Inspirational Olivia goes the extra 500 miles to help others
A lawyer who lost her hands and feet following a serious illness is to give a talk at Paisley Abbey.
In 2002 Olivia Giles contracted the blood poisoning form of meningitis.
Tragically, as a result, she lost both her lower legs and lower arms through amputation.
But, amazingly, after a month of rehabilitation Olivia, from Edinburgh, made a full recovery and is fully mobile on prosthetic legs.
Linda Barrett, church manager at Paisley Abbey, said: “In 2007 Olivia founded the charity 500 miles which helps people in Malawi and Zambia who have lost limbs or the use of them, to enjoy maximum mobility and body function by helping them to get access to artificial limbs and limb supports.
“Olivia will be speaking about 500 miles and about how her experience led her to set up the charity.”
The 500 Miles charity supports the development and delivery of prosthetic and orthotic services in the African countries.
It aims to help people with impaired mobility of all kinds to get moving as independently as possible, by helping them to access prostheses and orthoses.
Prostheses are devices which replace missing body parts.
Orthoses are devices, like splints, which support body parts which are weak or don’t function properly.
In Malawi, Zambia and Zanzibar, when people are born with deformities, lose their limbs or the use of their limbs due to accident, disease or poverty, many of them also lose their livelihoods, homes or families – and the most vulnerable even die, the charity says.
It works to give them back their lives by making prosthetic and orthotic devices as accessible and as affordable as possible on a longterm and sustainable basis.
The illustrated talk will taken place in the abbey’s St Mirin’s Chapel on Saturday, February 8, 12.30pm.
It will last approximately 45 minutes.
Olivia will be speaking about 500 Miles and how her experience led her to set up the charity
Linda Barrett