HATS!?!?!

Working in Haiti I have realized I get to put on many different hats usually multiple ones during a day. I was brainstorming the other day some of the different hats & this is the list I came up with Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist, Feeding/oral-motor Therapist, Orthotist, wheelchair/seating specialist, Assistive Technologist, Hand Therapist, Nurse, Mother, Friend, etc.

The past few weeks I have got to put on these hats…fill these shoes…play these roles however you want to say it. Lets say that there is never a dull moment living in Haiti!

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (OT)

Well this one is pretty self explanatory as this is what I went to school for and what I came to Haiti to do:-) I get to do A LOT of OT work and LOVE IT! I love the fact that as an OT I get to help each of the children reach their fullest potential and do activities that are meaningful to them in their daily lives!!!!

PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT)

The majority of the children…or I think it would safe to say ALL the children I work with also need/would benefit from PT.  I have been doing A LOT of what would be classified as PT work in the states the last month.  I have been working on walking & Standing with Gildine, Love-Jinnie, Steven, Mary-Julie, John Kerry, Jessica, Lounide and many of my outreach children. I have also been working on stretching the kids legs, making positioning devices to help keep their legs in appropriate position at rest, and working on wt. bearing through their legs.  I have even had 2 random people show up during outreach time requesting crutches. Well of course we do not have already put together crutches so I had to dig through piles to put a pair together ;-)

SPEECH THERAPIST/FEEDING & ORAL-MOTOR

The majority of the children I work with have feeding/swallowing difficulties, speech impairments and/or oral-motor issues. In fact Derson has been sick for the last 4 weeks with double aspiration pneumonia. In the past 2 years I have taken 2 different continuing education classes to help me increase my skills in this area. I spent the majority of last summer working on feeding/oral-motor. Training the Miriam Center workers and outreach parents on appropriate positioning for feeding, feeding techniques, oral massage and oral-motor activities they could do. I have not gotten the opportunity to do as much in this area this summer as I would have liked but still wear this hat occasionally.  I am extremely thankful for Molly who gave 2.5 months to come to Haiti & help in this area. She continued educating the mothers on appropriate positioning for feeding, fought to get chairs for feeding and worked on the oral-motor with the kids. I have been working a fair amount with Anestacia, Carlos, Markinely, Sabrina, & Joseph on their speech, talking, & pronounciation.

ORTHOTIST

The past few weeks I have been busy fitting various Miriam Center children and FJS outreach children with ankle braces to support ankles during standing/walking and for the children with increased tone to prevent contractures from forming & to help hold their legs in the appropriate position. I had a PT friend carry in some old AFO’s and found some other ones in a depot that were brought in last year. I have currently fit 20+ Miriam Center kids and 4 outreach kids. Unfortunately I am doubling up on many of the braces sharing between kids. I would like to get to where each kid has their own set. I also have quite a few more outreach kids that would benefit from AFO’s but I need more little sizes. I am EXCITED that I just received a message that some have been donated and I hopefully have some being carried in soon. I have a few more Miriam Center children to still fit for braces as well.  I have also been busy making knee blocks and elbow blocks to support joints during standing and weightbearing through arms & legs. These therapeutic assists have made a huge difference in what the kids are able to functionally do and to support strengthening.

WHEELCHAIR/SEATING SPECIALIST

In the past few years I have gotten the opportunity to learn how to better play this role from my friend Jim in Erie who specializes in this area. He taught me how to do measurements for fitting of wheelchairs and how to make a few adjustments to chairs. Since accessing wheelchairs in Haiti is a challenge, I have found I tend to use A LOT of ductape, foam and old chairs to make chairs that will fit my kids. Unfortunately we have no old frames left for wheelchairs and so I had to get REALLY creative recently and have Hatian wooden chairs made and then use ductape to adapt them. Kimmy’s House was able to carry in 2 walkers and I was able to help adapt. I am so EXCITED about the connection God has allowed Kimmy’s House to make that will enable us to get wheelchair donated & that they have found a way to carry them into Haiti on the plane with them! What an answer to prayer.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIST

A few years ago I raised a decent amount of $ to bring various assistive technology into Haiti. Ranging from Communication Boards, to IPADS, to switch adapted toys. I learned A LOT about this area when I worked at Douglas County School District in NV from Kate their Assistive Technologist. I have learned to interrupt the current in battery operated toys to make switch adapted toys to ¼ the price. I have to admit all the new toys I brought in this summer to switch adapt have not worked L I need to mess around with them more. I use the switch adapted toys with Kem, Walden, & Minushe. They get so EXCITED when I pull out the switch adapted toys. Walden starts talking up a storm & it is so wonderful see them work so hard & do so much while they play hard! I have been working with many of the kids on the IPAD some using educational apps while others using a communication APP to increase communication. I love the doors assistive technology opens up for the kids.

HAND THERAPIST

I got to put this hat on 2 summers ago when we had a hand therapist come on a 2 week trip. It was Awsome to work alongside the hand therapist and learn how to better make these. Recently I have been working with the splinting material to make knee and elbow blocks to help support the children’s arms and legs during I plan on starting to make new hand braces for all the children in August. The ones we made 2 years ago the kids have grown out of or pieces have broken off.  This will be so beneficial to help decrease skin breakdown in their palms, prevent further contractures and promote better positioning.

NURSE

Since coming to Haiti I have needed/gotten to play this role more than I wish I needed to. I have learned A LOT about wound care, how to get fevers down, how to put IV antibiotics in, how to relieve constipation, how to put in a feeding tube & maintain it, how to take oxygen levels & respiration rate, etc. I could go on & on. Good thing blood does not gross me out! I am thankful that God has given me a strong stomach & a compassionate heart J It is slightly hilarious that the Miriam Home staff call me Dr. I always respond “I am NOT a dr.!” lol.

MOTHER

One of my favorite roles in Haiti is being mom (well most of the time except when it comes to discipline/behavior…this is not my expertise). I feel so blessed to be able to be mom to 48 children at the Miriam Home. By far my favorite part of the day is saying goodnight to the kids and kissing them goodnight. I also just love cuddling with the kids and loving on them.

FRIEND

This is another favorite role. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE just playing with the kids & being their friend! Just hanging out with them dancing, singing, playing IPAD, laying around…chillin!

I love the fact that living in Haiti & serving as therapist coordinator has challenged me to grow in many skill areas.  It has stretched my creativity to a new level and has taught me to be flexible & the need to adapt. It pushed out of my comfort zone countless times.  I feel that I am a better person & therapist because I have had the privlidge of serving in Haiti.