medical Archives - SHOPPE BLACK

Published on February 29, 2020March 6, 2020

2 mins read

Black Veterinarian Treats Homeless People’s Animals For Free

Life in modern society poses a very real challenge for some of us. It’s no secret that poverty has pushed a staggering amount of people onto the streets in the past decade.

The scope of this problem is reflected well in numbers—over half a million people were officially counted as homeless in the US. The state of California has been hit the hardest. Its unsheltered population totaled up to 151,278 people last year.

Black Veterinarian

Luckily, there are still some good Samaritans who bring back a glimmer of hope when it comes to the invisible lives of those suffering outside the door. Stewart Kwane, a street veterinarian, has been on a mission to help the pets of homeless Californians since 2011.

After the Great Recession hit the US in 2007, Stewart decided it was time to help those in need. “There was something about it that I loved,” said the 49-year-old man, who pays for the basic food and medicine costs out of his pocket.

Black Veterinarian

Dr. Kwane now runs a GoFundMe page that aims to raise donations to cover all the pricey surgeries his four-legged patients need.

Black Veterinarian

“The cost of minor treatments like ear infections, flea treatment, or vaccines can be around $100, whereas more serious cases like a tumor removal or dental with extractions can be $1,500.” Saving a little buddy can really add up to quite a big sum of money.

Source: Bored Panda

Published on February 9, 2020December 13, 2020

3 mins read

Black Sculptor creates dark skin prosthetics to boost patients’ confidence

John Amanam is a 32 year old creative sculptor and former movie special effects expert from Nigeria. His knowledge of art has helped him produce hyper-realistic prosthesis of several body parts including the ears, nose, fingers, toes, and legs.

He was inspired by a cousin who lost several fingers in an accident. “I was thinking of ways to help him as a sculptor and thought to myself, since I’ve sculpted human beings, why can’t I mould something that can actually be used on a human body?”

John said that after his cousin’s accident he started to feel more empathy towards others who had experienced a similar loss.

“They had this feeling of discomfort whenever they were around other people. I saw it as a challenge. If I could give back or solve this need, it would go a long way to ease that emotional trauma and loss of confidence,” he added.

black scuptor — John Amanam works on a prosthetic hand

“I just want them to feel at home and be whole, aesthetically.”

Until now, most prosthetics available in Nigeria have been white, or made from materials such as wood that also look unrealistic.

“You rarely find people with black skin prosthetics,” Amanam said. “I want this need to be met within Africa. I want to reach out to Blacks all over the world as well, by making this process accessible, at an affordable rate.” The pieces are sold for at least 40,000 naira ($111).

He says although there is room for improvement, his products have been medically approved for patients who are in need of body part replacements.

“I have been to many hospitals and the product has been well received because the materials used in producing are medically approved.”

According to John, he intends to open a factory in Akwa Ibom, his home state where he intends to produce the products in large quantities for local and international export.