KWA - Keep Walking Asso Dominica - Non profit organisation.

27/04/2023

Hi everybody, today simple mission : fetch the wheelchairs plus walker in Portsmouth.

17/04/2023

Here is what I do sometimes in my free time: Hello everyone, today, Emeline Pascal, a tibial amputee, came to take her measurements and to know what to do to reduce the size of her stump. She thought her legs were identical and I showed her that in the same place, there was a 2 cm difference. I then showed her the different steps to build her leg. The cast, the leg in plaster and the finished leg, she left all happy like Jacqueline in March. Sorry Marc, I'm doing tours very often, but I'll manage to pick up the material at the diving center in Portsmouth this week.

21/03/2023

Presentation of some patients from the last mission, which lasted 4 weeks...
I thought I was going to follow up on patients but it turned out differently. I made my first femoral prosthesis from A to Z. Rachel and I guided Cyprien, a young Congolese femoral amputee, in the fabrication of his prosthesis with the help of Visios, photos and videos...
Today he walks well! We are still in contact to follow his evolution... Bravo Cyprien, you have achieved something huge !!!
Thanks to Rachel, Didier and Léo...

06/03/2023

Cyprien is Congolese, 39 years old, married and father of 5 children. He has been an amputee for a year. He has no chance of getting a prosthesis in Congo without financial means.
He contacted us in order to obtain the necessary spare parts to manufacture a femoral prosthesis. After having provided us with a patient form filled in by a professional, Cathy sent him the necessary parts by post! It took 2 months but he was able to get it back. Unfortunately the prosthetist was asking him too much money for the manufacturing process! He made the wise decision to have the stump impression taken by a pro. From this cast, he did everything himself, casting the positive in plaster, grinding the positive! He was guided by Rachel, ortho-prosthetist at Orthésia Guadeloupe who came to help KWA in Dominica for a week... photos, videos and visios. I took over for the manufacturing.
Cyprien had never seen polyester resin or fiberglass. Today he is at a job interview with his prosthesis. We were afraid of failure, which seemed more certain than success!
His determination was so strong that nothing could stop him...
Hats off to the Artist!!!

28/02/2023

Rafael will come on Tuesday to have his prosthesis fitted.
Thank you Rachel for your collaboration and your good mood
See you soon for the femorals...

26/02/2023

Madonna came to pick up her "bath prosthesis" with a new silicone sleeve. It's been three years since she was watching her friends relax in the hot sulphurous water baths... that will soon be a thing of the past!
Thank you all for your many donations of prosthesis.

13/01/2023

Shermain came to change her sleeve. She left with a smile on her face. The appointments were rather adventurous. The phone doesn't work well in Dominica.
We don't have enough sleeves just in case, I only have 5 sleeves with screw threads. Marc Hellie ont a besoin de manchons en quantite avec le pas de vis. Merci pour eux, merci pour moi parce que je n'aime pas dire je n'ai pas. Feet and tubes we have plenty. We miss manchons pour tibial, femoral, les ancres (O in stock).

02/01/2023

Come on, let's fix it today. Mr Roger Francis came on this 2nd January 2023. Sanding his femoral prosthesis, the edges were cutting the fingers. Changed the sleeve screw, but the one I had in stock was slightly shorter. So, Marc, we need a longer, smooth sleeve screw. His 23 cm wide sleeve is wearing out. A letter has just been sent to Santa (Marc Hellie) to get a new sleeve.

Allez, hop, réparation aujourd'hui. Monsieur Roger Francis est venu ce 02 janvier 2023. Ponçage de sa prothèse fémorale, les bords coupaient les doigts. Changement de la vis du manchon, mais celle que j'avais en stock est légèrement plus courte. Donc, Marc, il faut une vis de manchon plus longue et de type lisse. Son manchon de 23 cm de large, s'use. Une lettre vient d'être envoyée à Père Noël (Marc Hellie) pour recevoir un nouveau manchon.

30/12/2022

30/12/2022

It's hard to find good shoes in Dominica, and you could have a lot of fun with them on (make the feet
police, err... sorry, smooth skins). Sorry jokes in French.
I remember one brand of shoes that I knew would last at least 6 months when I was hiking every day.
So one day, I go to the shoe shop and ask for the brand that I know will last, the salesman,
The salesman brings me a pair of atrocious shoes with a bowling ball at the end of the toes with knitted braids in rasta colours, green, yellow, red.
I ask knowing that I had to do the boiling lake, 6 hours of walking (that even your shoes can't handle),
Is that all you have? The salesman answers yes! I was walking on the boiling lake with these sh*tty shoes..sorry, horrible walks, but at least every time I hit a rock, I got a strike. Phew,
now Kwa is finally providing me with good quality 46 shoes. You live in Dominica, you can find everything you need,
but? Not when you want to.

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10/12/2022

Franklin came to extend his leg. I started to work but when I tightened the prosthesis, the screw at the end of the knee prosthesis broke. But it's not a traditional screw and it's impossible to find another one so he's back without a leg, I'll take a photo of the screw to see if Marc can get another one. KWA needs stock, please help!

07/12/2022

Thank you Eve Chouchoute, from Bordeaux, for this shipment!!! One sleeve found a buyer the same day 👍🏼.
The 3 prostheses will be completely dismantled.
They will leave for Dominica during our next mission, scheduled for the end of January...
Thank you all for your willingness to donate the prostheses that belonged to one of your relatives or spouse...
Today, they are helping to give new life goals to people who were desperate until now.

Merci Eve Chouchoute, de Bordeaux, pour cet envoi !!! Un manchon a trouvé preneur le jour même.👍🏼.
Les 3 prothèses vont être entièrement démontées.
Elles partiront pour la Dominique lors de notre prochaine mission, prévue fin janvier...
Merci à tous pour votre volonté de donner les prothèses ayant appartenu à un de vos proches ou conjoint...
Aujourd'hui, elles participent à donner de nouveaux objectifs de vie a des personnes jusque là désespérées.
Big Up ! ❤️🙏🏼🦿