A hug from Haiti

From Nancy Young

Like most of us, Becky Bradshaw of Suffolk had never given much thought to Haiti, or to the difficulties people who have lost a limb face. 

That changed when she saw a plea from Physicians for Peace (www.physiciansforpeace.org) on television the week after the earthquake asking for donations of prosthetics, crutches, manual wheelchairs, walkers – anything to help amputees get around.

There were already many amputees in Haiti before the earthquake – an estimated 7 percent of the population had some form of physical disability.

Now the needs are almost incalculable. Even a month later, we probably have not seen the end of it yet because what the earthquake itself did not take, infection, of even relatively minor wounds, will.

So, incalculable. Overwhelming.

Becky Bradshaw, though, heard of the need and thought of the crutches in the attic leftover from her kids’ benign childhood injuries. She thought of the walker her mother, who lived to 101, used before she died.

“I thought, you know, they need to be used,” Becky said.

She thought of the few people, just like her kids, just like her mom, who could be helped to get around.

That’s where it started. It wasn’t enough.

“God worked on me all night. I did not sleep. I was tumbling and tossing and asking, ‘How am I going to do this?’”

By morning, it was a matter of figuring out the practicalities. Calling Physicians for Peace. Finding a place to store any donations. Getting the word out.

She was focusing on Suffolk and the Western Tidewater area, making it more convenient for folks there to give. She set up a collection point at Suffolk Christian Church in downtown Suffolk, where she’s a deacon.

Earlier this week, Ken Hudson, who manages in-kind gifts for Physicians for Peace, came by with a truck. It wasn’t big enough. He has to go back. There were a bunch of manual wheelchairs – and whatever Becky collects next – still to pick up.

Before the quake, Ken said he primarily dealt with equipment suppliers and health care organizations – and the occasional individual with something to donate. Since Jan. 12, he has seen many more individuals, like Becky, getting involved.

“I can’t tell you how many Beckies there are out there” across the country, Ken said. Probably 80 percent of the equipment at the Physicians for Peace warehouse at 2117 Springfield Ave. in Norfolk (near the old Ford plant) was donated since the earthquake, Ken said.

“It’s massive. It’s a huge collection.” They are still accepting donations at the warehouse and at locations across the country. Go to (www.physiciansforpeace.org) to find out more.

Becky’s efforts have expanded far beyond what she envisioned that sleepless night a few weeks back. She has many stories of the good people who have helped.

There’s the woman in Courtland who gave Becky her deceased husband’s artificial legs, walker, wheelchair and crutches. Becky went out there on one of those snowy days we seem to be having so much of lately.

As she was carrying the donations from the house, Becky could see that while the woman felt she was doing the right thing, it was still difficult because the prosthetics, the walker, the wheelchair, these had all been a part of her husband.

So Becky asked if she minded if she gave her a hug.

“This is from all the people who will benefit from what you have done.”

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.