A Leg to Stand On
Claire Mackay Neary
Executive Director
Phone: (212) 683-8805
267 Fifth Avenue, Suite 301
New York, NY 10016
Email: cmackay@altso.org
Website: www.altso.org

A Leg To Stand On's mission is to help transform the lives of children with limb disabilities in developing countries by offering them the physical capabilities and self-esteem required to access education, work, and other familial and community opportunities.

A Leg To Stand On opened its first clinic at Paraplegia Hospital, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in February, 2003. To date, 136 children have received evaluations and been registered for prostheses and orthoses at our clinic. A total of 96 children have actually been fitted for prostheses and undergone physical therapy and rehabilitation in order to get used to using their new arms and legs. A total of 108 prostheses have been provided; as many of the children we serve are bi-lateral amputees, and finally, over 150 babies with bi-lateral and unilateral ClubFoot, a serious and debilitating birth defect, have undergone the Ponseti Method of treatment in our clinic.

According to UNICEF, there are an estimated 200 million disabled children living in developing countries; 70% of whom could be rehabilitated. To acknowledge this, A Leg To Stand On is addressing the problem of handicapped children having to face substantial hardships and suffering in developing countries.

In poor areas, handicapped children often remain uneducated because they have no means of transportation to go to school as schoolhouses are often several miles away. Without an education, their abilities to work are, of course, compromised, and their efforts to contribute to society are diminished. Furthermore, handicapped children can add financial stress to already poor families leading to resentment, bitterness, and even neglect or abuse. In areas where there is military conflict, handicapped children with limited mobility are in greater danger as are their family members if they choose to offer assistance when events escalate. In many developing countries, the handicapped are considered to be a disgrace or a sign of weakness; as a result, they are mistreated and, in extreme cases, abandoned. The real tragedy is for so many of these children, their pain, suffering and lives of hardship could be eased with medical assistance.

To increase the likelihood for success, ALTSO enlists community involvement through various international partnerships. Our partnerships require local communities to meet us halfway - matching our contributions with a significant portion of the overall expenditure of establishing clinics and providing orthopedic services. This match is made through the donation of clinic space, supplies and materials, independent fundraising, and most importantly, by the donation of time of the local medical professionals, such as Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons, Orthotists, and Physical Therapists. Our partnerships promote self-sufficiency and continuity on a local level, and allow our cash donations to go further so that we can assist more global communities.

A Leg To Stand On, unlike other programs we have researched, benefits from our partnerships with a dedicated team of surgeons, a repetitive and scaleable process, a forward thinking and cumulative operating approach, and most importantly, an objective that is highly achievable. Furthermore, A Leg To Stand On will leverage off other non-profits that have overlapping or synergistic activities in order to reduce costs and maximize reach. With this model in place A Leg To Stand On has been able to keep operating costs to a minimum, thereby ensuring that close to 90% of donations reach the children we serve.

A Leg To Stand On's long term goal is to replicate the model and open clinics in other developing countries with high need. To date we have a pilot ClubFoot project in Uganda and have been asked to provide services in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once, our model has been operating smoothly in India for a satisfactory period of time and we have enough funding to support the growth we will be ready to open our next clinic.