On July 6, 17-year-old North Chattanooga tapas restaurant Terra Nostra will close its doors for the last time, but doors will open for more amputees in owner Efren Ormaza's native Ecuador as a result.
In 2010, Ormaza founded the Penipe Foundation, named for the Ecuadorian city of Penipe, where children with disabilities and special needs come from all over the country to seek help. With assistance from Goodwill, he's been making one or two trips a year to Penipe, bringing wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and canes, as well as over the counter painkillers, vitamins for children and medical equipment such as blood pressure monitors.
Last year he took a medical mission to a more isolated area in the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador. There, he met a recent amputee, Govani, who'd lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. The man was lying in bed, unable to walk, with a baby by his side.
Goodwill provided Ormaza with a prosthetic leg to bring to Govani, but it didn't fit. So Ormaza took the man's measurements and brought them to Traci Kilmartin, a certified prosthetist with Chattanooga's University Surgical Associates, who immediately offered to help.
Kilmartin fabricated a leg from the measurements, and taught Ormaza how to fit the leg. When the man was fitted with his new leg, he was able to walk using crutches, and can now walk with only one crutch.
"It really changed his life," Ormaza said.
Word spread among people in that part of Ecuador about the prosthesis, and now amputees are seeking out Ormaza and his team to help them regain their ability to walk. It is common for people there to lose their legs from diabetes and accidents, said Ormaza, who's currently working to supply five Ecuadorians with a prosthetic leg.
Ossur, which makes prosthetics in Orlando, Florida, is holding a seminar in Chattanooga in April where Ormaza will learn to use a scanner that takes exact measurements of a limb. He plans to return to Ecuador in May with the scanner, with the goal of providing all five of the amputees with the best-fitting prosthetics possible, providing mobility to people who previously couldn't get out of bed.
But these life-changing devices don't come cheap. The price range for a prosthetic leg is between $5,000 and $50,000, depending on the individual situation. Ossur is providing Ormaza with sockets for the prosthetic legs at a reduced cost, and Cary Greer with Chattanooga company PPS Orthotics and Prosthetics Services is supplying the knees and feet.
To help cover the costs, Terra Nostra is hosting a fundraiser at the restaurant Wednesday, April 24 from 6-9 p.m. His goal is to raise at least $10,000.
The fundraiser includes a rosé tasting and a silent auction featuring wine and spirits packages. He's also collecting donations of children's clothing in all sizes and used cellphones to bring to Ecuador on his next trip in May.
"Everything started mainly with customers seeing what I do and showing interest," said Ormaza. "I feel a lot of support from them. I could never do this by myself. If it wasn't for the people that help, this wouldn't be happening."
He and wife Gema plan to continue to live in Chattanooga, their home of 26 years, after closing the restaurant. His plan for the foundation is to continue to visit other areas of Ecuador where amputees have requested help.
Terra Nostra is at 105 Frazier Ave. To learn more about the Penipe Foundation or to make a donation, visit facebook.com/penipefoundation or call 503-8669.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.