On March 17, 2009, Zhou Yuye drew a picture of herself trapped in the earthquake debris for 27 hours a year ago. She said she hoped for wheels to grow from the concrete slabs so that she could get free. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Ossur has been cooperating with Stand TALL to provide free bionic arms to earthquake survivors who had undergone amputations. Xie explained that signals sent from the wearer's brain to nerve-endings in the muscles prompt movement of the prosthesis. Each finger has a separate motor so wearers can move their fingers individually.
After trying the bionic arm, Zhou was excited. "I can tie up my hair or lace up my shoes! I do not need to ask others for help anymore."
However, Zhou cannot wear her bionic arm immediately. When Xie tested the single remaining muscle in her arm, he found it is not yet strong enough to operate the bionic arm.
"She has not used her left arm for 10 years. It takes time for her body to get used to the movement," Xie said. "Also, only a part of her elbow was kept. That means she cannot bend her arm over 90 degrees."
Xie has instructed Zhou to do bending exercise twice a day for an hour each time. He will check Zhou's progress in three weeks. He hopes the bionic arm will restore Zhou's mobility to some extent.
However, for Zhou and other survivors trying to escape the shadow of the earthquake, physical aids alone may not be enough.
