10-year-old reaches out to other prosthetic users around the world by repurposing used artificial limbs

A 10-year-old Winnipeg boy is collecting and repurposingused prosthetic limbsfor people just like him.

IahnijahOpalekewho uses an artificialleg says he was inspired to recycle thedevicesduring atrip to Jamaica when he was five years old, before one of his surgeries.

"I saw a man, hehad no legs and he was riding a skateboard to get around everywhere,"Iahnijahsaid.

"So I just said, 'Whydoesn't he have a prosthetic like me?' I just had the idea."

His mom, Tina, saysIahnijahoffered the stranger his own artificialleg right therein the market.

"He probablydoesn't remember because he was a little guy. But he was going to full-ontake his prosthetic off and give it to him. And the guy was like, 'You would do that for me?' It was a very emotional moment," she said.

"I realized if an amputee would be willing torepurposehis own prosthetic to somebody elseand donate it, I just thought, why don't we ask the other amputees too?"

A different meaning for disability's name

After returning from their trip, Iahnijahand his mom started a group to collect and distribute artificial limbs to others around the world.

"We're sending prosthetics to people who need them, who can't get prosthetics where they are or it costs too much money,"Iahnijahsaid.

They call the groupPFFD: Prosthetics for Foreign Donation.That's alsothe acronym for whatIahnijahhas: proximal femoral focal deficiency.

The rare birth defectaffects a person's pelvis, hipand thighbone. It causes one leg to be significantly shorter than the other.

Tina says an amputee will go through many prosthetics in their lifetime, but often don't know what to do with the old ones when they need to be replacedor theygrow out of them.

"Some people are really attached to their [prosthetic] limbs," she said. "It's a part of them."

That was apparent when they received a donation froma woman in Toronto, whose father had died.

"Her fatherwas a veteran. She donated his old [prosthetic] legs. She specifically wanted her father to live on. It was such a beautiful moment. She was giving her father's love toIahnijah."

Along with the emotional attachment, each device costs thousands of dollars, so Tina says many people also can't bear to throw them out.

"So you just keep it."

Prosthetics can't be reused in Canada

Tina says health regulations in Canada prevent people from using a recycled prosthetic. But theused limbs can make a huge difference for people in other parts of the world.

"A lotof people in some countries, if you have a disability, you beg," she said."There's so much more you can do, and I think having your own independence, you can walk your own path."

So far, they've collected dozens of used prosthetic arms and legs, special socks and other accessories, along withshoes for children with club feet.

"The first aspect has just been putting it out there in every rehabilitation centre, every medical facility that we visit, or that we've heard about, we tell people about us," Tina said.

"Now, we're deciding who to send it to. People get ahold of us through email or through Facebook and request. There was a gentleman who requested an arm prosthetic, so we sent one to Trinidad."

She says some people who donate their old artificial limbs will check back in to see who receivedtheir arm or leg.

"They're pretty excited just to know."

Iahnijah says it's a good feeling to know he can help another person in the world experience what it's like to have a prosthetic.

"It just feels awesome. It's making me happy every single day I put it on. It's one of the best things I could ask for."

10-year-old reaches out to other prosthetic users around the world by repurposing used artificial limbs

6 years ago

Duration 2:10

A 10-year-old Winnipeg boy is collecting and repurposing used prosthetic limbs for people just like him.