Children in need relief for Syria Achieving great things together

Transkript

1 Children in need relief for Syria Achieving great things together

2 Otto Bock Foundation In 1987, Dr.-Ing. E. h. Max Näder founded the Otto Bock Foundation. The aim is to promote technical orthopaedics and interdisciplinary collaboration between doctors, engineers, orthopaedic technicians and other experts for the fitting of medical devices. In 2002 his son Professor Hans Georg Näder expanded the foundation s mandate to include activities in the charitable sector. As a result, the Otto Bock Foundation initiated relief to people affected by natural disasters such as the Elbe flood waters in East Germany and the earthquake in Haiti. The focus of the Otto Bock Foundation today is to fit children and teens with prostheses, orthoses and wheelchairs. Another field of activity is to promote the training of orthopaedic technicians in developing countries, enabling them to fit affected people sustainably and in the best possible way with medical devices. The Otto Bock Foundation is independent of the business but does draw on Otto Bock HealthCare s international network as well as that of its partners. This makes it possible to support and coordinate relief projects all over the world in a particularly efficient and cost-effective manner. The efforts of our global foundation activities focus on providing fittings for children with limited mobility. Medical devices help them recover independence and quality of life. Professor Hans Georg Näder, benefactor and Board of Trustees Chairman of the Otto Bock Foundation 2 Otto Bock Foundation 2002 Flood of the century in Germany Giving hope living hope 2004 Tsunami in Southeast Asia Relief for Khao Lak 2008 Earthquake in China Give children a future 2010 Earthquake in Haiti Children in need relief for Haiti 3 Relief for Syria

3 Project Children in need relief for Syria Since 2011, the Syrian civil war has claimed more than 130,000 victims. 9.5 million people are fleeing poverty, violence and misery, about half of them are children and adolescents. There are about 3 million Syrian refugees currently living in exile in neighbouring countries such as Turkey. Most of them are housed in camps and have suffered serious injuries in the fighting or bomb attacks and are highly traumatized. One of the 24 refugee camps in Turkey can be found in Malatya, about 200 km from the Syrian border. This camp is run by the state disaster relief AFAD. After intense discussions and thorough preparation, the Otto Bock Foundation has been able to begin implementing its long-awaited aid measures there. As project partner, the Turkish branch of Ottobock provides employees to support the foundation team. By setting up a mobile orthopaedic workshop, the Otto Bock Foundation has enabled children and young people in Malatya and other camps to be fitted by professional orthopaedic technicians. At the moment, the fitting of 60 children and young people is guaranteed. But the number of casualties is much higher. For this reason, the Otto Bock Foundation is trying to raise more donations so that other young people may receive much needed help. 18-year-old Ahmed trying to walk for the first time with his prosthesis built by technician Abdulaziz. Ahmed accepted his prosthesis very quickly and could walk well with it in the shortest space of time. Meanwhile, it is a real help for him in everyday life. And his impressive progress motivates other patients. 4 Otto Bock Foundation 5 Relief for Syria

4 6 Otto Bock Foundation 7 Relief for Syria

5 Ahmet The eleven-year-old Ahmet was seriously injured with shrapnel in an attack south of Damascus. His right leg was amputated at the hip and his left leg and both arms are severely impaired. He has also suffered serious injuries in the abdomen, his emotional wounds can only be guessed. 8 Otto Bock Foundation Severe injuries similar to Ahmet s must be cared for as soon as possible. Only then can subsequent physi cal damages and chronic com - plaints be prevented. The Otto Bock Foundation ensures that all the necessary surgical, medical and therapeutic treatment steps can be done to fit the injured with mecical devices. 9 Relief for Syria

