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News About the LN-4 from the
Ellen Meadows Prosthetic Hand
Foundation
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Welcome!
We begin with a
heartfelt
Thank You
to all of you - our
sponsors, our
allies, and our
friends - for all
your support
and patience as
we build the LN-4
program.
We hope you enjoy
this newsletter,
and will pass it on
to your friends and
neighbors. All
are invited to
join the mailing
list by clicking
here.
It is important to
point out that the
Ellen Meadows
Prosthetic Hand
Foundation is an
independent
501(c)3 separate
from Rotary. We are
grateful to the many
Rotarians who are
major benefactors in
both money and
volunteer energy.
We hope you enjoy
our newsletter and
of course,
your suggestions for
future newsletters
are invited.
Michael E Mendonça,
President
Ellen Meadows
Prosthetic Hand
Foundation
michael@stackplastics.com |
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Major Milestones
Achieved |
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The fourth quarter
of 2007 marks three
major milestones for
the LN-4 prosthetic
hand.
First, we are
pleased to report
that the
new production molds
for the LN-4 hand
are in service and
working
well. Components for
1,000 hands are now
in the supply chain,
with many hands
already assembled
and shipped.
Development
continues on the
design and
drawings for
the larger
LN-4A hand.
Our
second exciting
milestone is the
successful assembly
of hands by groups
of volunteers at work
parties.
And third, the
Rotary Clubs of Fig
Garden (Fresno, CA)
and Muyenga
(Kampala, Uganda)
have received
approval for the
first Rotary
Foundation matching
grant for the LN-4
allowing us to
send 300 hands to
Uganda in the weeks
to come. |
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Assembly Parties
Flourishing |
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In mid-November
2007, the Rotary
Club of Pleasant
Hill (CA) sponsored
the very first
party, assembling
106 hands in the
morning and part of
the afternoon.
Lessons learned in
the early sessions
have translated into
improved
techniques requiring
less familiarization
and improving
assembly time.
In mid-December,
Monte Vista High
School (Danville,
CA) Interact
students (a Rotary
youth organization)
met after school to
assemble 26 hands as
part of a series of
projects working
with the Rotary Club
of Alamo (CA).
In January, three
Rotarians from
different clubs,
working with two
spouses and a
college student,
gathered around
a kitchen table to
assemble 47 hands
prior to chowing
down on carry-in
Chinese food. This
is but one of three
or four similar
kitchen table
sessions in January.
In early February,
the Rotary Club of
Walnut Creek
Sunrise (CA)
conducted its first
assembly party,
completing 93 hands
in three hours.
During assembly
parties, the room is
fairly quiet as
volunteers assemble
their first hand. As
familiarity is
achieved,
conversations start
up and continue
throughout the
event. The pizza is
always popular. |
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Outreach Increasing |
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In March, 2007
an eight person team
carrying 54 LN-4
hands visited three
clinics in Vietnam,
training local
professionals and
volunteers, and
fitting 37 hands.
In
September 2007 Carol
Fellows and Rotary
District 5110
Governor Tim Bewley
carried 50 hands to
East Africa for
distribution in
Kenya and Uganda.
While in Nairobi,
Tim and Carol
presented the LN-4
project at the
Rotary Presidential
Peace Conference
and Zone Institute
for Sub Saharan
Africa.
In November 2007, a
Rotary team visited
Amman Jordan,
familiarizing local
prosthetics
technicians who
fitted 15 hands
and scheduled five
other candidates to
return for further
evaluation.
In January, the
Rotary Club of
Bangalore, Peenya, at
its 11th annual
prosthetics
camp, fitted
14 LN-4 hands
working only from
printed instructions
and training videos
available at
www.youtube.com.
Forty-seven hands have
found their way to
Nigeria and six to
St Lucia, USVI. The
Rotary Club of
Gbagada (Nigeria) is
flying a past
recipient, Francis
Nzioka, from Nairobi
to Lagos to train
providers and new
recipients. |
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Big Things Coming |
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In March, six
members of Rotary
Club of Redding (CA)
plus three members
of other clubs will
visit two cities in
Colombia where
there are around 100
candidates who will
receive LN-4 hands.
We will give you the
full story after the
mission.
Later this year,
Rotarians in Sydney,
Australia are
holding a fundraiser
to take LN-4 hands
to Vietnam.
In Rotary year
2008-2009, Jim
Campbell, USA Rotary
District 5160
Governor and
East Africa District
9200 Governor
Kaushik Manek will
be working on an
LN-4 project in
Ethiopia. Dates and
locations are yet to
be determined.
In Rotary year
2009-2010, Earl
Kilmer, USA Rotary
District
5160 Governor
2009-2010 and Jorge
Garza, Mexico Rotary
District 4130
Governor 2009-2010
have agreed to do an
LN-4 matching grant
project in Mexico.
This follows a
January 2008 visit
to Monterrey, Nuevo
Leon, Mexico by 60
Rotarians from
California, Nevada,
and New York to tour
completed Rotary
funded projects,
deliver
wheelchairs and plan
future joint
activities. |
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LN-4 on Rotary TV |
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Rotary Today TV in
Fremont, CA has
prepared for
televsion a very
interesting 15
minute segment on
the LN-4 project. It
is now available for
viewing from the
internet at
http://www.rotarytoday.tv/videos.html.
Check it out |
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