Later in summer 2017, WRF and ProsthetiKa will be undertaking another multidisciplinary rehabilitation assistance and training project in the Ukraine.

The goal of this project is to improve the lives of disabled people by enabling them to participate in adaptive sports and recreational activities. Furthermore, by publicizing the accomplishments of the participants, we hope to ultimately improve inclusion of persons with disabilities into employment and social arenas.

The team being sent to Ukraine will include prosthetists, OTs, PTs, and an adaptive sports trainer. Team members are from the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.

They will be taking components for both upper extremity and lower extremity prostheses that will allow them to fabricate lower extremity prostheses for running and other sports, as well as upper extremity prostheses for volleyball, weight training and other activities.

We believe this is a great opportunity for WRF to participate in a unique and exciting project that will provide immediate benefit and life-long improvements for people with disabilities in the Ukraine. Other contributing partners include the Ukraine Parathletic Initiative, Canadian Ukraine International Assistance, Australian Embassy to Ukraine, and the donations of numerous individuals and foundations in Canada and the US.

When Frantz, who is now 34 years old, was 10, he contracted polio. The illness affected both limbs, but primarily caused injury to the right leg. He was provided an orthotic device by the orthotic technician from Ecole St. Vincent, a program that was developed many years ago with the assistance of WRF and was then the only such program in Haiti.

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A few months after Bethsina was born the 2010 earthquake struck Haiti, hitting her house and resulting in a wall falling on her. When she was able to be rescued and taken to the hospital, it was found that it was necessary to amputate her right leg above the knee. Following the amputation and several months of physical therapy she was referred to a prosthetics program and fitted with an artificial limb. Continue Reading

Photo Courtesy of Andrew McConnell – UNHCR

Hussein
Walking back from school, a group of children were terrified by the blasts of bombs which started to land in their neighborhood just outside of Homs, Syria in November 2012. They sought refuge in their grandfather’s house. Unfortunately, their shelter was not safe; the next mortar hit the house claiming the lives of 10 children including three sisters of Hussein and seven of their cousins. Continue Reading

Iman, the 21 year-old bilateral below knee amputee, is a Syrian refugee from Hamah whose family settled five months ago in Bab el Tebbaneh in Tripoli-North Lebanon. Born with a congenital disease (Spina bifida), Iman started her journey of treatment and suffering at very young age. After a devastating infection in her legs four years ago, Iman had to undergo a bilateral amputation below the knee. Continue Reading

It is with great sadness that we at the World Rehabilitation Fund learned of the passing of George Benjamin. He was a long-time supporter of WRF who served as Vice-Chair of the Board for many years. We will miss him and cherish his memory. We extend our warmest wishes to his beloved family and friends. Fondly, the WRF Team.