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Stories of Impact: Donald's
Hear how Donald found his health and hope at his local free clinic.
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Several years ago, Donald's life took an unexpected turn when a motorcycle accident resulted in the loss of his leg above his knee at the young age of 20. A local organization had worked with Donald directly following his accident to obtain a prosthetic leg. However, over the years, the prosthesis had become ill-fitting and painful, to the point where he had given up wearing it in favor of crutches. When Donald was referred to his local clinic, he was able to see an orthopedic doctor who volunteered there regularly. The orthopedist quickly assessed Donald's needs and connected him to a professional colleague and a skilled prosthetist who was able to provide Donald with a brand-new prosthetic leg. Just a few weeks later, thanks to his increased mobility and lack of discomfort, Donald secured a job.
During a follow-up appointment, the prosthetist surprised Donald with a custom-made running blade, which is a curved prosthetic limb used by amputee runners. Donald was a former runner before his accident, and the gesture left him speechless. The gift also inspired him to begin training for his first marathon. Donald's care team at the clinic also connected him to a local nonprofit that specializes in assisting individuals with disabilities earn their driving license. Donald passed his DMV road test soon after. Thanks to his clinic and care team, Donald not only gained a new prosthetic limb, but gained increased freedom, independence, and a long-term health home dedicated to meeting his unique healthcare needs.
As Donald's case exemplifies, Virginia's free and charitable clinics treat the whole patient, often addressing social determinants of health in addition to providing a wide variety of health care services. Clinics are also embedded within the communities they serve, ensuring important partnerships are formed with local organizations including hospitals, businesses, universities, nonprofits, etc. As a result, Donald not only turned to his local clinic for orthopedic care, but was quickly connected to more specialized services to improve his overall health and wellbeing.
Virginia's free and charitable clinics play an important role in safeguarding the state's underserved population by providing much needed quality healthcare to Virginia's low-income, uninsured patients – and providing that care with compassion, dignity and respect. By delivering important preventative and chronic care services, clinics help vulnerable Virginians remain healthy, reduce unnecessary visits to the emergency room, and avoid missed time from work or school due to illness. Find a clinic in your community.
