Funeral Service Times August 2017 November 2018 | Page 24

24 LEGS4AFRICA
Giving new life to
those in need
After death, it is commonly known that organs, money and assets can be donated to those who
may be in need but one thing which is relatively unspoken of is what happens to artificial limbs.
Legs4Africa is one charity giving those with to limited access to healthcare the chance to better their
lives with these medical aids
A
s many people know, not
everything that we carry through
with us in life can be taken with
us after death and when it comes
to preparing a body for burial, this rings very
true for the funeral sector. Unless requested
for removal and return by the deceased
or their loved ones, dental gold, jewellery
and medical parts will be buried in the
coffin with the deceased and in the case of
a cremation they will either be discarded
or recycled. In the case of artificial limbs,
healthcare providers will generally not
accept them back leaving the professionals
who deal with them with little choice but to
discard of them, meaning someone in need
is missing out on the opportunity to utilise
and repurpose the life-assisting equipment.
NOVEMBER 2018
Charity Legs4Africa was set up in 2014 by
founder Tom Williams after he took a trip
to Gambia, west Africa and met his friend
Paul who was an amputee. Williams helped
Paul to obtain a prosthetic leg which was
manufactured in the UK and it was then
that he had the realisation of how difficult
it could be for some to acquire the aid that
many with access to quality healthcare take
for granted. “This triggered an understanding
of how many amputees live in Africa
without access to physical or emotional
rehabilitation,” he says. He proceeded to
make contact with a prosthetist in the UK
called Karl who agreed to build a custom leg
for Paul in his spare time. When this request
was completed, Williams then visited the
country’s main hospital in its capital city of
www.funeralservicetimes.co.uk