Tuesday, August 14, 2012

LIMBS FOR THE LIMBLESS

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit a factory where prosthetic limbs are made for amputees.  Two gentlemen, Oliver from France and Sakti from India explained the process to us. Both men had a background in biomedical technology.  

It was very interesting to see how the limbs were molded, casted, then put in the oven to bake. We saw both legs and hands being made. The opening and closing of the artificial hands are controlled by a wire that is connected to the shoulder and operated with  shoulder muscle movement.  When you pull the shoulders back or retract the muscles in the shoulders you can make the fingers on the hand open and shut.  The prosthetic hand was capable of picking up a pen.  Then there is also a mechanism that can be attached to the hand that makes it possible for the person to write.

Last Monday and Tuesday we went to Jogjakarta where our NGO partner, the Yayasan Peduli Tuna Daksa, was measuring and fitting 100 patients with prosthetic limbs.  The fees for which were covered by our church's humanitarian fund.   

It was amazing to see the people come in, some using old artificial legs, others using worn out wooden crutches, many using wheelchairs of various vintage.  We saw one wheelchair with a piece of wood for a seat.  To see the individuals leave using a new prosthetic leg was heart warming.  Many got out to their motorcycle, took off their leg, and either tied it to their back, or had someone else drive and they held their leg in front of them.  We heard many stories of men/women that had lost their legs in motorcycle accidents and from falls resulting in broken bones.  Others were the result of congenital defects.  

One great grandmother that I ( Eileen) became especially fond of had been run over by a bus many years ago.  She said the bus didn't even stop for her.  At one point while her leg was being fitted I was on one side of her helping steady her, but she started to lose her balance.  Another sweet young lady with only one leg, grabbed her own crutch and helped steady the woman from the other side.  There seemed to be a unity among the clients/patients from their common affliction and experience.  The great grandmother invited me to her home to eat. I told her I lived in Jakarta, so I wouldn’t be able to come.  However, I was able to introduce her to another senior missionary couple from Australia named the Barnards who live in Jogjakarta and they became friends.

The limbs were being fitted and new clients were being measured in a place called Mandiri Craft. The term Mandiri in Indonesian means “independent.” Independence and self-reliance are basic principle we try and teach in our church.  You cannot help others until you are independent yourself.  I was very impressed as I talked with Slamet Tarjono, the director of Mandiri Craft.  This store and workshop was created in 2003.  Each of the individuals working in this operation has some kind of disability and yet has been trained to make saleable products.  Many of the crafts are from woodworking.  Once someone is trained they are encouraged to start working from their own home and sell through the common store. It was a great lesson in self-sufficiency, to see those that some might consider incapable demonstrating how capable they really can be.

Russell and I bought several children's toys that we thought our grandchildren would like to play with.  Maybe just having them in the apartment will make it seem more like home.  The products appeared to be of good quality and reasonably priced.  We observed the workers, many in wheelchairs, taking pieces of timber, cutting and sanding the wood into shapes and then spray painting the pieces into darling little children's toys.  The company sells a variety of things, including hand carved nativity sets. Sister Smith bought one, and we would like to buy some. We are still trying to figure out how best to transport things home.  If any of you are interested in their products or would like to help them market their goods their web site is www.mandiricrafts.org.  

It was indeed a blessing to be able to spend the two days observing and speaking with the individuals from these two wonderful endeavors.  We came away grateful for our health and for the inspiration they showed us in overcoming personal trials.  Afterward my challenges don’t seem so large.
If you would like to see an article posted from our church website on this project please click on the link below:
http://www.lds.org/church/news/and-the-lame-shall-walk-church-partners-with-prosthetic-company-in-indonesia

SOME PICTURES COURTESY OF KENT AND LINDA SMITH
IBU SONY, IBU DURI AND EILEEN
OLIVER MAKING LIMB

OVEN WHERE PARTS OF LIMB ARE BAKED

SAKTI
ARTIFICIAL HAND
DEMONSTRATING PICKING UP PEN
GETTING MEASURED FOR LEG
OUTDATED PROSTHETIC
LEG WAITING TO BE FITTED
MY DEAR FRIEND-THE GREAT GRANDMA
GETTING FITTED FOR A FULL LENGTH LEG
HMM, WHERE IS THE OWNER OF THIS BODY
TWO FRIENDS RELAXING AND WAITING
CENTER OF LIMB

THIS MOTHER'S NAME MEANS TENSION, BUT SHE SAID SHE HAS NEVER BEEN TENSE IN HER LIFE
MOTHER GETTING FITTED WITH HER FIRST DAUGHTER PATIENTLY WAITING
THIS MOM'S WHEELCHAIR WITH WOOD SEAT
WORKERS MAKING CRAFTS
MR. TARJONO WITH RUSSELL AND SISTER SMITH
SANDING DOWN TOYS
TOYS HAND MADE BY MANDIRI WORKERS
MORE TOYS


BEING FIT FOR A NEW LEG
I AM HAPPY TO BE HERE



SENIOR MISSIONARIES, BARNARDS, HEALYS AND SMITHS









































































































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