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In the midst of unimaginable devastation, the profession of prosthetics and orthotics in Gaza faces extinction. Only nine trained Prosthetists and Orthotists remain in the region, trapped by the ongoing siege and struggling to provide even the most basic care — not just to their patients, but to their own families.
This week, I received a message from one of those nine professionals. As Publisher of IMEA CPO, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with colleagues across the IMEA region. But this message was different — it was a cry for help that shook me to the core.
“I speak to you now with a heart full of pain and deep despair... Days have passed without my mother, my children and my young nephews having even a single meal.”
With food prices soaring beyond reach and clean water and medicine growing scarcer by the day, the daily life of Gaza’s remaining CPOs has become a test of sheer endurance and survival. These professionals are not militants. They are caregivers. They are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who chose a path of service — to restore dignity and mobility to those who have lost limbs, often through war.
A Humanitarian Crisis, A Professional Emergency
According to the United Nations, over 134,000 people have been newly injured in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 — more than 40,500 of them are children. UNICEF estimates that as many as 5,000 children are now amputees, with an urgent need for prosthetic and orthotic care.
And yet, with infrastructure decimated, and humanitarian aid throttled, the very professionals needed to provide that care are themselves starving, displaced, and unable to work.
“Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your care. I’m supporting a family of 18... Your support would mean the world to us and bring real hope in these hard times.”
Introducing the IMEA CPO Gaza Fund
Today, we are proud — and humbled — to announce the IMEA CPO Gaza Fund, an emergency initiative designed to provide direct, life-sustaining support to Gaza’s last nine Prosthetists and Orthotists and their families.
These nine individuals remain in close contact with one another and are united in their resolve to stay, survive, and one day rebuild. By choosing the profession of a CPO, they have already shown their commitment to adding value to their communities — now, it is our turn to support them.
How It Works
All donations are held in a separate trust account by IMEA CPO and myself, Hugh Sheridan, and are forwarded directly to the families of the nine CPOs. There are no intermediaries, no deductions, and full transparency.
One of the recipients writes:
“Thank you sincerely for your kind initiative and genuine support for Gaza’s CPOs... Your solidarity means so much to us, especially in these challenging times. We are truly grateful.”
“Every dollar will be shared transparently with the other 9 CPOs. Your support gives us hope and strength — we are committed to restoring and rebuilding services when the time comes.”
A Call to the Global Orthotics and Prosthetics Community
This is not charity. This is professional solidarity — a recognition that the only thing separating us from them is geography.
We urge colleagues, clinics, companies, and associations across the IMEA region and beyond to donate generously, share this story, and stand in support of those who continue to stand — even when the world around them crumbles.
Together, we can help them survive today — and rebuild tomorrow.
To donate or learn more, please contact:
IMEA CPO Gaza Fund
🔗 Website: https://gogetfunding.com/the-imea-cpo-gaza-fund-helping-the-9-cpos-of-gaza
Thank you for your support.
— Hugh Sheridan, Publisher, IMEA CPO
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