Durham metal workshop's custom creations head to Ukraine to help amputees

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Bull Durham Fabrications specializes in everything metal but the latest project for owner Bob Pickard has been one of the most meaningful he's ever worked on.

"It just makes you feel good when you're doing something like this," Pickard explained.

Pickard recently completed work on custom metal lamination stands for the nonprofit, LimbFit. The stands will help in the process of making prosthetics for thousands of amputees injured in the war in Ukraine.

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"I was just so thankful that he was willing to take on something that he'd never done before," explained LimbFit Executive Director Matthew Coley.

"And, it's such an important part of our process for building prosthetics," Coley added. "When we cast a patient, we make a mold and we take that mold and we invert it where the distal end is facing up. Then to make the prosthetic, you put materials over that mold, and then you use chemicals to harden that material and that's how you get your prosthetic. And with the lamination stand, it pulls the vacuum on that. So it conforms perfectly to the mold and gets a nice fit."

Pickard had done previous work for Limbfit and was up for the challenge of creating the custom stands.

"It has been a very meaningful project," Pickard said. "And, it gives you a reason to get up in the morning. It really does."

Coley will travel to Ukraine on February 2nd with two lamination stands created by Pickard. They will be installed in a lab that will soon be operational to start making prosthetics for civilians and soldiers.

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"We are a nonprofit humanitarian organization, and we serve the needs of disabled persons around the world," Coley said. "And, we have a big focus in Ukraine right now. There is a dire need to help soldiers and civilians who have lost limbs. It's estimated that over 20,000 currently have lost limbs in the current war situation."

Coley said LimbFit plans to stay in Ukraine for the long term to provide additional service to patients including physical rehabilitation.