Priscilla Weckster

Priscilla Weckster was born at Ntcheu District Hospital with left hip disarticulation – her left leg was absent from the hip joint.

When she was 1 year old in 2014, Priscilla was referred to the 500 miles centre for a prosthetic leg by MACOHA (a Malawian NGO which supports people with disabilities in Malawi). Priscilla’s first prosthesis was a simple device with no joints, but it helped her to learn to stand up and weight bear. Unfortunately, Priscilla’s parents didn’t bring her back to us for a new device when she outgrew that first one, and so Priscilla was just left to manage to get around using an auxiliary crutch.

When Priscilla was 9, she was referred to 500 miles again, this time by Beit CURE, an American hospital, for a new prosthesis. When she arrived with her mum, she was mobilising with one auxiliary crutch. We immediately prescribed a new hip disarticulation prosthesis.  We took the cast for the new device on the same day and the new leg was fabricated with both a hip joint and a knee joint. We fitted the new prosthesis the very next day so that Priscilla and her mum did not have to stay long in Lilongwe which would be expensive for them.

Priscilla and her mum were very happy because Priscilla was able to walk with her new leg straight away – without the crutch! Have a look at the videos to see the difference the device makes! Remember this is the first time Priscilla has tried to walk with a “jointed” prosthesis. In time she will find her balance and walk much better.