The Limbs for Life Foundation of Oklahoma City will be featured on the
ABC television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” at May 2. It
will show footage from Limbs for Life’s recent trip to Haiti to deliver
prosthetic limbs to amputees affected by January’s earthquake.
Limbs for Life’s executive director, Craig Gavras, and the
show’s producers took limbs donated by a Texas family and fit two young
girls for prosthetic limbs at Haitian Community Hospital in April. The family
in Texas also has two little girls who are amputees. Gavras told O&P
Business News that one of the girls, 8, told the team from Extreme
Makeover that she wanted to donate her used limbs to children in Haiti.
“Seeing an 8-year-old put others ahead of herself is something to
see. It made us want to do whatever was necessary to make sure this girl’s
wishes were met,” he said. “Her generosity and kindness made it
possible for two young Haitian girls to walk again after losing their legs in
the earthquake. I feel very privileged to be a small part of this.”
Limbs for Life is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to
hundreds of amputees around the world each year. It has been operating in the
Dominican Republic via a partnership with the Dominican Rehabilitation
Association for the past 3 years in Santo Domingo. This partnership will allow
the foundation to help Haitian patients for years to come through clinics in
the Dominican and, eventually, rebuilt clinics in Haiti.
The foundation will make its next trip to the Dominican May 10 along
with prosthetists and technicians. During their week in the area, they will fit
Haitian patients with prosthetic limbs and provide training to local
practitioners.
