As the war in Ukraine continues, Remember the Children remains committed to assisting with the changing needs through local partnerships. Our friend Jaco recently shared about a specific need that RTC is helping to address.
There are currently approximately 50,000 - 130,000 amputees in need of prosthetics and only a handful of doctors who are trained in this specialized field. Because of the urgency of war, a specific problem is the lack of time to follow up with each person, refitting them as their amputated stump changes anatomically over time. Fresh amputees need follow up care, such as socket changes, extending the wait list even further. In addition, the number of prosthetic centers is small and concentrated in western Ukraine.
To address this need, a group of doctors and ministers are working to use a new flexible socket system that will extend the longevity of the prosthesis during the morphing phases of the stump. They are in the testing phases now, working with 10 above knee and 10 below knee amputees. To streamline the practical and bureaucratic process, each of the amputees must be treated in Oradea, Romania.
As you can imagine, prosthetics are costly and testing new products comes with additional fees. The cost of the below knee prosthesis will be €4850 and for the above knee €6750, totaling €116.000 or $126.000. RTC has already funded $80,000 of this project and we are working alongside the team to see the remaining $46,000 sponsored.
The Ukrainian groups we have helped previously (with food, clothes, power banks, tools, solar lighting and charging stations among other things) remain in contact. They appreciate that we intend to help their injured soldiers. The vast majority of injured soldiers get sent back to the front, even if only to help with logistics and communication, not actual combat.
We are thankful to continue working alongside trusted friends in Ukraine and we know God is using RTC to spread hope.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Jaco and the team of doctors with the first amputee of the project.