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In August this year, a group of children from the Eastern Cape were fitted for prosthetic limbs, and the wait is finally over as ten of them have received their prosthetic legs as part of Walter Sisulu University’s life-changing paediatric prosthetics initiative.
The prosthetics were handed over to their recipients in Gqeberha and East London, marking the culmination of months of work that included casting, pre-fitting sessions and the manufacturing process for the prosthetics.
One of the recipients a little boy named Liyana who lost a leg due to injuries, will finally get to move around on his own, kick a ball and enjoy the thrill of running in the yard thanks to the much-anticipated gift of mobility that arrived just in time for the year-end holidays.
His father, Zukile Lugalo, was overwhelmed with gratitude and expressed that the initiative would transform both his life and that of his child.
“I can finally see my son smiling. I sense that he is getting used to walking with his new leg. We never thought that he would be the same again after what happened to him, but slowly he is becoming himself again.
“The extent of his injuries almost broke me, but I am also healing emotionally now that I see him getting better,” said an emotional Lugalo.
The heartwarming project, which supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, was a collaboration between Walter Sisulu University’s Department of Rehabilitation and the Eastern Cape Health Department.
Although the department initially wanted to hand over the prosthetics at the end of August, one of the project leaders, Siphosethu Mgwili, asserted that they had faced challenges obtaining some of the manufacturing components due to a supply shortage in the country.
But, despite these challenges, the WSU Department of Rehabilitation’s committed staff made concerted efforts to ensure the delivery of their promise.
As the children take their first steps toward a brighter future, the project highlights the life-changing impact of community upliftment and giving children a fair chance to enjoy their childhood.
