The unsung hero: Providing prosthetic limbs for tsunami survivors

In 1987, Gnanasena was at the prime of his life. Married with three children, he had a good job and earned a steady income as an assistant at a legal firm. What happened to him next was something that had not even fleetingly crossed his mind.

Gunmen attacked the bus he was travelling on. “I saw everyone else get shot,” Gnanasena narrates softly. “I didn’t scream or cry out for mercy because escaping this was impossible. It just entered my mind that since I have to die someday, this is that moment.”

Gnanasena was shot several times and left for dead with all the others.

When he was rescued a few hours later, he was airlifted to Colombo for treatment. He alone had survived. His injuries were severe and doctors told him that his left leg would need to be amputated within three months.

“I cannot describe the pain I was in. I consulted almost every orthopaedic specialist in the country to try and save my leg,” explains Gnanasena. “But I was told my injuries are too complicated and the bone cannot be reset according to the tested orthopaedic practices.”

After three years of unbearable pain, Gnanasena’s leg was amputated at the thigh.

“By this time, I no longer had a job. We had sold our home and were depending on assistance from our relatives to finance my treatment and expenses for my children.”

Gnanasena was sent to the ‘Friend in Need Society’, a non-profit organization providing assistance to people with disabilities. Here, he was fitted for a prosthetic leg and received additional therapy.

Since he was from the South, he had to travel several hours back and forth to Colombo for adjustments to the prosthetic. This prompted the administration of the Society to open a similar centre in Galle so patients from the South would have easier access. They wanted Gnanasena to be in charge.

“The Society trained me on manufacturing the prosthetic limbs and customizing them to suit the patient. We use a different technology and materials available in the local market and it is very cost effective. The centre was the only place that provided artificial limbs and treatment for free,” he explains.

Gnanasena guides and supports a patient with a prosthetic leg.

While the premises provided services for prosthetic limbs and the manufacturing workshop, there was no facility for the patients to stay during the rehabilitation process.

26 December 2004

“The tsunami destroyed everything. We lost all our tools, machinery and furniture,” says Gnanasena.

After moving to a temporary location, he threw himself into helping those who had lost limbs due to injuries caused by the disaster.

“We had to begin all over again but had no proper place to establish ourselves.”

It was then that World Vision came to the aid of the centre. Land was secured from the Chief Minister and World Vision constructed a two-story building providing furniture and wheelchair access. The building not only houses the workshop but also has sufficient hostel facilities for 20 in-house patients.

Now called the Southern Provincial Center for Disability, the centre is not only a place that provides prosthetic limbs free of charge, but vocational training and job placement to people with disabilities as well.

“When people first come here after losing a limb, they are really depressed. I try to make them feel comfortable and prepare them for their life ahead with an artificial limb,” says Gnanasena.

"The process takes time, both mentally and physically. This is why I always say that World Vision did not just give us a building, they gave us a home,” Gnanasena says with a gentle smile. “For those who come here, it is not just a roof over their heads, but a refuge and place of safety during their difficult time.”

Now 68, Gnansena does not stop at providing just the prosthetic limb, he also makes sure that the patients receive all their entitlements and benefits from their employers, insurance companies, and the government. He works closely with legal aid organizations and the Human Rights Commission. If a disabled person is not provided adequate justice, he mediates for their rights.

Many patients have forged a close bond with Gnanasena, whom they consider a father figure.

“I feel so proud and happy when I see patients walk out of here by themselves,” says Gnanasena wistfully. “I know what it takes and how much pain they have gone through, because I myself have been there."