Summary of limbs provided
As of the end of September 2017, your previous donations provided funds for twelve more amputees to walk again with a new prosthesis. To begin to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. These new limbs will allow deserving Bolivians to find employment and support their families.
Furthermore, with newfound dignity, spirits, and independence — they will impact the lives of dozens of others in very positive ways.
Prosthetic legs made this year: 54 (as of September 30, 2017)
Causes of amputations
The causes of these amputations of patients fitted this year were as follows:
- Tumor/Cancer: 5
- Side effects of diabetes: 7
- Congenital: 3
- Infection: 7
- Work accident: 6
- Traffic accidents: 17
- Train Accidents: 4
- Accident “other”: 4
- Assault: 1
Patient average ages
And a few other interesting statistics from this year:
- Youngest patient: 3
- Oldest patient: 87
- Average age: 42
- Males: 43
- Females: 11
Prosthesis Statistics from prior years
- 2016, prosthetic legs made that year: 58
- 2015, prosthetic legs made that year: 60
- 2014, prosthetic legs made that year: 41
- Since opening day, 2011: 350
(you will note a huge discrepancy between the number of male vs female patients. We don’t know why this is, and the types of causes of amputations do not seem to be gender-based. We can only guess that it is most probably related to some cultural phenomenon that Bolivian men seek prosthetic limbs more often than Bolivian women. )
Since the opening day in January 2011, our partner in Bolivia has worked with over 400 amputees. Many have had to return for a replacement of their prosthesis after a few years. Bolivians walk extensively and so their legs have to be replaced.
Note that there are always ever more prosthetic legs to build and provide. Not only is our partner in Bolivia the only non-governmental clinic in all of Bolivia exclusively serving low-income amputees, but they are also providing more prosthetic limbs than any other clinic, public or private, in the entire country — COMBINED. So continuing donations are essential – to make yours, donate now.
