Haitian Amputee Coalition

Being an amputee is challenging for any person, but the challenges are exponentially greater for those in a third world country recovering from one of the most devastating natural disasters humankind has ever witnessed.

Since January 12, 2010 thousands of wounded Haitians have become amputees, the majority being women and children. Although grateful to be alive, without proper and immediate care, the future may be bleak for these earthquake survivors. Our actions now will speak volumes toward the future of this island nation.

Following the earthquake, several of the nation’s top medical experts, including Don Leslie from the Shepherd Spinal Center, and Harold Anderson, a prominent philanthropic CEO and above-the-knee amputee, boarded a plane with the executives of Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics (one of the world’s largest and most respected prosthetic manufacturers).

No sooner had they landed in Port-au-Prince than it became clear to all that a prosthetic center must be developed.

The heartbreaking truth was that mothers were choosing death for their own children over amputation, as they would be unable to provide the care an amputee child would need.

The Catholic Medical Mission Board, Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation, Otto Bock, Physicians for Peace, Shepherd Spinal Center and the Harold and Kayrita Anderson Family Foundation have set up a formal partnership with Albert Schweitzer Memorial Hospital to create an onsite center that will provide advanced prosthetic fittings and physical therapy to amputee earthquake survivors in Haiti.

The rehabilitation of Haiti is going to be long and hard. We must not let poverty prevent these amputees from gaining access to the best advancements that medicine has to offer.

They need the support of the Haitian Amputee Coalition and the Haitian Amputee Coalition needs YOU!

Please give today.