01 May Mobility for Children Across the World With NY Nonprofit, ALTSO
Giving Pain-Free Mobility to Children Across the World
Nine years had passed since Razoni suffered a below the knee amputation after being struck by a vehicle on her way to school in her home country of Bangladesh. Due to her family’s low level of income and the social stigma surrounding disability, receiving a prosthetic leg was not an option for Razoni at the time of her accident. But on this day, with a smile on her face, Razoni was taking her first steps towards a life she thought was gone forever.
Razoni with her mother after being fitted for her first prosthetic leg.
Those steps were made possible by the prosthetic leg that she was fitted for by a clinic in rural Bangladesh and tears that were once the result of pain were now tears of joy. That leg was provided by the nonprofit organization, A Leg to Stand On (ALTSO).
Razoni with her mother after being fitted for her first prosthetic leg.
Pain-free mobility is something that the Mobility Designed team strives to offer each of our unique customers. To continue to serve our purpose of touching as many lives around the world as possible, we are excited to announce that we are partnering with ALTSO to support its service to children in developing countries.
Our Partner: ALTSO- A Leg to Stand On
ALTSO is a New York-based nonprofit organization founded 18 years ago. Its mission is to bring free orthopedic care to “children who have lost their limbs in traumatic accidents or suffer from congenital limb disabilities the physical capabilities to access the opportunities and self-esteem earned through education, work and mobility.”
ALTSO comes alongside underprivileged children in developing countries whose families cannot afford orthopedics – many families making less than three dollars a day. The organization provides their community of self-dubbed “Cool Kids” with high-quality prosthetic orthopedics to enable them to become independently mobile. The organization is expanding its reach every year. In 2003, its first year of operations, ALTSO served just 50 children. In 2019 alone, ALTSO created the opportunity for mobility to nearly 1000 children in 10 countries from Latin America to Africa to Asia.
ALTSO selects responsible organizations to strategically place its program in communities in need of help. Poverty levels, proximity to medical providers and opportunities to build long-term relationships are just a few of the requirements needed to build a successful program. ALTSO’s programs invest in their own infrastructures so that 100% of ALTSO support directly aids patient services.
Not only does ALTSO work directly with its programs to improve the livelihood of these children, the organization also indirectly enhances each community. “We are constantly in conversation (with these communities) trying to see how we can help. Even if we don’t provide a service that they may need, if we can connect them to someone who does, we feel like we’ve done our job,” says Beth Ann Hemming, Director of Operations at ALTSO.
Since modern transportation is typically not an option in the communities served by ALTSO, mobility is critical for survival in many of these countries. Having an untreated limb disability in the developing world creates challenges much larger than simply not being able to walk. In many parts of the world, if a child cannot walk, they lose their access to education – an essential part of a child’s development. Ninety percent of disabled children in developing countries do not attend school. Most uneducated children in these regions are unable to obtain a job in the future. If they are unable to work, they are also unable to support a family. Mobility is everything.
Together We Can Make a Difference
Mobility Designed decided to partner with ALTSO to offer more children the option of self-served mobility. Help us offer life-changing crutches to children, like Razoni, in underdeveloped countries by donating today. With all that’s going on in the world, it’s easy to feel helpless and walk away. But with your help, we can change the life of a child by making a financial donation to help reach our goal of providing 40 pairs of crutches to children in developing countries.
A donation of just $60 will provide a pair of crutches for a child in need, although any amount is appreciated. Mobility Designed will match your donation and cover the costs associated with shipping. Because you chose to give today, a child’s tomorrow will be forever transformed.
Together, we believe we can bring mobility – along with hope, dignity and independence to children who may not otherwise have the chance.
