Urgent Need For P&O Components and Materials

I have received an email marked "urgent" from Heinz Trebbin, a German prosthetist-orthotist who has been teaching P&O at the Don Bosco University in El Salvador for several years. He is asking for immediate donations of both components and mobility aids suitable for providing a full range of prosthetic and orthotic care to help the thousands of Salvadorans with injuries or disabilities in the aftermath of two major earthquakes.

Heinz and his students are providing free, high quality care to as many people as their supplies will permit. I would urge all interested readers to respond to this request, as this is emergency relief delivered by local people who are well trained and will provide both biomechanically correct devices as well as local follow-up. Unlike the situation where outsiders fly in to help for a brief period, this effort has the potential to accrue long-term benefits to the patients because the students are all Central Americans who will continue to practice in this region.

Rudy Becker of BECKER Orthopedic is to be commended for immediately volunteering for his company to serve as the drop point for US donations. All prosthetic and orthotic components, wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, and similar medical equipment - both new and used but serviceable - should be sent to:

Collection Center-Earthquake El Salvador
BECKER Orthopedic Appliance Co.
Atn. Rosie Jovane C.
574 Robbins
Troy, MI 48083
USA

For additional information, contact Rosie Jovane at RJOVANE@aol.com

Please read Heinz' report, which follows, for a first-hand account and photos of the situation they are facing.

Reader Comments: Read all user comments right and left leg male adult below the knee prosthesis Father is deceased. I have many artificial legs to resale hopehully to pay off his debts. - nancy   10/6/2001 right and left leg male adult below the knee prosthesis Father is deceased. I have many artificial legs to resale hopehully to pay off his debts. - nancy   10/6/2001 New Above Knee technology in New Zealand Dear John Can you help me? I am a physiotherapist in a small costal town hospital in New Zealand that has a lot of forestry and heavy industry in the area. Consequently I deal with a few amputees. In particular I am currently dealing with... read more - Ian Loveless   3/22/2001 Re: New Above Knee technology in New Zealand I am a double lower limb amp. ak bk. The new vacume system sockets are great in protecting the limbs, making the limb healthier, also the artificial limb realy stays on. I bicycle hundreds of mile a week. I have done races like the Hawwian ... read more - David Lindsey   8/18/2004 hhh hhh - hhh   3/12/2001 thank you again John, Thank you again for this posting. This will help my counterpart immeasureably. Plus it is helping me with my genral spanish and "technical" spanish I look forward to more postings and future contacts..... - Mark Gorman, CPO   3/3/2001