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Survivor Stories
Vanessa Torres - El Salvador

Vanessa Torres was 12 years old when doctors discovered a tumor in her left knee. The doctors suggested amputation, but Vanessa’s parents did not agree. The tumor continued to grow, and Vanessa’s pain grew more and more intense. After ten years of not being able to take a step without pain, Vanessa’s doctors convinced her parents to have the surgery. In January, 2001, Vanessa’s left leg was amputated. She was discharged after only three days, with no instructions and no support on how to care for her leg. One psychologist came by before she left, and told her, after a brief conversation, that Vanessa did not need help.

Vanessa felt completely unprepared when she returned home. She had no one to answer her questions, and didn’t even know how to change her bandages. “I felt incomplete, I did not want to leave my house. I lost all communication with my friends. It was like I was just resting, and thinking about my recovery process.”

After a few weeks, Vanessa went to a prosthetic center, where she was told her stump was not healed, and she would need some physical therapy before being fitted with a prosthetic leg. They referred her to LSN.

“When I met the LSN’s staff, they provided me with written information of surviving limb loss, which related to the wrapping of my leg, and instructions on self care to avoid the complications. Like, I didn’t know I was not supposed to have a pillow under my stump so long, if I wanted to recover the good position of the bone.”

LSN’s outreach worker visited Vanessa at home with some others who had had similar amputations. They all helped her learn to maneuver around the house and walk around the neighbourhood. “LSN gave me such support. In every phase of my recovery, through their psychological support, the pamphlets and then with their links and references I got a new prostheses. Once I was used to the prostheses, I entered the university to study human rights, as my objective is to become a professional and help others.”


View the next profile: Tedla Gehebriwet

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