June 2013

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UWI Vet Grad Makes History: 1st Prosthetic Limb for Animals in Caribbean

The local newspaper heading screamed ‘Cow gets new limb and new life’. It was a lovely story about an ill boy and Girlie Girlie, his pet cow, a gift from his grandfather. A heavily pregnant Girly Girly had lost the lower part of her hind leg due to rope burn. She was given a new lease on life through the efforts of her veterinarian and the fitting of what is touted to be the first prosthetic limb for animals in the Caribbean.

But who is the vet behind this historic achievement? Nicole Lambie has a BSc in Agriculture and is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). She also has an MSc in Tropical Animal Science and Production and her academic interest is in animal reproductive bio-technology, in particular the water buffalo. Dr Lambie is also a 5th Degree Black Belt who has represented Trinidad & Tobago, getting Bronze at the 20th CAC Games. She was nominated for Sports Woman of the Year in 2006, 2008 and 2009. And, at Christmas time, when she’s not dedicating her time to her patients, she’s performing with Los Paranderos de UWI, winning the Best Marac Player award on two occasions.\

It all began with a telephone call to the Curepe office of the Ministry of Food Production from Paula Baptiste, a farmer and owner of a mini mart, and her husband Adrian, a fisherman. It was referred to Dr Nichelle Jasper as a possible ‘cull case’. Dr Lambie went along to assist. There they found a cow with a gruesome foot injury but otherwise in remarkably good condition and that was (unknown to its owners) about 8 months pregnant. The cow, Girlie Girlie, had been a gift to the last grand-son of a man who had passed and the first calf had been promised to another grand-son. At that point, Dr Lambie adopted the case and was determined to bring the cow safely to parturition – much easier said than done. The cow was in Maracas Bay and her office was in Sangre Grande. There was just one cell phone contact with the family which was often not available for various reasons. It would turn out to be a 7-week odyssey.

	Photo 1: The first visit to Girlie at Maracas Bay: Her left hind hoof had been mutilated from a rope injury. The skin and bones of the hoof would slough away to expose her metatarsal bone had been exposed. A week later the bone broke but, luckily, it was a level break and her medication prevented infection.
	Photo 2: Girlie’s wound is terrible and her leg is amputated. Her left leg is now 9 inches shorter than the right, resulting in a large pelvic tilt. Her immense distress was made worse because of pregnancy. Dr Lambie began looking for something to support her; it would have to be able to carry 700 lbs and be light enough for Girlie to move around. It shouldn’t irritate the stump. Google and YouTube became Dr Lambie’s friends as she researched other prosthetics – elephant prosthetics and that of a cow named Dottie being the best examples of rudimentary designs; with her colleagues, she brainstormed ideas, materials. Persons she showed pictures too offered help and advice. Some even contributed bandages. Her voyage of discovery would eventually lead her to Trinidad & Tobago Orthotics and Prosthetics Limited (TTOP).
	Photo 3: Girlie the mother – her bull calf, Reno, was born on Good Friday 2013. It was an assisted delivery by Nally, Ruben's uncle and neighbour, who followed Dr Lambie’s instructions conveyed to him by his girlfriend Joan via cell phone.
	Photo 4: “I was determined to find a resolution despite those who thought it a lost cause. An idea began to take shape and these are my sketches and measurements for a rudimentary, low cost prosthetic to somehow do myself. The plan was to use fiber glass.” This design was made on a blank copy book page given to her by Adrian. Her main problem then was how would it stay on without strapping to her hips?
	Photo 5: The Awesome Foursome: Dr. Selene Warren, Dr. Nicole Lambie, Dr. Nichelle Jasper and Dr. Cheryl-Ann Wharwood. The newspaper article (Sunday Express, April 14, 2013) made reference to ‘Dr. Lambie and her team’ but this was a collaborative effort: ‘assistance may have been to brainstorm, record data, drive around with me to source materials in pouring rain, take turns driving the many treks to Maracas, accompany me on a weekend to treat Girlie, make one of the numerous phone calls to the farmer for updates on Girlie, to hold a rope or tail while I attended to Girlie and to simply take an interest.” They are all graduates of St Augustine Veterinary Medicine, UWI.
	Photos 6 & 7: Mario Guidel of TTOP and Dr Lambie make a mould of Girlie’s stump. His initial reaction had been hesitant but a night’s sleep and a change of heart saw him willing to give it a try. This trip to Maracas was done the day after Ruben had been admitted to Mt Hope Medical for a serious infection. This mould was used to get the shape of the stump so as to make the prosthetic. When they were finished, they turned around to find a lot of onlookers – including Nicole’s entire family!
	Photos 8: Girlie’s prosthetic leg was made of 10 layers of carbon fiber and titanium. Here she is being fitted. There’s a pink inner piece that holds it in place while the prosthetic is the black part. It would go back to TTOP for minor adjustments after the first fitting.
	Photo 9:It took Girlie just about 10 minutes to adapt to her new leg. Her speed may have been due to an enticing bit of grass that had hitherto been beyond her reach.
	Photo 10: The ones who made it all possible: Russell Boone, Richard Gonzales, Dr. Nicole Lambie, Mario Guidel. Together we did the seeming impossible. Russell Boone is the owner/director of New Life Brace and Limb based in Houston, Texas. New Life is the parent company for Trinidad & Tobago Orthotics and Prosthetics Limited (TTOP) and he generously donated the company's first animal prosthetic. Richard Gonzales of TTOP made the brace and Mario Guidel was adventurous enough to accept a challenge.
	Photo 11: Girlie-Girlie, with her real owner 5 yr old Ruben Baptiste, out in a pasture where she's most happy; Dr Lambie is deeply appreciative of everyone who helped her to help Girlie even if it was to make sure she had water when the family could not be there. Commitment and team effort resulted in this successful outcome. Girlie Girlie is doing well.

Dr Nicole Lambie is a Veterinarian at the Ministry of Food Production and Girlie’s Adopted Vet. All photos were taken on her cell phone by Drs Wharwood and Jasper as well as by Dr Lambie.