Donations Collected For Desperate Amputees In Haiti

RANCHO MIRAGE -300,000 — that’s the latest number of injured earthquake survivors in Haiti.There’s added pain and suffering for those who have had arms and legs amputated: there have been an estimated 4,000 amputations since last month’s quake.

“The number could still grow because there’s people with infections that haven’t had amputations yet, but will. It’s really a sad situation,” says Lee Cardon, a certified prosthetist with Hanger Prosthetics in Rancho Mirage.

The national company is spear-heading a donation drive at it’s 670 locations — to get prosthetics to Haiti, where they are desperately needed.

“A typical prosthetic patient will have some items they have accumulated from previous fittings or their rehab,” says Cardon.

Sandie Sutter of Cathedral City lost her leg in a rollover accident eight months ago. She starting walking again less than four months ago. She’s donating devices she used during her recovery.

“I have all these pieces that I’m not going to be using. I said ‘can I give them to somebody?'” says Sutter.

“Somebody’s going to take the parts that helped me so much, to help them walk again. It’s very exciting.” Prosthetic limbs can be worth thousands of dollars. Cardon says donations will be put to good use.

“All these things will come in handy somewhere in somebody’s recovery.”