A teen looks to give a hand up to a UVic-based project that changes lives worldwide one limb at a time.
When Soie Liao-Briere, who turns 17 on Dec. 30, started her search for community service opportunities last year she had STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in mind. When a friend suggested the Victoria Hand Project which provides prosthetic arms to amputees in need worldwide, she was immediately intrigued.
Meet the 'hinge-door' limb socket – a compassionate solution for those with uncommon limb shapes.
— Victoria Hand Project (@vichandproject) November 14, 2023
Your support has been life-changing, helping us the gap to prosthetic accessibility, utilizing #3Dprinting to help those who otherwise may be left behind.#ukraine #prosthetics #tech pic.twitter.com/7RzeyjmFbe
While she admits to being a little lost at first, Liao-Briere got the hang of work at the UVic lab quickly and learned, among other tasks, to build hands.
“It’s something new. I had not much experience with engineering it was neat to see how everything works,” Liao-Briere told the Oak Bay News. “It’s also something you wouldn’t necessarily think about. I know it makes a big impact on individuals and their communities.”
Also a volunteer at Royal Jubilee Hospital, she remembers an interaction with a patient dealing with a significant hand injury. The pair got into a conversation about the wonders of modern medicine and could be repaired.
“Not everyone has that,” she said.
Making prosthetics accessible is a core tenet for the Victoria Hand Project.
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They partner with organizations in developing and low-income countries – changing lives by providing tools (such as 3D printers) and training to produce custom prosthetic arms. This helps create jobs in cutting-edge technologies in underprivileged communities and improves access to prosthetic care for amputees. The prosthetics are provided free of charge to people with the greatest need.
“It’s heartwarming to see what you can do and have an impact, even if what you do doesn’t seem very substantial,” she said.
The project employs four full-time staff and two co-op students. With such a large global reach they really do rely on volunteers, said CEO Michael Peirone. That usually includes a roster of 30 to 40 volunteers from diverse fields doing a variety of tasks – including assembly, testing and packing – based on skill set, timing and need.
So far they’ve provided more than 300 arms.
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“That’s 300 lives that have been positively changed,” Peirone said, adding 15 more can change with Liao-Briere recent initiative.
The hard-working staff and volunteers, as well as the initiative itself, spurred her to start an online fundraising campaign.
“Victoria Hand Project started small and they’ve accomplished a lot. It’s very inspiring,” she said.
She aims to raise $4,500 specifically for the Hands for Ukraine initiative to support clinics in the war-torn country.
That would change 15 lives, Peirone said. “Hopefully people will see it and be inspired by Soie’s work.”
Find the fundraiser at gofundme.com/f/supporting-the-hands-for-ukraine-campaign.
Visit victoriahandproject.com to learn more about the project, how to get involved or other ways to donate.
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