COPE: to deal successfully with something difficult (Oxford Dictionary). THE village woman clasps her baby close, protectively. The baby is very tiny and his left foot curves in at the ankle. There is a large deformation there, a swelling, and across it is a fresh but clean scar.
Somsanith Mounphoxay touches the ankle, manipulating it gently and speaking in a low, soothing voice to the worried woman.
As we proceed on our tour, Somsanith sighs. "She was supposed to bring the baby back for follow-up a few weeks after we did the procedure to cut the tendons and straighten the ankle," she says.
"But she didn't; they often don't. Once they see some improvement, they think the problem is solved. Now, it is going to be much more difficult to help him."
We are in Vientiane, Laos, and we are visiting COPE -- the Co-operative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise -- an organisation which provides artificial limbs and rehabilitation services for people with disabilities in Laos.
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Monday, March 3, 2008
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