My friend dreams to have arms
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If somebody asked how much money would make someone happy, everyone would probably think for a long time before giving an answer. However, Matas Gudauskis (31) from Kaišiadorys, would immediately say the exact amount - 600 thousand euros. For that amount he could buy himself new hands. It’s true, they would not be real, but bionic. Few years ago, M. Gudauskis enjoyed his life - he was healthy, played sports, worked, had a girlfriend, had plans to get married, saved money, chose an apartment, and agreed with the bank on a housing loan. But one day, everything suddenly turned upside down - a young man was touched by a high-voltage current at the workplace. He lost both hands and a former co-worker was killed. After spending half a year in a hospital and a rehabilitation facility, and now imprisoned at his parents' home in Kaišiadorys, the young man did not despair. The strength not to give up gives him hope that bionic hand prostheses will help him return to a normal life. So far, only one person in Lithuania has such. However, such prostheses cost more than 600 thousand euros. The State Labor Inspectorate, which conducted an investigation into this incident, found that the head of the division of the company Fima, where M. Gudauskis worked, was to blame. However, neither he nor the company itself admits the guilt - that these men themselves worked irresponsibly. The Trakai District and Vilnius Regional Courts had already opened a criminal case accusing R. B. an employee of Fima, of violating the requirements for the safety and health of employees, which resulted in an accident at work and serious consequences. So far, it has been clarified which other companies involved in the employment relationship with Fima should take responsibility for and the case has been referred back to the prosecutor. The tragedy that turned M. Gudauskis' life upside down took place on August 25, 2019. The investigation report of the State Labor Inspectorate states that two installers of Fima suffered from the impact of electric current during the repair works of the catenary suspension in Lentvaris. Work began at about 11 p.m. Brigade members had to replace the winch and other parts holding the high voltage wires.Foreman R. B. according to a former employee nearby, said: "When the train passes, you get up to work." Soon an electric train passed, the men climbed up the car tower. Soon a flash of bright light illuminated that tower. The cradle was quickly lowered in an emergency, with a rush to extinguish the burning clothes of the men in it. M. Gudauskis was taken to the hospital, another man died immediately. According to the labor inspectors, the work was not properly organized: in the power line protection zone, the workers were not issued an account - a permit that specifies how to perform the work safely. The men did not have indicators to check for electrical voltage. Work began without disconnecting the power supply and without grounding the power line. There is no document that clearly indicates the start and end times of the work, the organizational or technical measures to ensure the safety of the crew members. V. P. the head of Fima at the time, explained that the employees themselves were to blame for the accident at work, who violated the order of work. However, labor inspectors argued that this was not based on factual evidence gathered during the incident investigation. Now before the eyes is a long marathon of courts. - How did you find yourself in the company Fima, with which you now have to sue? - Lietuvos Rytas asked M. Gudauskis. - I graduated from high school in Kaišiadorys and went to study at Vilnius College of Technology and Design, I acquired the specialty of transport engineer. Before the graduation, Fima representatives came to the college, told us what they were doing, and said that they needed young specialists. So without a thought, I decided to give it a try. That was in 2011. We worked all over Lithuania - in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, smaller cities. Five days a week I had business trips and on the weekends went home. At first it was not easy, later I started to like it - I needed a job that required diligence, I felt that I was improving. - Did you work and plan your wedding? - Yes, I did everything consistently. For five years I saved money for the down payment to buy an apartment. When I accumulated enough, we chose an apartment, agreed with the bank on a loan, all I had to do was to sign the documents. Unfrotunately, now I need money for completely different things. -Remember what happened on that tragic day? - Very vague. Memories keep coming back in separate fragments. We worked at Lentvaris railway station. The installation of the power line took place on the railway section. This has been done more than once before. We perform such work at night, because it is necessary to stop train traffic and disconnect electricity. We started from scratch when new poles were built, there was no electricity and there was a working line. When we got up, the power supply had to be disconnected. It was said that when the train will pass - we can start working. We never started to work without a permission. We always listened to the instructions of the responsible person when and what to do. It was so on that fateful night. When the train passed , we started to work: a colleague was holding the wire with both hands, I was holding and controlling the tower with one hand. I am convinced that it was not our fault. It just turned out so unsuccessfully. - Did you lose consciousness immediately after that electrical discharge? - I know as much as I was told what I read later in the case. I was lying in the tower, we were manually lowered in an emergency, said, I was still standing up, asking what had happened, but