In this summer, I helped out in the Stand TALL office at the Prince of Wales Hospital for two weeks. For most of my time there I did some translations, website updates and filing of patient records. This was how I got to know bits and pieces of the stories about those severely injured young victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan. They went through amputations of arm(s) or leg(s), a series of physical and psychological treatments and now, although they survive, most of them have lost their mobility; they must be either on wheelchairs or prosthesis for the rest of their lives. I felt so sorry for them as they are still in young age. Their lives were supposedly carefree, energetic and promising. When I put myself in their shoes, I could appreciate how heartbreaking and helpless they felt. I was not sure what would I be if I were one of them. I might label myself as “incapable” for many activities. Therefore, prior to setting off for this trip, I told myself that I must give all my care and encouragement to comfort these young victims and help them to re-integrate with the community.
During the 4-day trip, I followed the team of Orthopaedics doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and StandTALL staff to go to Beichuan and Mienyang and pay home visits to two young victims who have lost both of their legs, to conduct post-treatment check-ups in the Rehab Centre in Chengdu and to watch a swimming session for some of the young victims. |