As images of the destruction in Haiti continue to flow in, the world responds with efforts to help. Here in our community, some volunteers have seen the lives affected by amputated limbs, and are stepping up to help.

Trips to Haiti are nothing new for Jan Davis, a volunteer with the Mustard Seed Mission based out of West Hatfield. On her last visit, the quake hit two hours after she landed. She headed to the nearest hospital to help.

"We were told that all the aisles in the hospital were full, and we had done over 2-hundred amputations," said Davis.

To say the medical tools and care was rudimentary would be an understatement.

"Got one orthopedic surgeon, a Haitian surgeon, he hadn't been paid in eleven months, so we were able to help keep him at the hospital, we paid some of his salary so we could stay there," said Davis.

The victims kept flooding in, each story of survival more unbelievable than the next.

"There was a woman at the hospital, who had a big slab of concrete fall on her, while in the earthquake in Port Au Prince, she was down in a hole, she used a piece of rock to cut her own arm off and climb out of the hole," said Davis

Video shot by Davis shows her learning how to care for amputated limb of a young woman, screaming for pain medicine which was in short supply.

These are the images that moved her to act. She contacted professionals she knew back here in Western Mass. Employees at Orthotics & Prosthetics Laboratories in Springfield answered the call...

"These boxes here are shoes, a variety of sizes, these are leg braces for people who have intact limbs but are kind of damaged, " said Blaine Drysdale.

More than 100-thousand dollars worth of prosthetics will be shipped from Springfield to Haiti, some coming from local amputee.

"A few of the patients actually donated their limbs, I thinks it’s that they feel good that they can actually use something," said Blane Drysdale.

But the local effort doesn't stop there, Bob Myers, a physical therapist from Florence will travel with Jan Davis to Haiti to work with the victims.
Helping walk them through the next phase of rehabilitation.

"Now we are picking up the pieces and getting back to function and healing, we want to make sure that peoples stumps are in good condition, they are healing firming up so that we can start applying some prosthetics, " said Myers.

Supplies are still needed for the next mission, specifically 3-inch ace bandages. If you would like to help, visit the website for the Mustard Seed Missions at www.mustardseedmissions.org.