I don’t remember, there was probably a shock reaction. - Your coworker was killed immediately. Did his family got any help from the employer? - As far as I know, yes. Arthur was 42 years old. His son was with him that night - he also worked for the same company. The worst part was that everything happened in front of his eyes. - You've probably endured more than one operation? - That evening, 26,000 watts of electricity passed through my body, I suffered severe third-degree burns to my arms and legs. I stayed at Vilnius University Hospital from the end of August to the beginning of December, followed by rehabilitation in Kaunas. Many surgeries were performed: charred tissues were removed, skin was transplanted. There had been heavy bleeding in the left hand several times. I lost a lot of blood. Contamination of the blood contributed, blood was transfused several times. - When did you realize that life was falling apart? - From the beginning, when I found myself in the hospital, I knew it would not be the same, although at first I still had my both hands.Apparently, in case not to scare me, the doctors gave hope that my hands could be saved. I was physically strong all the time, I was not afraid of hard work, I was not afraid of challenges, I knew what I wanted, I tried my best. At first, there was probably a shock - everything looked better than it really was. - You spent a lot of time in the hospital - were you tormented by black thoughts? - I never thought life was over. The most important thing is that I am still alive, I can see and do something in my life. - Cursed fate or employers? - It used to be a difficult time and sometimes I still ask myself why it happened to me. I had a lot of plans and suddenly lost everything. Every day I look for incentives not to give up and sometimes I find that I can still enjoy something in my life. - Now all your hopes are bionic hands. Have you heard of it before? - I had read about Martynas Girulis, who managed to get such prostheses. I was very interested in the possibilities of modern prosthetics, I contacted one guy from Sweden who uses bionic prostheses for both legs and one arm. He also lost limbs during an accident. My relatives also collected information about prosthetics - they contacted Martynas. We learned about a clinic at the Medical University of Vienna, where special surgeries and prostheses are performed. Martynas said that Lithuanian professor of biophysics and biomechanical engineering Eugenijus Kaniušas works there. The professor organized our reception at the clinic, arranged for consultations with Austrian specialists.
We flew to Vienna with my friend on March 2 last year. My former job paid for plane tickets, hotel and research. - Have you heard any good news in Vienna? – I got very good news.I have learned that it is possible to fit a functional bionic prosthesis on implants to the right arm, which is amputated to the upper third of the forearm. More complicated with the left hand amputated through the middle of the arm, no muscle remained. It was very gratifying. We spoke in English with the professor performing such operations - this is not a problem for me. I had the opportunity to try bionic hands, I saw what opportunities they provide. It's fiction! - But bionic hands cost a lot of money? - Yes. Everything would need more than 600 thousand euros. Hand surgeries, in which implants are placed in the bones to which an artificial hand is placed cost about 60 thousand euros. Prostheses for both hands - another 500 thousand. euros. - Can you imagine where you could get so much money? - I really can't imagine. Health insurance funds are unlikely to reimburse such operations. We hoped and still hope the company will help. The company was planning to help, but after learning about the prices of prosthetics, said they couldn’t do that. More than a year and a half has passed, the courts are stuck, how much more will last is unclear. Time is ticking. I would like to live more normally, study and be useful. - Have you tried traditional prostheses? - Prostheses were made for me during rehabilitation in Kaunas. However, I did not use them - they are heavy, uncomfortable, restricting movements, rubbing, causing pain and also non-functional. At the clinic, I asked what I could do with them - eat, brush my teeth? I got an answer - it won't work very well. Without them, I can do no less with the rest of my hands. - You now live with your parents. How your days look like?- They are all the same. I wake up at the same time as my parents because I couldn’t do a lot of things without them - we eat breakfast together, then they go to work and I stay at home.I do exercises prescribed by specialists to strengthen my muscles. I sit at the computer, watch movies. At lunch my mom comes back home and we eat. I can't get dressed, I can go outside only on the weekends when my parents are at home. I really don’t like being dependent on others. - But can you use a computer? - I can use a telephone and a computer. In Kaunas, a special primitive device was constructed for me - a sleeve with a tube at the back is placed on the arm - a fork or spoon is placed there and so I can eat. At first it was very difficult - the hand did not heal and swelled, but after a year it got better. Of course, I can do minimal movements and for me it's a lot. The Employment Service offered to develop computer skills - I completed courses in English organized by the University of Latvia, the acquired knowledge can be used in the fields of business administration, programming, data analysis. I know that the computer will be the main tool of my work. - Have you met employers since the accident? - While I was in the hospital they visited me. They paid for rent of a wound cleaning machine that the hospital did not have. It is a great pity that the employer does not agree to help me in a good faith.
