Inverurie Rotarian hear of charity founder's remarkable story
An enthralling guests speaker with a truly amazing story was welcomed to the latest meeting of Inverurie Rotary Club this week.
As member Jim McColl explained: " You might have heard of the charity 500 Miles' and it's founder Olivia Giles from Edinburgh if not, sit back and fasten your seat belt!
"Olivia's story is quite remarkable, best if we start at the beginning."
He continued: "Trained and working as a lawyer in Edinburgh, in 2002 at 36 years of age Olivia was struck down by Meningococcal septicaemia.
"She lost her arms and hands below the elbow, legs and feet below the knees, brought round after four weeks, spending 9 months in hospital.
"That was 19 years ago and there she was chatting to us over the internet about the charity which she subsequently set up.
"The '500 Miles' (yes, from that song!) charity supplies prosthesis and orthotist kits to replace body parts and supports - to patients in Malawi and Zambia.
"Why?. quite simply,when Olivia finally walked out of hospital on her own artificial legs, with artificial arms and hands helping her to balance herself, she realised that she was being given a 'second chance' so she must make the best of it.
"That comment was accompanied with a demo of what a prosthetic leg looks like – close up, as she swung her leg onto the table in front of the screen.
"Moving swiftly on, in the UK these facilities and equipment are available to us on NHS but that is not the case in under-developed countries and to put it rather succinctly or should that be 'simply',
"Oivia's comment said it all – legs are a lifeline giving independence, dignity and hope.
"There followed photographs and stories illustrating the situations being tackled by 500 Miles' including photos of homemade devices that said it better than any words.
"To overcome a host of problems, political and practical, rather than manufacture the prosthesis limbs here in the UK, the Charity has helped develop the skills needed to manufacture them
from polypropylene parts sent out from the UK.
"That in itself has created employment requiring training courses run by the charity.
"So there are now workshops, training schools and clinics operating.
He said; "It was a remarkable story told by an equally remarkable woman which engendered quite a few questions.
"Funding was a rather delicate question mainly because of the political implications in some countries.
"Suffice to say that the major funding comes from donations.
"Amongst others, the Rotary movement was included and that would be no surprise to those present.
"Much of the charitable work carried out by our own club is centred, quite rightly, on the community we live in, as we report each week, but now and again we do need to stop and think – there are
some folk much worse than us.
"A very courageous and selfless lady from Edinburgh reminded us of that!".
Rotarian Neill Baillie had the privilege of thanking Olivia for her outstanding presentation.
