It has been almost a year since we opened our prosthetics and orthotics workshop in Myanmar. Although we’re still a pretty new workshop, we are happy that people in Myanmar are starting to know us and that we’re able to provide high technology P&O devices to the Myanmar people without them having to go abroad.
It’s the very first time for Ma Hnin Phyu to be wearing a trans-radial prosthesis (an artificial arm). She was amputated due to a domestic accident 5 years ago. Since then, her life has been tough having lost a hand, having to take care for her two kids and being limited in performing her daily activities. With her husband’s encouragement and support, she never gave up and lived her life as a mother. However, one day her husband found out that she was suffering from social stigma because of her amputated hand. Therefore, he started to collect money and was looking for a place where his wife could have her hand replaced by an artificial one.
One morning in June 2023, we got a phone call from her husband asking us about a prosthetic hand. We were happy to welcome her and make a cast to create a functional prosthesis for her. First, she felt a bit strange with the prosthesis. Nonetheless, after a few days of practice trying to operate with the new hand, she was able to manage quite well. Even though a prosthesis is still an artificial limb and she can’t do everything she used to do, she can grab things and do all kinds of helpful everyday tasks. For us, the biggest reward was being able to see her smile and go home happily with her family.
