Anytime Phoenix Rising comes to town I have a mixture of emotions EXCITEMENT all the way down the spectrum to OVERWHELMING. I am excited because that means so many children on the waiting list will finally get the chance to be seen, equipment fixed/updated/made, facilitated getting them seen by PT, Orthopedics and prosthetics as needed. This was also another opportunity to encourage the parents and update their home exercise program while they wait for a spot in the program. In May the MC therapy team work really hard alongside the Phoenix Rising team for 2 weeks. The weeks were insanely busy...so busy That sadly I did not taken hardly any pictures. Between Tuesday and Wednesday of the first week we saw 15 kids...made 1 chair and fixed 4, made 1 PVC pipe walker and adjusted/fixed 5. 2 kids saw prosthetic and will have legs made...most saw PT and 4 saw ortho. This just gives a glimpse into the crazy busy pace the 2 weeks ran on.
This time Phoenix Rising gave me a private room in which we moved a lot of our pediatric supplies from the mission down to PdP to set up our pediatric clinic. We brought the AFO's, casting material, splinting material, toys, therapy ball, duck tape, foam, haitian adapted chairs, educational handouts, etc. we had everything we needed to help any child that walked in or we called in. Below are some pictures from the pediatric clinic. Most of the children were kids we called in from the waiting list.
Meet Rolph. Rolph has a big leg discrepancy that just keeps getting bigger as he grows. He came to the Miriam Center about a month before phoenix Rising and I made him a lift out of foam to hold him over till PHR came. I was excited with the prosthetics team made him a custom half prosthetic/half orthotic leg lift. How AWSOME is this!!! I have seen him a few times since he received his leg and his is doing great walking with 1 crutch and ganging balance and strength in that leg.
Meet Smelda. She has scoliosis. She came to me a few months before Phoenix Rising and I had no braces or resources to help her. I was very excited when the team decided to make her a custom scoliosis brace out of casting material, ductile, and velcro strapping. It was a team effort for sure. I am happy to report that following up a few weeks and a month later she has no skin breakdown and it is a great fit! The family is super compliant with the wearing schedule as well.
Meet Isaac. He possibly has Rickets & has been placed on Nutrition Food at the Miriam Center. He has successfully learned to walk with a walker but both of his knee joints are compromised causing the knee to slide out as he walks. He needs a pair of KFO's but it would cost $600 for a pair that he would grow out of rather quickly. Instead we are working on getting 2 pediatric size knee braces with side locks. Please pray that we can get a pair in his size!
Thursday of the first week I put a Facebook plea for help as 2 children on the waiting list were in need of custom bracing which we had the chance to get made but needed to raise $400 overnight in order to make it happen. In faith we had the molds taken by the guy who was heading back to PAP the next evening. It was AMAZING to watch God provide the funding for Val and Joseph to receive their needed custom braces. below are their stories.
Meet Val. Val is 15 years old. I met her 5 months ago when she came with a broken femur from a fall. We helped her see a specialist and get a SPICA cast. Unfortunately she has severe bowing of the legs that started 5 years ago. We need to get her special AFOs to stabilize and prevent further bowing. She possibly has fx. In both of her tibia/fibia's at the crest of the bow. She is such a sweet girl and never complains
Meet Joseph. Joseph had surgery in October to help correct his lower leg deformity but for some reason after the pins were taken out his leg reverted back possibly because of severe laxity in the knee from walking incorrectly for so long. Their is a possibility for him to have another surgery and for a plate to be put in but he really would benefit from a KFO brace now. This kid has been through a lot.
The students and I also had the opportunity to work with 2 stroke patients that were in need of custom hand splints. It was fun to do a switch from pediatrics for a few hours. As you can tell from their smiles the patients were very happy and the students had fun making the splints as well.
A Huge Thank You for PHR being flexible and seeing many staff from the mission and special cases for me. Here are just a few of special cases they saw.....
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I don't know how many of you remember this sweet women from
last octobers surgery team. She was already an Amputee then had part
of her other foot amputated. She was not a candidate for a leg last trip but
this trip received a leg. Look at the that smile!!!! |
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One of the Miriam Center workers son fractured his arm
Billy was able to make a removable cast/splint that would
allow healing! |
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Phoenix Rising helped out with Geeslin's wrist. Geeslin is 1
of the Miriam Center night mom's & due to her wrist she
had been unable to work. |
you can always count on 1 crazy transportation story when I am commuting to PdP multiple times in a week. This is a Facebook post I wrote 1 evening after returning from a day at Phoenix Rising.
"Today was full of adventures...it started with heavy rain and me needing to commute to PdP. I put on my rain coat, got my water poncho for my backpack, retrieved my water proof box to put cell phone and $ in and headed out. Found a tap tap downtown without much of a wait. We all helped hold a tarp over our heads. I had to stop quickly at the hospital in La Pointe to help an outreach mom with a sick kid. When I finished waited by the side of the road (in the pouring rain) over an hour before a truck came. It was so full I was going to have to crouch in the middle of the bed of the truck balancing around other people standing, tons of plantanes, a spare tire, etc. while off roading...at this point I did not care. The Haitians on the truck did not think I had enough skills to not fall and "die" as they kept saying in creole...(I know I could have managed but decided to play the blanc card) and someone gave me their seat at the front of bed of the truck. This is typically the best seat in the back except today since all the rain from the tarp we were all trying to hold over us was draining on me 💦😓💦...lol at this point I was already wet so I decided to start counting my blessings... 1st we finally got on a truck...2nd I had rain gear...3rd I slept through the rain last night because I had a good roof over my head...4th I had dry clothes to change into when I got to Phoenix Rising. The 2 hour adventure was worth it for the 6 kids I was able to help today...braces were fit, a chair was made, a PVC stander was made, scoliosis brace made, parents educated, etc”
I can not say thank you enough the wonderful Phoenix Rising Team who helped care for my kiddos, was more than willing to teach the students and me some new tricks of the trade and for the relationships and friendships that were formed. Look forward to working alongside phoenix Rising in October again!
Ps. Phoenix Rising has a pretty awesome Security Team!!!! They welcome everyone with a smile, keep order, and prevent chaos!
