The past couple of days have been busy with doctors appointments for Garna (name is changed for her privacy). She was happy to get to go to special doctors who would hopefully be able to repair the damage done from a terrible car accident she was in while she was in Africa in 1992. One entire side of her body was damaged in the accident and has a lot of weakness. Her leg and most of her foot on that side today has no feeling in it. The doctors in Africa actually wanted to amputate her leg but Garna’s family wouldn’t let them. Garna is happy she still has her leg because she can still stand on it with her tip toe (since that side if her body is raised higher because of the hip displacement) to push off of and walk. She doesn’t mind having to walk slow nor the limp she has because she has dealt with it now for twenty years and its just sort of normal for her.

Garna doesn’t let her injury slow her down as she has consistently provided help and love to a jillion others in her community in need as a mother would. She cooks meals for and assists a lot of single young refugee girls in difficult situations. She helps young refugee mothers all the time. Garna has been helping others her whole life. She was recognized as a leader and helper even in the Uganda Refugee Camp. (She still wants to go back and help her friends who she feels she left behind in a few areas of Africa in which she lived).

The past couple of days, however, Garna has looked forward to having a chance to see if the car wreck damage to her body could finally be repaired. Her feet have been getting cold in the colder weather. She says the cold weather causes her bones to have an even more difficult time trying to function with the poor walking condition she is in. The damaged leg and foot isn’t as long to the ground as the good foot is so she has to arch her foot to stand on her tip toe to move. The arched foot has been arched so long to help her walk that it is now permanently disfigured with an arch. The arched foot will not slide into a shoe and stays cold when the weather is cold. Socks are slippery (even the grip socks) and do not work well out doors. We will be looking for something creative for Garna to wear as socks and shoes to keep her feet warm as she tries to walk about.

Collectively, the doctors we have met the past few days have not recommended surgery for Garna. Since her foot has been damaged for so long the nerves have died and it could even be dangerous for Garna to go through as difficult of a foot and leg surgery as needed. The hip doctor was ready to do the hip surgery but said the feet would be important to take care of first because if he were to straighten the hip her shorter foot would then become longer than the good foot to the ground because of its permanent arch. Both surgeries were not recommended for Garna yesterday and that was kind of sad and also a relief for her. She was disappointed on one end but happy to not have to go through extensive and scary surgery.

So we will be looking for some special shoes. The foot doctor didn’t have any recommendations. Garna actually left the doctor with a large foot sandal on the good foot because it had recently sustained an injury from a fall she had in her apartment. Garna’s good leg takes a lot and can often cause her pain. Perhaps a good supportive walking shoe would be best for her good foot and some sort of sock with a flexible plastic sole footing on the other. Asha’s Refuge will want to help Garna purchase this special sock/shoe arrangement as her finances are very low since she is currently unable to work. If you would like to help us provide footwear for Garna, please let us know.