2011 Mara in Haiti. Credit: Love A Child
Mara was badly injured in January 2010, when a severe earthquake suddenly struck and devastated Haiti. Tragically, it killed Mara's Mother and sister, and as the hospitals in Haiti were completely overwhelmed with victims, she was taken by her Aunt to the Dominican Republic (DR) hoping to receive emergency treatment there. Unfortunately, due to the huge number of victims, even the main hospitals in the DR could focus only on triage rather than primary care. Mara was one of the lucky ones, she was relocated to a field hospital set up on the premises of Love a Child orphanage. After five complicated surgeries, including a leg amputation, Mara is finally on the road to recovery from her physical and emotional trauma, thanks in part to the crutches donated by Crutches 4 Kids. Mara is now able to join the other children on the playground near the hospital. Mara, along with other kids who are recovering from injuries, are able to lean their crutches on the playground equipment and play with the rest of the children on the swings and slides. Having crutches enables Mara to become social again and to spend time with friends, like Valedene, another young amputee who also benefited from crutches from Crutches 4 Kids.