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Lowensky's Story: A fractured tibia, a mother's faith, and the support of a community

Updated: Aug 25, 2021


Lowensky is 12-years-old and is the son of one of myLIFEspeaks’ long-time employees, Mireille. He lives with his mom in a modest house next to LIFE Therapy Clinic in Neply. It is there, Mireille raises both her children and grandchildren by herself.


In March of 2020, Lowensky fractured his tibia while playing soccer. We took him to nearby Adventist Diquini hospital and he had surgery to stabilize his leg with internal hardware. An infection developed at the surgical site which led to several more surgeries and complications spanning months. Ultimately they had to remove the internal hardware and use an external fixator to keep his bone in place. But the infection came back. After multiple doses of IV and oral antibiotics, the infection finally cleared but his bone had not healed enough to allow any weight-bearing.



Lowensky’s mother, Mireille stayed on top of things and made sure his surgical site stayed clean and free of infection. With dirt floors in most Haitian homes, barefoot children, and livestock running around it is difficult, at best, to ensure sterile wound-friendly environments. Mireille did everything she could to keep her son healthy and to keep him relatively still for almost a year! She pulled him out of school too worrying he would get sick, hurt, or further infection from going to school. As a loving mother, she was deeply concerned for Lowensky and his health, but she never gave up hope that one day he would be healed.


LIFE Therapy Clinic and LIFE Clinic have been following him closely over the past year providing wound care, strengthening and range of motion exercises, in collaboration with the orthopedic staff at Adventist Diquini hospital.



In February 2021, Lowensky progressed from non-weight bearing to partial weight-bearing using crutches. The hope was that the bone would start to strengthen and heal at the fracture site. A month later, Lowensky reached the point where his bone was healed and they removed the external fixator on his leg on March, 22 2021.



A year after the accident, Lowensky was finally free of infection, free of all hardware, and he could begin re-learning to walk again.


Today, Lowensky is working with LIFE Therapy Clinic on intensive strengthening and gait training as he learns to walk again without crutches.



Mireille gives credit to God for her son’s healing. She recognizes that God worked through the doctors at Adventist Diquini hospital and myLIFEspeaks public health staff to help Lowensky heal and she is very grateful.



Mireille says it is because of God that myLIFEspeaks is here in Neply and it’s because of God that myLIFEspeaks is here to help her when she has needed it. Lowensky returned to school the week of April 19, 2021 for the first time in over a year! He is also back riding his bike, one of his favorite things to do!





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