Overflow: MY FAMILY'S TIME AT STAND

My family flew into PdP Wednesday of the first week of STAND. They got to see the city from the air and then experience landing on a dirt runway. The circled the runway a few times as all the cattle and children and people were cleared from the runway.

They joined me at STAND the Haiti Project for 10 days. This meant so much to me as STAND has become a huge part of my life and ministry here in Haiti. I run their pediatric department and we are also getting ready to expand the outreach program with their assistance. Although STAND is usually some of my craziest weeks of the year and I literally run around like a chicken with my head cut off (My family can attest to this now). My family jumped right in. Dad and Adam helped lead construction both for items needed at the STAND clinic to make it more organized like shelving in the orthotic/prosthetic room, some shelves and a new table in the pediatric building area, racks to organize and hang the crutches, more shelves in the pharmacy, a beam to add a swing to the pediatric clinic, and even doubling the number of shelves in the pediatric clinic so all the AFO's could be organized. And those were all side projects.

During the day they were busy learning to make the Haitian Adaptive seating, standers, and walkers. Mom was a busy bee sewing away to make strapping and harnesses and other creative things to attach to the chairs for safety. I will highlight 4 of the major projects that my family worked hard on for specific outreach kids.

First was for Watson. He had hydrocephalus surgery just a few days prior to my parents arriving. The neurosurgeon wanted him to have a way to sit up as he was starting to get pressure sores around the area of shunt and he was afraid of infection. It took ALOT of brains and hours of work to create the wheelchair below. It has a wheelchair tire rim attached to the back of a kid cart wheelchair then a fancy strapping system with bathing suit material to make it so his head has even pressure all around. They also made him a hammock like bed out of PVC and a piece of fabric we found lying around so he would no longer be sleeping on the floor and also have even pressure on his head. My brother had the wonderful opportunity to help me hike up the mountain and deliver it to his house. The views were incredible and the family was so thankful and blessed by the gift.

The second big project was for Doudie Danaye. She is eager to walk but has no head or trunk support. It took 4 days of trial and error to create her a walker that she could propel herself around in. The JOY on her face when it worked was priceless. She insisted on walking around for 30 minutes before allowing me to take her out!

Then there is ANIKA. So many of you prayed for her and financial supported her journey back to health over the last 8 months from a serious bone infection in her knee that almost left her leg amputated, her body going septic and multiple surgeries and hospital stays. The fact that during STAND this trip my family was able to help make a stander for her is pretty incredible and that she can bear weight through both legs.

Like I said mom stayed super busy sewing. This was her little workshop set up for her to be down by building but in the shade. She made ALOT of strapping for bucket chairs and standers.

Adam said NEVER AGAIN did he want to make a stander like the 1 pictured below if he had to use duck tape :-) He was a trooper. This stander is going to a malnutrition center and will be able to be used with multiple children.

They also got to experience some Haiti Culture during their visit with STAND. Dad took his first Moto road to the bank. Adam taught me how to drive a Moto (well pretended to teach me to give mom a heart attack ;-p. They got to see the local market, hike around the mountain by the mission, dinner out at a local Resturant, Participate in salsa dancing lessons and even a night at the local salsa club, riding in back of tap-tap in the pouring rain with tarp over head to try to stay dry! They got the full adventure package!