CAMDEN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- People who lost a limb in the earthquake that struck Haiti last year are learning how to walk again with the help of a physical therapist from Maine.
Mike Rich from Camden volunteered his services to the nonprofit organization Physicians for Peace. He spent two weeks in April treating amputees in a town three hours north of Port au Prince.
Rich recently spoke about his trip to NEWS CENTER's Lee Nelson.
Rich said he treated about 20 patients during time in Haiti. About 80 percent of his clients were injured during the earthquake, while the remainder were treated for conditions dating back even earlier.
Rich said the patients were bused into the treatment facility and housed there for a full week for intensive therapy. Rich said he worked closely with each of them for hours each day to cover as much ground as possible in their limited time together.
Rich would begin his course of treatment by matching his patients with a customized prosthesis. He showed them how to take it on and off, and taught them how to get the most use out of it. For patients with leg amputations, Rich said it wasn't enough to teach them how to balance themselves on their new prosthesis; he said he also had to teach them how to navigate the rough Haitian terrain.
Rich said his experience in Haiti was incredibly rewarding, and he was eager to return to help even more people.
To learn more about the kinds of service that Rich and his fellow volunteers provide, click her for a link to the Physicians for Peace website.
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