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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
A DAY WITH THE LIMBLESS
Below: 3rd lady from left Dr. Titi, 5th lady needs a leg, 6th lady needs an arm, others are support for limbless.
We spent the day at the Lestari Hospital in South Tangerang with Dr. Ny. Hariarti Pramulyo (Titi). She is the owner and manager of the hospital and is semi-retired.
We get along extremely well with her and she is very kind and generous. She invited all of the limbless in her area to come to the hospital and Peduli Tuna Daksa (our limbless NGO) was there to measure and fit them for new arms and legs. There were several people there that were very amazing.
 One lady had been born about 50 years ago with absolutely no legs at all. (See picture left) As she came in to be measured we had to explain to her that there was nothing we could do to help her as far as legs go. As tears were running down her face, through an interpreter, I was able to explain to her why we couldn’t fit her. We then promised her one of our new rough-rider wheel chairs that she will be able to use and become more mobile. Until now, she has either been carried everywhere or pulled herself along with her hands on the floor. She was such a beautiful lady; it broke my heart to see her cry.
 Others that we helped were a young man with no arms, (burned with electrical burns) many people with legs amputated through accidents or illness, such as diabetes. One lady had lost a leg due to leprosy fifteen years ago. We were signed up for 20 people and 28 showed up for the fitting, none were turned away. Two of the men were walking on homemade artificial legs they had made themselves out of steel and extremely heavy to walk with. We will be fitting the new legs and arms in three weeks.
It makes me proud to be member of a Church that is so willing to give unconditionally. These people are extremely poor and yet came with the best they had to be measured. What an emotional day!!! We are so happy to be able to work with Dr. Titi and our limbless NGO and our Wheelchair NGO. The most interesting thing of the whole day was Christians, Muslims and Hindu all working for the same common cause.
 
Melvin & homemade leg guy. This leg weighed about 20 pounds, and was built about 5 years ago.
Here are some pictures and comments from several of the recipients when asked about how they felt on receiving their new limbs.
Lili was injured in a motorcycle/car accident in November 1985. She spent two years unsuccessfully in and out of hospitals trying to save her leg. She was not able to save it and had to have it amputated. When she was 30 years old she got married and later had a child. After 23 years of walking on crutches some neighbors told her of the free limb program and she was able to receive a new leg. She was very thankful to Lestari hospital and LDS Charities.
Mahmud lost his leg in an accident similar to Lili. After the accident he struggled and did not want to live and be an embarrassment to his family and friends. He is thankful for the new limb, so he can run his business of raising grasshoppers and also work at a second job as a gardener. Now he can walk the one kilometer he needs to get to work.
Another recipient was born without legs. She pulled herself along on the floor all her life with shoes on her hands for traction. She told Dr. Titi that now she has a wheelchair she is going to take a class because she can look at people in the face, instead of looking at their feet. |
