One of the most memorable patients from the week is 8-year-old Neika Love. Neika suffered the loss of her left leg above-the-knee, as well as the loss of her father in the earthquake. Holly took a plaster hand cast of Neika and I modified the mold the next day. Typically, the patients are casted in Port-au-Prince and will make the trip to Deschapelles for their fitting and therapy. But on this particular day, since many patients made the trip out for casting, they will stay at HAS and be fitted early the following week.Neika was one of those patients who would stay. By the time we were ready to fit her prosthesis, excuse me… “faux pie”, as she would put it, it was clear that her time waiting was not wasted. Typically, I walk the patients through the process of donning their socks and the socket, but Nieka had a different plan. She snatched the prosthesis away from me and quickly went through the routine she had seen repeated countless times by other patients over the last few days. She did everything correctly, brushed me aside, and was on her way. I had to chase her down just to make some minor alignment changes. Within the first five minutes she was walking up and down ramps, up and down stairs, and outside of the clinic along the gravel roads. She was so good that later in the day I caught her walking down the road playing with an mp3 player that one of our techs gave her to use. She was quite an amazing little girl.
We had fun playing with her over the next few days; we spent time painting behind the Klinik and writing our names on each others hands. I was sad to see her go, but even more sad that I didn’t get to say goodbye; she left while I was working in the lab. I know I may not see her again, but at the same time, I know she will be back. Just four days after receiving her faux pie, she would use it to begin the next phase of her life. As she grows, she will need to be refit with a new prosthesis, and it makes me happy to know that the work that has been done to establish this Klinik will allow it to be here in the future when she needs it. Best of luck, Neika.
