Eula Mallett Regains Her Independence with ‘New Limb, New Life’

One of the greatest fears for diabetic patients globally is the thought of having to amputate a limb, due to complications caused by the dreaded disease.

In fact, a study published by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre in 2021, indicates that lower extremity amputation is feared more than death, blindness, heart attack, stroke or dialysis.

Unfortunately, in 2023, Eula Mallet of Brainerd, St. Mary, found herself living her greatest fear.

The 56-year-old mother of three, a diabetic patient, who had suffered from poor circulation in her legs for some time, saw her condition worsen after a tick bit her.

Mrs. Mallet explains that her right leg became swollen, so she visited the Highgate Health Centre where she was prescribed medication.

She says she had an adverse reaction to the medication and her leg got even more swollen, leaving her in extreme pain.

Concerned, her daughter and son-in-law took her to private medical practitioner, Dr. Dawdu Banjoko in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, who recommended that she be taken to the Spanish Town Hospital immediately.

They complied and Mrs. Mallet was admitted to the facility.

After undergoing assessments, the medical staff at the Hospital advised her that the best course of action would be to amputate her leg.

Mrs. Mallett, however, adamantly refused this recommendation and went on to spend roughly six weeks in the facility, receiving care that ultimately did little to improve her situation.

Her children who had become increasingly worried about her health, again sought the intervention of Dr. Banjoko.

He visited Mrs. Mallett in the hospital and reassured her that amputating her leg was, indeed, the best course of action to avoid an infection spreading to the rest of her body.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Mrs. Mallett put her reservations aside and agreed to the surgery, which was successfully carried out on March 11, 2023.

Reflecting on the surgery, she says: “I decided to do it, but I was so worried because I’m saying, getting this foot cut, how am I going to manage? I have to go sit down for the rest of my life. How am I going to survive?”

She recounts that Dr. Banjoko, her children and her son-in-law, Richard Simmonds, reassured her that they would ensure she got a prosthetic leg.

After the surgery, Mrs. Mallett was cared for by her daughters before she returned to her own home in Brainerd, St. Mary, where she attempted to pick up the life she left behind weeks earlier when she was first admitted to the hospital.

Using crutches, she was able to carry out much of the tasks around her home with minor accommodations, but getting around was still a challenge.

Shortly after she returned home, Mrs. Mallett had a chance encounter with Councillor for the Richmond division in St. Mary, then Mayor Richard Creary, who told her about the ‘New Limb, New Life’ programme, which provides prostheses for patients between ages 13 and 60 who lose limbs due to health conditions or trauma.

The $50-million initiative is a partnership between the Ministries of Health & Wellness and Labour & Social Security and has benefited 120 Jamaicans since it got under way in early 2024.

Subsequent to Mrs. Mallett learning of the New Limb, New Life initiative, her son-in-law approached State Minister in the Ministry of Labour & Social Security, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, for more details on the programme.

Dr. Dunn referred the case to the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) and Mr. Simmonds received a call from the agency’s Executive Director, Dr. Christine Hendricks, shortly after, connecting him with a representative from the agency who got the ball rolling.

Three to four months later, Mrs. Mallett was fitted with her prosthetic at Surgix Jamaica Limited and went back to the active life she knew.

When asked about the impact that the prosthetic had on his mother-in-law’s quality of life, Mr. Simmonds recalls: “When she lost her foot, she was very down. I know it broke her. She used to worry. Right away, I had to get a crutch for her; I had to get a walker. I had to do everything that, you know, would help her… to try to cheer her up to move around. And I remember I said to her that, don’t worry, because somehow, you will get a prosthetic leg.”

He explains that Dr. Hendricks was very supportive throughout the process that it took to secure the prosthetic leg for Mrs. Mallett.

“I really appreciate her because she took the steps, she checked in to see if I was getting through. Whenever I called her, she was quick and responsive. If she was in a meeting, she texted me,” Mr. Simmonds noted.

He says the entire process was smooth, and his mother-in-law felt comfortable and reassured at every step.

“After the (approval) documents came back, it was smooth running. When I went to Surgix, it was a warm welcome from the staff there, up until the end. Excellent staff. They took care of her. Once she finally tried on one of the prosthetics and started to do her therapy and walking, you could see the joy in her, you know, that she could move around,” he remembers.

Mrs. Mallett’s son-in-law adds: “It’s a great feeling to know that I could have done that for her.”

He notes that he was particularly motivated to help his mother-in-law because of his experience growing up with a grandmother who also lost a leg.

“I think I was 10 years old. My grandmother by my father’s side lost her foot, and she had to get a prosthetic leg, and I know the journey that she had to go through before she got the leg. So, I know the joy in her (Mrs. Mallett). Seeing her move around, it gives me that great feeling. It gives me that joy, and I know the family really appreciate it, because it broke them when their mom lost her foot,” he says.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mallett has a new lease on life, and has returned to her regular duties as a mother and wife.

“I can do every little thing. I sweep my yard, I cook, I tidy my house, I clean my floor. Yes, I do everything. So, it has helped me so, so much. I am so happy for it,” she says.

“I am so appreciative, and I am so thankful to the Government and everyone. I am so grateful,” she adds, while noting that she has reclaimed her independence, her joy, and her life through the New Limb, New Life initiative and the unwavering support of her family.