6 Elahmar The six-year-old Elahmar was in school, as warplanes attacked the Syrian city of Aleppo. Many of his classmates died in the bomb attack, Elahmar survived seriously injured. He lost his left leg and had to rely on crutches and was severely restricted in his mobility. In the mobile orthopaedic workshop of the Otto Bock Foundation Elahmar was fitted with a transfemoral prosthesis. He can now play and romp, just like other children of his age. 10 Otto Bock Foundation The difficult working conditions on site is an additional challenge for the helpers. For example the residual limbs of the patients fluc tuate considerably due to the extreme temperatures of more than 40 C. Only qualified and experienced tech nicians can provide the best possible fitting results under these circumstances. 11 Relief for Syria

7 Rama Rama lives with her parents and brother in the fugitive camp in Malatya. The three-year-old was born with a malformation of the left arm and was fitted with a cosmetic arm prosthesis in the orthopaedic workshop of the Otto Bock Foundation. 12 Otto Bock Foundation Arm prostheses are important to prevent imbalance of the body and thus a negative impact on shoulder and spine right from infancy. The ambidexterity and use of an arm prosthesis should be encouraged as early as possible in order to achieve a uniform development of both sides of the body. 13 Relief for Syria

8 14 Otto Bock Foundation 15 Relief for Syria

9 Competent and reliable action With the project Children in need relief for Syria the Otto Bock Foundation has taken on a big job and responsibility. It is not always readily possible to provide aid on site. In order to implement a project of this scope successfully, careful preparation is essential. To help the local people and gain their trust, competent and reliable action are crucial. Initially children and young people are often scared. They do not understand what is happening to them when they are fitted with medical devices. The orthopaedic technicians and therapists therefore have an important function: They have to adapt professionally and emotionally to each individual patient, listen to them, encourage and help them to process the experience. They must also include the families intensively in the fitting process. Soon the children that received fittings will be able to play again without crutches and will no longer be reliant on wheelchairs. But they will require life long medical technology support. Children grow and their residual limbs change. This requires regular follow-up fittings to make adjustments to the socket and prosthetic components. With your donation you help us to do more than just restore the bodily functions of those affected. We motivate young people to return to their daily lives. These young people urgently need our help. We want to help them and their families put the terrible events behind them and help them look to the future with confidence. Karl Heinz Burghardt, Director of the Otto Bock Foundation 16 Otto Bock Foundation 17 Relief for Syria

10 SEPA-Überweisung/Zahlschein Name und Sitz des überweisenden Kreditinstituts BIC Für Überweisungen in Deutschland und in andere EU-/EWR- Staaten in Euro. IBAN des Auftraggebers Beleg/Quittung für den Auftraggeber Donations account: Otto Bock Foundation Volksbank Mitte eg Account: Bank sorting code: IBAN: DE BIC: GENO DEF1 DUD Keyword: Children in need relief for Syria Otto Bock Stiftung Postfach Duderstadt/Germany Tel.: +49 (0) Fax: +49 (0) stiftung@ottobock.de DSV Angaben zum Zahlungsempfänger: Name, Vorname/Firma (max. 27 Stellen, bei maschineller Beschriftung max. 35 Stellen) Otto Bock Foundation IBAN DE BIC des Kreditinstituts/Zahlungsdienstleisters (8 oder 11 Stellen) GENODEF1DUD Betrag: Euro, Cent Kunden-Referenznummer - Verwendungszweck, ggf. Name und Anschrift des Zahlers Children in need relief for Syria noch Verwendungszweck (insgesamt max. 2 Zeilen à 27 Stellen, bei maschineller Beschriftung max. 2 Zeilen à 35 Stellen) Angaben zum Kontoinhaber/Zahler: Name, Vorname/Firma, Ort (max. 27 Stellen, keine Straßen- oder Postfachangaben) IBAN D E 08 SEPA Empfänger IBAN Verwendungszweck Name des Auftraggebers EUR Datum Unterschrift(en) I Datum/Quittungsstempel 18 Otto Bock Foundation 19 Relief for Syria

11 You can support the work of our foundation with your donation. Help us to fit children in Syria and other disaster areas with medical devices and allow them to return to independence and a normal life. Otto Bock Stiftung Postfach Duderstadt/Germany Tel.: +49 (0) Fax: +49 (0) stiftung@ottobock.de