The Victoria Hand Project will soon be lending a hand to amputees living in remote and underserved regions in Canada and the U.S.
The University of Victoria initiative recently received a $1-million award from the 2019 TD Ready Challenge. The award will enable the not-for-profit to provide low-cost prosthetic hands to amputees in North America.
The money will also go toward University of Victoria research trials on new 3D-printed spinal braces designed to treat scoliosis (curvature of the spine) in children.
The Victoria Hand Project is led by Nick Dechev, a professor of mechanical engineering at the university as well as the executive director of the initiative.
“By leveraging new technologies and engineering design, along with our clinical partnerships, we are able to create health-care technology that is accessible for many people who normally cannot afford this care,” said Dechev.
Over the next three years, the grant will make it possible to fit 200 amputees with hand prostheses and 160 children with scoliosis braces.
The funding will also enable the organization to build a network of partner prosthetic/orthotic clinics that will refer patients living in remote and underserved regions in North America.
Since 2015, the project has provided low-cost 3D-printed prosthetic hands primarily in developing countries, where access to prosthetic care is difficult and costly.
The prosthesis helps amputees regain function, improving their quality of life and increasing their access to employment.
Dechev and his team have begun testing a similar approach to developing a cost-effective 3D-printed scoliosis brace.
If not halted with early intervention, scoliosis can lead to pain, deformity and potential heart and lung damage.
But a conventional scoliosis brace, which is not covered by the health-care system in Canada or the U.S., costs about $5,000 per device and requires replacement at least twice during years of growth. This makes conventional braces unaffordable for many families.
Dechev uses 3D scanning and 3D printing to develop a customized brace that costs about $150 in materials and can be adjusted and reprinted in clinics with ease.
Compared with a traditional brace, the 3D-printed version takes about 10 per cent of the time to create, weighs about half as much and is much more breathable.
“The Victoria Hand Project is an example of a scalable solution that will help increase equitable health outcomes for more children in Canada and the U.S.,” said Andrea Barrack, global head of sustainability and corporate citizenship with TD Bank Group. “Being a winner of the TD Ready Challenge is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators, as well as their dedication to improving the health of their communities and opening doors to a more inclusive tomorrow.”
The 2019 TD Ready Challenge encouraged organizations across North America to create innovative, high-impact health solutions for those who need them the most.
TD estimates it will donate $1 billion in total by 2030 in four areas — health, financial security, a more vibrant planet and connected communities.
For more information, go to victoriahandproject.com.
Cornell chorus returns to Victoria on tour
The Cornell University Chorus will be in giving a concert in Victoria as part of its Pacific Northwest tour, Tuesday at Christ Church Cathedral.
They, along with the Cornell Glee Club, are returning for the first time in 25 years.
At the concert they will be exploring the theme of Generations, as reflected in Renaissance motets, folk songs, gospel, world music and contemporary compositions.
The tour repertoire includes several noted composers and arrangers from the Pacific Northwest, including Karen Thomas, Sydney Guillaume, Keith Hamel and Stephen Hatfield.
There will be settings of poetry by Toni Morrison and James Agee and West Coast premières of commissions by Ted Hearne and Hanne Baeverfjord.
The concert is admission by donation, with a suggested donation of $10 to $15. The concert runs 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave.
For more information, go to the cathedral's website or singatcornell.com.
Women Who Care aid Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria recently received a $36,000 donation from 100+ Women Who Care Victoria.
Members of the group, which boasts more than 300 members, meet four times annually to donate $100 per person in support of a local charity at each event.
This meeting raised one of the largest contributions to date, as invited guests to the event also made donations.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria plans to apply the donation toward their Community Mentoring Program, which serves more than 100 children and youth who are waiting for mentors.
“The youth that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria serves face many adversities and societal barriers, whether they are living in poverty, struggling with the loss of a family member, dealing with abuse or neglect, mental-health issues, identity or social challenges,” said Meghan Casault, a board member and volunteer mentor. “The mentorship Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria provides has proven to help avoid the potential risks these youth face, as well as help them become well adjusted — giving them the opportunity to lead happy, successful lives.”
Last year, a total of 167 children were matched with a mentor through the program.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria has a 42-year history of serving children and youth (ages six to 18) across Southern Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands.
For more information, go to 100womenvictoria.com or bbbsvictoria.com.
Victoria offers workshops on disaster preparedness
The City of Victoria is helping residents make emergency preparedness a new year’s resolution with free workshops throughout the month.
The free workshops, offered by Emergency Management Victoria, will inform residents of the hazards that can affect them. It will advise on what to include in emergency kits, what to do to protect your home from an earthquake and how to reunite with your loved ones after a disaster.
In case of an emergency such as a power outage, winter storm, earthquake or tsunami, you should have enough food, water and supplies to cope for at least seven days without outside assistance.
The first workshop runs noon to 1:30 p.m., Jan. 20 in the Victoria City Hall Antechamber, Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue.
A second workshop takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Victoria West Community Centre, 521 Craigflower Rd.
Other workshops run in February and March. Customized emergency preparedness workshops for business, community groups and housing complexes are available upon request.
The workshops are free, but registration is required. To register, email emvic@victoria.ca or call 250-920-3373.
Emergency Management Victoria is the City of Victoria’s resource for helping the community prepare for an emergency. For more information and to sign up for Vic-Alert, the city’s emergency notification service, go to victoriaready.ca.
Refugee fundraising for return visit to Malawi
A young Victoria woman who came to Canada as a child is hoping to raise enough money to return to Africa to find and rebuild her family’s burial sites.
Olgita Lvm was just four years old when she became an orphan after losing her entire family in Malawi.
After living in a refugee camp, she eventually came to Canada through the efforts of the UNHCR, World Vision and the Pentecostal Church.
But she always remembered her family, especially her great-grandmother, who took her in after her family perished.
She is hoping to raise $21,592 so that she and a companion can travel back to see where her family is resting — in the hopes that it will bring healing and closure that her heart yearns for.
She is studying to be a dental assistant now, but hopes to one day create a foundation that would help other displaced people to fulfil their dreams of visiting their lost family and homeland.
To read her full story or to contribute, go to gofundme.com/f/dreams-hopes-and-healing.
St. Margaret’s hosts celebration of science
St. Margaret’s School is hosting a Community Science Celebration, an interactive and hands-on event open to STEM lovers of all ages, Saturday at the school.
A STEM-based curriculum espouses four disciplines: science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an interdisciplinary and applied approach.
The Community Science Celebration is an opportunity for everyone to discover many of the STEM-related organizations around Victoria, with 25 local exhibitors confirmed to attend.
The event is also the launch of Symbiosis, a STEM learning ecosystem with a network of diverse collaborators across education, technology, science, the arts and business sectors.
The initiative works together to ensure all learners have equal access to educational opportunities.
Science World will be on site with a hands-on booth and fun activities, including several 30-minute science shows.
Free admission. The event runs 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Margaret’s School, 1080 Lucas Ave. For more information, go to stmarg.ca.
