Illini Prosthetics Team Goes to Guatemala and Receives Clinton Foundation Grant

Illini Prosthetics returned this week after spending ten days in Guatamala field testing their prosthetic arm prototypes, getting to know patients, and building a network within the Guatemalan healthcare system for eventual distribution. They have been working in special collaboration with the Range of Motion Project (ROMP) at their clinic in Zacapa, Guatemala. The trip provided insights to patient use and the need for custom fitting, and also brought successful fittings of their prototypes that even enabled amputees to write using their arm. The prosthetics will be evolved based on the input they received into future iterations of prototypes. The team was elated to learn before leaving that they have been selected for grant funding support from the Clinton Foundation to allow them to work on their prototypes. They will be able to use this funding as they continue to make improvements to prepare for a winter break trip to return to the clinic in Guatemala. The Illini Prosthetics team will be hosting a fundraiser in partnership with the Range of Motion Project in Chicago to gain additional financial support for their work.