Pascal
« I wasn’t sure…but it was true. They gave me two new braces for free! And I can sit down easily with these new braces- I could not do this with my old ones. I am very grateful to the people responsible for this organization- may God bless them for receiving me like I were at home »
Pascal; 26 years old
Pascal lives in Kolwezi, around three hundred kilometers from Lubumbashi. Pascal was attacked by polio as a child and both of his legs are paralysed. In 2006 his parents bought Pascal a basic model of orthopaedic brace from a Health Centre operating in Lubumbashi. The braces were attached to shoes and went straight up the leg. The braces lasted until 2011 when they broke and needed replacing.
Following the deaths of his parents, Pascal had no way to pay for replacement braces.
Late in 2011, Pascal travelled to Lubumbashi to meet with a friend of his deceased father’s who he was going to ask to pay for a new pair of braces. In Lubumbashi, by chance, Pascal met a previous ACDF beneficiary who told him about the ACDF center and workshop.
ACDF built Pascal two new braces free of charge and Pascal stayed in the ACDF centre while he was helped to learn to use the different model of brace. Pascal’s old braces did not bend at the knee. Previously when he sayt down, Pascal’s legs would stick straight out in front of him- sitting in buses for example was very difficult. StandProud’s model includes a hinge mechanism at the knee- this allows beneficiaries to bend their legs when sitting down; which makes it possible- among many other things- to use public transport.
