RESTORE: Rebuild. Restore. Reconnect.
RESTORE is a proposed Australian-based charity combining 3D-printed prosthetics, paediatric facial reconstruction, and integrated trauma therapy for Palestinian children. It does not yet exist as a registered organisation. This page explains the concept, the gap it fills, and what comes next.
The Need
Gaza now has the highest rate of child amputees of any conflict zone in the world. Many of these children have also sustained facial injuries — blast trauma, burns, shrapnel wounds — that require complex reconstruction and that affect identity, social integration, and psychological recovery in ways that limb injuries alone do not.
Existing organisations — UNICEF, MSF, 3DP4ME, Free 3D Hands — address pieces of this problem. No organisation currently provides all three: paediatric facial reconstruction, long-term prosthetic follow-up care, and integrated psychological therapy, from an Australian governance base.
Three Pillars
Pillar 1 — REBUILD: 3D Prosthetics & Facial Reconstruction
3D-printed prosthetics using smartphone scanning technology can be custom-fitted at approximately one-sixth the cost of traditional prosthetics. For children — who outgrow devices rapidly — this cost advantage is transformative. A child may need six to eight resized devices before adulthood. At traditional prosthetic costs, that is out of reach for most families in conflict zones.
Facial reconstruction is the most distinctive component. Blast injuries and burns produce complex facial trauma that affects not just function but identity. For children, facial difference significantly impacts school reintegration, social development, and psychological recovery. No other Australian-based organisation has made this the centre of its model.
Production model: Jordan hub — experienced surgical teams, proximity to affected populations, stable operating environment. Australian governance provides fundraising, compliance, and quality oversight.
Pillar 2 — RESTORE: Integrated Trauma Therapy
Providing a prosthetic device to a traumatised child and sending them home is not rehabilitation. It is a beginning. The therapy model integrates:
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) — the gold standard evidence-based treatment for paediatric conflict trauma, adapted for Arabic-speaking contexts
- Play therapy — for children under seven, where verbal therapy is developmentally inappropriate
- Body image and identity therapy — specifically designed for children with facial injuries, addressing the unique psychological burden of visible difference
- Caregiver support — parents and caregivers are themselves traumatised; their capacity to support a child’s recovery depends on their own support being provided
- School reintegration preparation — structured return to education with teacher and peer education components
Pillar 3 — RECONNECT: Community and Long-Term Follow-Up
Recovery is not completed at discharge. RESTORE’s model includes digital case management tracking each child over 18–36 months: device resizing, follow-up therapy sessions, school attendance data, and caregiver wellbeing check-ins. Outcomes are reported to donors and to the public. The model is evidence-based and transparent — not charity theatre.
Community reconnection activities — art, sport, peer groups for children with similar injuries — address the social isolation that frequently accompanies visible physical difference and sustained trauma.
What Others Do — and What They Don’t
| Organisation | 3D Prosthetics | Facial Reconstruction | Integrated Therapy | Child-Specific | Australian Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNICEF / 3DP4ME | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | Partial | ✗ |
| MSF | ✗ | Emergency only | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| HEAL Palestine | ✗ | ✓ | Partial | Partial | ✗ |
| Free 3D Hands | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bioniks | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| RESTORE (proposed) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
The gap is real. The combination of facial reconstruction, integrated psychology, and long-term follow-up — child-specific, from an Australian governance base — does not currently exist. RESTORE is designed to fill it.
Indicative Costs
Traditional prosthetic devices cost $5,000–$25,000 per device. 3D-printed alternatives deliver comparable function at $800–$1,500 per device — and can be reprinted as a child grows. The cost advantage over a childhood is sixfold to twentyfold.
Facial reconstruction surgical costs vary significantly by complexity. The RESTORE model works with established surgical teams in Jordan where lower overhead costs allow more procedures per dollar of donor funding.
The concept paper includes an indicative pilot-year budget of $392,000–$525,000 to serve 20 children through the full three-pillar model, including surgery, prosthetics, therapy, and 18-month follow-up. Per child cost: approximately $20,000–$26,000 for comprehensive rehabilitation.
For context: a traditional prosthetic device alone in Australia costs $5,000–$25,000. RESTORE delivers a device, surgical intervention where needed, 18 months of therapy, and long-term follow-up for a comparable total cost — with outcomes data attached.
Governance Pathway
RESTORE would be structured as a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) — the standard Australian not-for-profit structure. This provides:
- Limited liability for directors
- Ability to apply to ACNC for charity registration
- Pathway to Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status as a Public Benevolent Institution — enabling tax-deductible donations
During establishment, a fiscal sponsorship arrangement with an existing DGR-registered organisation would allow tax-deductible donations to be received while RESTORE’s own registration is processed.
The three-phase rollout: Phase 1 (Establish) — governance, partnerships, and Jordan hub agreements; Phase 2 (Pilot) — 20 children over 12 months, full outcomes reporting; Phase 3 (Scale) — expand to 100+ children annually based on pilot evidence.
What Comes Next
The concept paper is complete. The next steps are:
- Outreach to potential partner organisations — MSF Australia, Free 3D Hands, UTAS Faculty of Health (TF-CBT expertise), and existing Jordan-based surgical teams
- Conversation with ACNC about the path to DGR registration
- Identification of founding board members with medical, legal, and governance expertise
- Pilot fundraising conversations with Australian foundations and high-net-worth donors
If you have expertise in any of these areas — medical, legal, fundraising, or lived experience — I want to hear from you. This is a concept looking for the right people to make it real.