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Belfast News

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13.05.10: Desmond hits the waves!

For the past two years, Desmond Calvert, a quadrilateral amputee has taken a keen interest in swimming. He attends his local pool twice a week swimming a mile in each session. When in the pool he finds it easier to swim without his swimming limbs and uses a snorkel to help his breathing. All this training came in handy as he won a bronze medal at the 2009 Amputee Games in the freestyle swimming event.

Desmond has always wanted to try surfing and with the help of professional surfer, Andy Hill, he got his chance. This time, wearing his swimming limbs and wetsuit, he started out paddling on a body board and found he took to this quite easily but he then had to think about progressing to standing on a surf board. With assistance he was able to reach the standing position but found it difficult to balance on the board. He admits he will require a bit more practice but cannot wait to give it another go!

 

 

21.04.10: Prosthetist trip to Uganda

One of our prosthetists, Michael Hulland, recently travelled to Uganda on a trip organised through Michael's church which has links with hospitals and schools in in the country. He was interested in learning more about Ugandan amputees and the prosthetic services available to them. Michael travelled around the country and stayed with Ugandan families. In total he went to four prosthetic workshops, a rehabilitation hospital and a children's hospital where, as well as amputees, he saw children with different types of orthoses, ilizarov frames and wheelchairs. The prosthetic workshops were basic, one even using a charcoal fire to heat plastic. Prostheses were generally constructed of wood and they manufactured their own SACH feet from wood and foam. The Red Cross centre was more advanced and used polypropylene to manufacture sockets, adapters and shin tubes. For transfemoral amputees a simple metal hinge knee joint and a Silesian-style belt for suspension were used. Michael also visited amputees living in refugee camps in the war-torn North of the country. The experience has given him the opportunity to learn more about prosthetics and orthotics in the developing world and he now appreciates the resources available to amputees through the NHS.

 

28.01.10: Generous donation to Belfast Limb Fitting Centre

One of our users, Dean Jardine, has been involved in fundraising and has generously donated a Panasonic high definition video camera to the Belfast Centre. Every year Dean's grandparents organise a dance at a local church to raise money for charity. A different charity is chosen each year and this year the money raised was used to fund the video camera for the Belfast Limb Fitting Centre at Musgrave Park Hospital. Over £400 was collected through selling tickets for the dance and holding a raffle. The camera will be a valuable tool for gait analysis and will be of great benefit to clinicians and patients alike.

The Belfast Limb Fitting Centre would like to extend our greatest thanks and appreciation to Dean, his family and all those who donated.

 

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