Local Hospital Launches Limb Donation Program
Devices Refurbished, Donated to Third World Countries
POSTED: 10:22 am EDT September 25, 2009
UPDATED: 5:32 pm EDT September 25, 2009
Email
Print
Comments
BOSTON -- A local hospital has launched a one-of-a-kind program to help third world countries.
Watch ReportIt's a campaign that will give back to people who really need help."I wanted to donate my unused leg to somebody less fortunate who could use the leg," said Joe Mantini, who lost his leg from an infection in 2008."I just didn't want to throw them away," said Marie Testa, of Peabody, Mass.Dozens of prosthetic devices were donated at New England Rehabilitation Hospital on Thursday. It was part of a novel limb donation program under way."People would change limbs from time to time and nothing was being done with the limbs. They were ending up in the trash," said Keith Poulin, Director of Outpatient Services at New England Rehabilitation Hospital.But there's a huge need for these devices in third world countries. Paul Harney is the founder of the FDR Center for Prosthetics and Orthotics Inc., of Burlington, Mass."They don't have the health care systems that we have where the traumatic surgeries can be done," said Harney.Everything donated is sent to Hardy at the FDR Center. He strips down the prosthetics. The reusable parts are then sent off to the Limbs for Life Foundation."Where they are reconstructed into useable prosthesis and sent to third world countries," said Poulin.There's a big effort to donate prosthetics in the Dominican. Already over 300 prosthetics have been sent there."It's nice to be able to donate it, and have the parts used for somebody that has absolutely no opportunity to ever have prosthesis made for them," said Harney.Prosthetic devices are generally not reused in the US because of legal considerations.
Watch ReportIt's a campaign that will give back to people who really need help."I wanted to donate my unused leg to somebody less fortunate who could use the leg," said Joe Mantini, who lost his leg from an infection in 2008."I just didn't want to throw them away," said Marie Testa, of Peabody, Mass.Dozens of prosthetic devices were donated at New England Rehabilitation Hospital on Thursday. It was part of a novel limb donation program under way."People would change limbs from time to time and nothing was being done with the limbs. They were ending up in the trash," said Keith Poulin, Director of Outpatient Services at New England Rehabilitation Hospital.But there's a huge need for these devices in third world countries. Paul Harney is the founder of the FDR Center for Prosthetics and Orthotics Inc., of Burlington, Mass."They don't have the health care systems that we have where the traumatic surgeries can be done," said Harney.Everything donated is sent to Hardy at the FDR Center. He strips down the prosthetics. The reusable parts are then sent off to the Limbs for Life Foundation."Where they are reconstructed into useable prosthesis and sent to third world countries," said Poulin.There's a big effort to donate prosthetics in the Dominican. Already over 300 prosthetics have been sent there."It's nice to be able to donate it, and have the parts used for somebody that has absolutely no opportunity to ever have prosthesis made for them," said Harney.Prosthetic devices are generally not reused in the US because of legal considerations. Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
