QUESTION:
Do you take donations of a used orthosis? I don’t know what to do with my old orthosis - it is in good shape, I just don’t need it any more. - Mary P.
ANSWER:
Mary, thank you for your interest in donating your old device. Yes - we gladly accept donations of orthoses and prostheses and supplies. Sometimes patients find that they no longer need a particular device or supplies. Occasionally a patient passes away and a family member wants to make sure that the device can go to good use to someone in need.
For orthoses, gently used is best. For prostheses, if the device cannot be used as is or with minor repairs, then the parts can be used. We receive the device and provide you with a receipt which itemizes your donation. We do not assign a dollar value - that is up to you. Since all organizations we work with are non-profit, then this donation is a tax deductible item.
Once you leave it with us, we evaluate the device for its best use, and sort items into a holding place until we can move them along. We donate pediatric orthoses to an orphanage in China (you can read about that patient story New Day Foster Home in our archive by clicking here.) Other devices make their way to organizations we work with in Mexico, St Vincent and the Grenadines, or Guatemala. We have also sent practitioners on mission trips to work with patients and they take devices with them. Sometimes we send devices to organizations who make requests of us.
We were recently able to donate two prostheses to Patsy Douglas’ Youth Empowerment Foundation in Maryland.
“Our organization would like to take this opportunity to thank Dankmeyer Prosthetics & Orthotics for your donations of two prosthesis legs….Both prostheses were shipped to St. Vincent and the Grenadines respectively in May of 2015 and September 2016. Your organization has afforded the privilege to the recipients to live a productive life. We thank you for your generous donations.”
One of the recipients of that donation, Matthew, sent back a video to show how well he was using the device. We would like to share that video with you. Click here.
We are always grateful that our patients and their family members recognize that others can make good use of items that they may no longer need and that we can facilitate that donation. If you have any other questions about donations, please do not hesitate to give us a call!
-Mark Hopkins, PT, CPO, MBA, CEO and President Dankmeyer, Inc.