David Talbot - Crutches 4 Africa

On May 4, 1955, about 3 weeks after Jonas Salk discovered his vaccine,  David contracted polio in Denver CO. He awoke paralyzed and was admitted to Denver Children's Hospital on May 7, to a ward with 18-20 other children. However, because he lived in the US, with access to great health care and physical therapy, by third grade he was living a normal childhood and actively participating in sports. Unfortunately, starting with some noticed weakness in 2001-2003, he was diagnosed with post polio syndrome and currently uses crutches and a brace.

 

A videographer by profession, David spent time in Africa. What he saw there led him to found Crutches 4 Africa to provide mobility devices to help those afflicted by diseases, like polio, and by other causes like land mines. In 2006, he was in Africa where he witnessed adults and children who crawled on the ground because they did not have access to crutches or braces. By the end of that year, David had collected 235 pairs of crutches and shipped them to Uganda. He also joined the Rotary Club of Mountain Foothills in Denver, CO.  

 

To date Crutches for Africa has shipped over 73,000 units to a long list of countries in Africa which has meant that thousands of men and women no longer needed to crawl through mud, garbage, and sewage. 

 

L-R: Jeff Malloy, David Talbot, Candace Talbot, Dennis Robillard