Leadership Skills for Youth opportunity

Not just for the young, an 83-year-old woman with a chronic jaw infection was the recipient of the first titanium 3D-printed jaw. Using reconstructive surgery would have taken 20 hours and entailed too many risks at her age. But her doctors needed only four hours to conduct the implant and reported that she was able to speak and swallow normally the day after surgery and to go home after four days.

Treatments for heart defects and heart disease are on the horizon. Using pre-

Printing entire organs is not a wild dream. Nearly ten years ago, they became a reality when the first livers and kidneys were produced. To date, these devices are only used for testing purposes. But an important step towards fully functional organs is the production of 3D-printed viable blood vessels, and these have now been produced and successfully implanted in animals.

Given the long lists of people waiting for organ transplants and the ethical issues of animal testing, advancements cannot come fast enough.

In other areas of medicine, amazing innovations are in the works. For example, 3D-printed skin tissue infused with stem cells is a possible new treatment for severe burns. Among the tiniest of printed innovations, researchers have created microscopic objects that can be tracked as they travel in blood vessels, the gut biome, or reproductive systems, helping advance the field of drug delivery, for instance.

It won’t be long before we see 3D printers spitting out exact replicas of teeth, leaving drills and fillings to the history books. submitted by Anna Van Adrichem-Rochon

3D printing is even getting stylish. Building prosthetic limbs used to be about delivering functionality to someone who has lost an arm or leg. Now a digital model can replicate the exact shape of the lost limb. How long until the mechanics can be embedded in a natural-looking casing with the touch and sensory characteristics of skin?

3D printing is not a cure for cancer, but the technology is a reminder that solutions sometimes come from unexpected places.

Rotary members and professional educators will host the District 7040 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), a community service and leadership training program for high school students ages 15 -17. The curriculum includes team building exercises, and an introduction to Rotary principles of Service: Above Self and the Rotary Areas of Focus. Students will develop skills as a leader and have fun making connections. They will build communications and problem-solving skills, discover strategies for becoming a dynamic leader in their school or community, learn from community leaders, inspirational speakers and peer mentors, and they will unlock their potential to turn motivation into action. They will have fun and form lasting friendships over three days at RKY Camp on beautiful Eagle Lake, one hour north of Kingston. This opportunity is open to local youth.

If this sounds interesting to you, please contact the Rotary Club of Kemptville at kemptvillerotary@hotmail.com immediately to hear how you can apply to become a RYLA participant. Deadline for application to the Kemptville Rotary Club is April 1, 2023.