Living better lives | The Star

Sixth edition of Penang society’s free prosthesis initiative benefits over 100 recipients

THERE is nothing archer K. Thilagavathy cannot do when wearing her prosthetic leg.

The athlete who has participated in several international competitions said she feels pretty much invincible with her prosthesis strapped on.

“I can climb any number of stairs, clean the house, teach archery and look into the needs of my eight-year-old child with ease,” she said.

“I was born with a deformity and have worn a prosthetic leg since I was 12, so it is not new to me.

“However, the prosthesis needs to be replaced every few years due to wear and tear,” said Thilagavathy when met at the Che Hoon Khor Moral Uplifting Society building at Macalister Road in George Town, Penang during the society’s sixth free prosthesis programme.

Thilagavathy, 34, said recently she had to manage without her prosthetic leg after it broke during a fall.

“I took a tumble in March. I was fine but the prosthesis broke.

“I asked around and even took it to shops for it to be fixed, but was told it was best to get a replacement.

“I managed to move around with crutches but it was difficult,” she said.

Thilagavathy, who is from Sungai Petani, Kedah, said this was the fifth time she has received her prosthetic leg from the society.

“I have to apply to get my prosthesis changed, as sometimes with weight gain or loss, it becomes tighter or looser, which makes it difficult to wear.

“Replacing the leg is expensive so I am careful not to damage it.

“Now I am working on getting my driver’s licence to make it easier for me to move around,” she said.

Mohd Zulharryree Mohd Salleh said he was born with a deformed left leg that required a prosthetic from knee down.

“When I was young, my father worked in the armed forces so they covered the expenses to get a prosthesis, but things were more difficult after he retired,” said the 54-year-old.

“There were times when people or organisations helped to sponsor.

“I worked as a toll supervisor for years, which involved quite a bit of walking. So I needed to have a prosthetic leg to move around.

“It is great that the society offers such programmes, as prosthetics can be expensive and need to be changed every few years.”

Mohd Zulharryree said he checks on the screws and makes sure his prosthetic leg is always in good shape.

Chow (centre, kneeling) looking at the prosthetic legs that will be given to 106 recipients. With him are Ng (next to Chow), society president Datuk Sim Ah Chye (second from left) and other Che Hoon Khor Moral Uplifting Society Penang members.

“The last time I changed mine was five years ago at this same event,” he said.

Ch’ng Eng Theam, 63, who received both a prosthetic leg and hand, said he lost both limbs to Buerger’s disease.

The disease, also known as thromboangiitis obliterans, affects blood vessels in the body, most commonly in the arms and legs.

“The disease causes blood vessels to swell, which can prevent blood flow, causing clots to form,” said Ch’ng.

“It happened because I am a smoker. I lost my leg six years ago, then my hand three years ago.

“It has been difficult getting accustomed to my prosthesis as the prosthetic hand is a cosmetic feature and does not do anything.”

Ch’ng, who works for his brother, said he was happy to get his prosthetic leg changed as the old one was bent.

“This problem has been ongoing for a few years. I could not walk straight because the prosthesis was bent.

“It was painful as I had to bend to compensate for the difference in length.

“The new prosthesis is much better, although it will take time to get accustomed to the new fit,” he said.

The programme’s organising chairman Datuk Seri Ng Tee Soo said the initiative was held every three years, but was last held in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

“We did hold a programme where people could come and have their prosthetics checked and repaired in 2022.

“We reached out to all our recipients for them to have their prosthetics checked,” he said.

Ng said the programme’s latest edition has 106 recipients and 112 prosthetics.

“Some have lost both legs while others require a hand and a leg,” he said.

“We have recipients from as far as Johor, Melaka, Selangor, Kelantan, Perlis, Perak, Kedah as well as those from Penang.

“We open our applications a year prior and have their applications sent to a doctor to assess the cases.

“For first-time recipients, we sometimes have them go for physiotherapy and ensure their wounds have healed before they receive the prosthetic.”

Ng added that the society spent about RM400,000 on the prosthetics this time.

“We are completely donation-based, so funding for the initiative came from the public and our members,” he said.

The event’s guest of honour Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he was grateful to the society for carrying out such programmes to help those who were disabled.

“The society has spent over RM2.7mil for the first five programmes they held over the years and distributed over 1,000 prosthetics,” said Chow.

“This is a meaningful programme and will help the recipients live better lives and even earn a better living.”