Gift Surgeries - Shao Gou
When seven year old Shao Gou was three, she
suffered a terrible accident. Because both of her parents were
working, she had been left unattended and picked a spot to play
under a parked truck. As the truck driver backed up, he had no
idea she was there. Her injuries resulted in the amputation of
her right leg and hip and abandonment by her parents. After a
year of hospitalization Shao Gou was forced to live at the
orphanage in Suzhou - where she stayed bedridden and isolated
from the other children until CCPF met her during our 2006
Nanjing mission. Dr. John Schullinger performed a much needed
colostomy. This procedure eliminated the need for diapers and
gave her freedom to move around and be pain-free from bed sores.
We also determined that she was a good candidate for a
prosthesis, but this could not be done in China.
Shao Gou became a special mission for CCPF.
She and her caregiver Molly were recently flown to the U.S. for
a further surgical evaluation and fitting for a new leg. Thanks
to the generosity of Dot and Phil LaRussa, MD, Shao Gou found a
loving host family. “She has fit into our family like a long
lost relative,” said Dot. Only weighing 30 pounds, Shao Gou has
displayed tremendous agility and balance on one leg, hopping
around the house, the playground and beach. She has been fitted
for a new leg, donated by East Coast Medical’s CEO Vincent
Benenati. Shao Gou is now intensively working on learning to
walk with two legs and she has made remarkable progress. Through
her ordeal Shao Gou has shown incredibly courage, determination
and spirit.
  
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