BSU, Rotary Club give amputees new limbs

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Benguet State University here, along with their partner, the Rotary Club, painted smiles on the faces of the less fortunate amputees dishing out more than 100 limbs last Monday at the University open gymnasium.

This was the culmination of the ‘Artificial Limbs Project’ (ALP) that started last year with signing of agreement between BSU and Rotary Club.

Measurements were taken last March 11-12 that was attended by 135 amputees not only from Cordillera but also from the neighboring provinces.

Felissa Pasayen of Bakun, Benguet now gets to stand and walk without the aid of her crutches. She was diagnosed with a rare disease caused by fresh eating bacteria which led to the amputation of her left leg at an early age.

“I first heard of the project from a friend” said Pasayen. Feeling agitated she bought a transistor radio where she waited patiently for the details of the said ALP to be announced. There, she was able to get a hold of the mobile number of Dr. Florence Poltic, one of the ALP coordinator and also the BSU Physician.

Pasayen plans to return back to her former employer in Manila and help her family financially once she will get familiarized with the mobility of her brand new prosthetic leg.

Another female beneficiary all the way from Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya voiced out her gratefulness for the said project as she  held back her tears.

She has been a life time user of artificial limbs and was long enduring her outdated artificial limbs which she had during her teens.

Meanwhile, BSU President Feliciano Calora said that this tie between BSU and the Rotary Club was just first step of yet a very long journey of service towards their needy patrons. He added that development should go parallel to both BSU and its target patrons mutually.

Parties involved in the said activity and MOA were Baboo  Kanan of the Rotary India, Linda Winter of Rotary Baguio, Dr. Florence Poltic and Dr. Jones Feleciano of BSU.

The activity also part of the Centennial Celebration of BSU which will culminate this September 2016.

The tie started 2015 during the stint of then University president, Dr. Ben Ladilad.

Benguet was their fourth destination for the year. They have been hoping from Laguna, Sariaya, Lipa in the first quarter of this year. For the coming months, they are set to proceed to Naga, Iriga, Vigan Makati and Caloocan. -- Rocky Ngalob