News General 07.17.24

The Solomon Islands Prosthetic Project

Fillauer is proud to sponsor and support the innovative work of Mission Gait through the Solomon Islands Prosthetic Project, part of Mission Gait’s international division, Walking Free. This groundbreaking initiative has introduced a state-of-the-art prosthetic and orthotic lab to the Solomon Islands, transforming lives and enabling greater independence for those with mobility challenges.

Empowering Through Education and Innovation

Mission Gait, established by David Lawrence, MSPT, ATC-ret, has consistently focused on transforming lives through three core pillars: education, patient reintegration, and international missions. The Mission Gait Academy offers comprehensive educational resources and advanced training for rehabilitation professionals worldwide, promoting a model of physical rehabilitation that emphasizes compassion, accessibility, and ongoing improvement in therapy practices.

Walking Free: Bridging Gaps in Global Care

In 2021, Walking Free, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in the Solomon Islands to address a critical need: the absence of a local prosthetic and orthotic fabrication center. Before the project, individuals suffering from amputations or other disabilities faced severe limitations due to the unavailability of appropriate care. The project involved constructing a fully replicable 40’ container lab outfitted with the necessary tools and equipment, all built in Virginia and shipped to Kilu’ufi Hospital on the island of Malaita.

The Contribution of Fillauer

Fillauer was privileged to contribute to this project by supplying essential equipment such as the oven, bench carver, standalone carver, jigs, and more. Our team provided hands-on assistance during the lab build-out, offered technical support, and helped ensure that the setup met the project’s needs. We are deeply honored to have supported this life-changing initiative and are committed to the continued success of Mission Gait and the Walking Free program.

A Call to Action

The container lab was successfully installed in the summer of 2023, and since then, it has been instrumental in fabricating prosthetics and orthotics, giving many individuals a new lease on life. We invite the O and P community to join us in backing these efforts, either through direct support or by spreading the word about the transformative work being done.

Visit Mission Gait to find out more https://missiongait.org/