A prosthetic leg to compare her skin tone: Regina lady wonders because it’s not available

On tip of a detriment of her reduce leg to an amputation, a Regina lady is confronting a additional onslaught of being incompetent to get a prosthesis that matches her skin tone.

Rahab Wanjau, 30, had medicine final Jun to have a partial of her leg next her knee removed.

‘None of a colours are my mettle and we was indeed really surprised.’
– Rahab Wanjau

​Wanjau pronounced she did investigate on a arriving amputation, though had no thought she would feel so released when she went to collect out a prosthetic leg and foot at Regina’s Wascana Rehabilitation Centre.

The woman, who is creatively from Kenya, was given usually dual colour options to collect from: “one really light and one really dark,” she said.

The knowledge has been a step behind in terms of creation her feeling enclosed in Regina, she said.

“None of a colours are my mettle and we was indeed really surprised.”

Wanjau was innate with a monstrosity of a reduce tibia of her left leg. (Submitted by Rahab Wanjau )

Wanjau dissapoint by miss of diversity

Wanjau was innate with a monstrosity of a reduce tibia of her left leg. She pronounced she had 5 surgeries and doctors attempted everything, though eventually she was told a leg amputation would be her best option.

According to Wanjau, reduce leg amputees like her start with an initial prosthetic leg, that helps them learn to travel again. Once they benefit suit and mobility, they get a second leg.

These prostheses are meant to be transposed frequently and new feet shells are indispensable after each 6 months to a year.

Wanjau bought paint to customize her feet bombard though it didn’t spin out to her liking. (Submitted by Rahab Wanjau)

Wanjau pronounced she asked her prosthetist for a feet bombard in her complexion, or during slightest tighten to it, though was told she would have to compensate out of slot to get it, as tradition protheses are not lonesome underneath the Saskatchewan health plan.

“We are in 2017 … each year we are removing new iPhones, new creates and models of cars — so since not something like a prosthetic leg, that is not a oppulance during all? We need them. We don’t select to be amputees,” Wanjau said. 

“I’m not looking for a imagination feet shell; I usually wish a feet bombard of my complexion.”

Wanjau had to take home a feet bombard in a colour distant from her possess skin tone. 

In an try to make it mix in more, she bought paint and dye. Unfortunately, she pronounced it incited a colour that didn’t resemble her skin during all and it isn’t waterproof, so it outlines adult easily.

Recently, she went to get a new prosthesis and was met with a same problem: a miss of farrago in colouring.

Frustrated, she contacted a production company, Ottobock, that told her she could sequence a tradition feet bombard in her complexion, though would be billed directly. The association usually frequently produces dual colours for placement to hospitals and clinics.

“In a nation where a turn of multicultural farrago is really high, like here in Canada, entrance to learn that usually dual complexions are covered, that didn’t go down good with me,” said Wanjau. “I couldn’t know why.”

Dozens of people confronting same issue

When Wanjau phoned a health segment to inquire, she was told that she was one of during slightest 100 people to ask a same thing.

Taryn Seel, a approved prosthetist during a Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, pronounced when it comes to feet shells that go over tip of CO twine feet, many companies usually supply them in two or 3 skin tones.

‘Having to go by amputation is tough adequate already, physically and mentally. Life should be finished easier.’
– Rahab Wanjau

“I theory since of a volume that manufacturers have to produce, they usually have those singular options,” pronounced Seel. “I would contend larger than 50 per cent of a patients don’t implement a cosmetic cover during all, so a colour and coming of their prosthesis isn’t as important to them.

“Then we have patients on a other finish of a spectrum who are really endangered about a appearance.”

In that case, Seel pronounced they can make a froth cover finished likewise to a patient’s contralateral prong with a cosmetic skin over it. Many some-more colour options are accessible when patients take this route, she said.

But Seel said it depends on many factors either this choice is lonesome by a Saskatchewan government.

“Having to go by amputation is tough adequate already, physically and mentally. Life should be finished easier. The health attention should support us,” Wanjau said. “We need something done.”

Wanjau says anticipating boots to fit her prosthetic feet is one of a many formidable tools about her amputation. (Submitted by Rahab Wanjau)

Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-woman-shocked-to-discover-lack-of-colour-options-for-prostheses-1.4229804?cmp=rss