Probably everything will be decided in court, but the trial can take a very long time and I want to live now. I know I am innocent, so the employer should pay for the prostheses. I was naive, I believed that everything would be solved by itself - justice would prevail. Everything seemed clear, I am innocent, so the culprit has to take care of me, but almost two years have passed and nothing. Before the disaster, I was an independent person, and now I can't do simple things for my self. To regain my independence and quality of life
I need prosthetic arms to do my daily activities, find a job. It is not easy to ask for help, but I hope for your support.
We flew to Vienna with my friend on March 2 last year. My former job paid for plane tickets, hotel and research. - Have you heard any good news in Vienna? – I got very good news.I have learned that it is possible to fit a functional bionic prosthesis on implants to the right arm, which is amputated to the upper third of the forearm. More complicated with the left hand amputated through the middle of the arm, no muscle remained. It was very gratifying. We spoke in English with the professor performing such operations - this is not a problem for me. I had the opportunity to try bionic hands, I saw what opportunities they provide. It's fiction! - But bionic hands cost a lot of money? - Yes. Everything would need more than 600 thousand euros. Hand surgeries, in which implants are placed in the bones to which an artificial hand is placed cost about 60 thousand euros. Prostheses for both hands - another 500 thousand. euros. - Can you imagine where you could get so much money? - I really can't imagine. Health insurance funds are unlikely to reimburse such operations. We hoped and still hope the company will help. The company was planning to help, but after learning about the prices of prosthetics, said they couldn’t do that. More than a year and a half has passed, the courts are stuck, how much more will last is unclear. Time is ticking. I would like to live more normally, study and be useful. - Have you tried traditional prostheses? - Prostheses were made for me during rehabilitation in Kaunas. However, I did not use them - they are heavy, uncomfortable, restricting movements, rubbing, causing pain and also non-functional. At the clinic, I asked what I could do with them - eat, brush my teeth? I got an answer - it won't work very well. Without them, I can do no less with the rest of my hands. - You now live with your parents. How your days look like?- They are all the same. I wake up at the same time as my parents because I couldn’t do a lot of things without them - we eat breakfast together, then they go to work and I stay at home.I do exercises prescribed by specialists to strengthen my muscles. I sit at the computer, watch movies. At lunch my mom comes back home and we eat. I can't get dressed, I can go outside only on the weekends when my parents are at home. I really don’t like being dependent on others. - But can you use a computer? - I can use a telephone and a computer. In Kaunas, a special primitive device was constructed for me - a sleeve with a tube at the back is placed on the arm - a fork or spoon is placed there and so I can eat. At first it was very difficult - the hand did not heal and swelled, but after a year it got better. Of course, I can do minimal movements and for me it's a lot. The Employment Service offered to develop computer skills - I completed courses in English organized by the University of Latvia, the acquired knowledge can be used in the fields of business administration, programming, data analysis. I know that the computer will be the main tool of my work. - Have you met employers since the accident? - While I was in the hospital they visited me. They paid for rent of a wound cleaning machine that the hospital did not have. It is a great pity that the employer does not agree to help me in a good faith.
Probably everything will be decided in court, but the trial can take a very long time and I want to live now. I know I am innocent, so the employer should pay for the prostheses. I was naive, I believed that everything would be solved by itself - justice would prevail. Everything seemed clear, I am innocent, so the culprit has to take care of me, but almost two years have passed and nothing. Before the disaster, I was an independent person, and now I can't do simple things for my self. To regain my independence and quality of life
I need prosthetic arms to do my daily activities, find a job. It is not easy to ask for help, but I hope for your support.
Organizer
Justina Sriupsaite
Organizer
England