic, feeling much more confident.
- Michael, 25 years old, from Cochabamba, lost his leg in an accident in the countryside. He has been working as a hairdresser but felt strong discrimination due to his handicap. His dream is to go back to school and be a lawyer. With his new leg, he is ready to fight injustice and follow his ambition.
- Francisco, 64 years old, lives in Uyuni and had the misfortune of losing his leg in a road accident. Since then he has been relying on the help of his sons. He left the center on the 22nd of August with a new leg and a smile on his face, eager to regain his freedom of movement and work.
- Pedro, 57 years old, visited the center with his daughter and grandchild. Coming from the Yungas, the three of them stayed for a week in La Paz and the team loved the company of the whole family! Pedro lost his leg following a grave infection due to diabetes. He told us that his new prosthetic will be of great help in managing his work as a tailor and his fear of falling down.
- Maria, 46 years old, came with her husband from Santa Cruz. She has diabetes and also lost her leg due to an infection. After the amputation, Maria was devastated and unable to support her family. She was hopeful when she heard about CMA and, after her adjustment to the altitude of La Paz, she quickly practiced walking with her prosthetic. Maria left the center with the faith of rapidly leaving her crutches behind.
Florencio on his first day back at work with his Bolivians Without disAbilities mug. If he looks a little weary, he is.
Florencio is an invaluable resource to our partner, CMA in Bolivia, and to the entire team there. Florencio and everyone at CMA would like to extend their sincerest thanks to Bolivians Without disAbilities for raising these funds so that Florencio could continue to provide more Bolivia amputees with the ability to walk again.
All extra funds raised, over and above covering these medical bills, will be used to make more prosthetic legs. If you would like to continue to ensure that more amputees will walk and live again, then please consider another donation here.
