Pablo is a young 28 years old Bolivian from Beni, a rural lowland area of Bolivia. His left forearm was mutilated in March of 2020 in a work accident while he was a daily worker without a formal contract. As a consequence of technical negligence, he slipped into a soybean conveyor machine which trapped his arm and crushed it so badly that it had to be amputated.
(This story is of a patient who received a prosthetic limb paid for by donations to Bolivians WIthout Disabilities. The patient’s name has been changed in this story to protect their privacy.)
He scores 60 of 94 on our test of economic vulnerability. Although there are Bolivians with amputation who score less than him, we can tell from his story that he needs support. One example is that he does not even own a freezer to store food, which shows that his resources are limited. We believe that he could be far more productive for his household and happier with a prosthesis, which he could never afford without our support.
He studied until high school and then worked as an industrial mechanic until his accident. Now, his life partner is supporting the two of them, earning just enough to live on thanks to her job of selling soft drinks in the streets. Neither of them have living parents, and this made the tragedy more difficult to overcome. But luckily they don’t currently have children to support.
After receiving the prosthesis, Pablo wants to go back to work. He needs a prosthesis that would be both functional and aesthetic. For the moment, he is not working anymore and feels powerless, as he explained in his initial evaluation:
“My life changed completely. I can’t work anymore, I can’t do anything. It makes me so depressed.“
We at Bolivians Without Disabilities decided to donate funds to make one arm and a cosmetic hand for him. The prosthesis was carefully crafted by our Bolivian partner CreoTec. And it was given to Pablo on May 19, 2021. He was very impressed by the realism and usability of his new hand. When he received his prosthesis, he said:
“I’m going to show it off, now I’m going to walk down the street with more confidence. Previously I was so embarrassed by my condition that I always covered my arm. But now I can stop hiding it. You know, people are very mean, they used to stare at me with disdain. But maybe the most important thing now is that I will be able to look for a job with more confidence.“
He also had a special word for Bolivians Without Disabilities:
“Thank you very much, may God bless you and may you continue to help people who need support!”
Bolivians Without Disabilities works with the organization “CreoTec” located in La Paz Bolivia. CreoTec evaluates all patients, fabricates the prostheses using 3D printer technology, and then teaches the patients how to use their new limbs.
If you would like to help more Bolivian amputees like this one, then please donate now.
