STAND THE HAIIT PROJECTS MAY 2017

The sign that STAND is in town is when you the MC Pediatric Team is all loaded up with 2 Hillbilly Truck loads of supplies heading to PdP! The best part is Watching people's reactions...they are pretty priceless as we pass bye 😀😝

The first Sunday we had a great day at the beach in Tortuga with the week 1 team! I loved getting to talk to & meet many of the new team members...play...get to know my Haitian therapy staff and students better and just enjoy a beautiful day :-) 

WEEK 1-Day 1

Pediatric Clinic at STAND... we saw 15 kids today!!! We fit AFOs, build standers, walkers, shoe lifts, hand splints, bow leg night braces, and lots of parent education happened..... we have an awsome pediatric team this week! 

WEEK 1- Day 2 & 3

 It has been super rainy the last 2 days so almost none of the scheduled kids showed up. Though the days were slow we had quite a few walk ins and some complicated cases that took hours to assess and build equipment. We were able to make 3 custom pairs of night splints for Ricket kiddos, a kneeler, adapt a wheelchair, and so much more. When the weather clears up I fear we are going to be swamped with all those who were scheduled the last few days and unable to come due to rain on top of the ones scheduled for the coming days. We have an amazing pediatric team so praying no rain tonight and a busy day tomorrow :-)

what happens when you forget to put sunscreen on from your
bathing suit line to you shorts line...you get red thunder thighs!

Learning to salsa dance

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This sweet girl got lots of loving the last 2 days. She was a new walk in to STAND The Haiti Project. She was not a fan of any "white person" but warmed up a little throughout the day. She is 7 and majority of her body is hypotonic "floppy". Her mom carries her to accomplish everyday and she is heavy. We were able to hook her up with a adapted wheelchair to make mom's life easier and made her a kneeler to provide weight-bearing and encourage some core-strengthening. Excited to get to know her more during her 10 weeks of therapy in the outreach program. 

The covered workshop space for pediatric building has been such a blessing especially with all the rain. All the building can continue! I love having a place to spread my tools out and be more efficient in building. Thank you STAND The Haiti Project for this awsome space that enables us to help so many more kiddos!

ENTIRE WEEK 1 STAND CREW

Pediatric Team Weak 1 ROCKED IT!

So thankful for an amazing week with these gals! Thank you Lori Lubash for spilling your brains out and teaching me so much about orthotics. I will treasure my little red book. My favorite quote and tip... be 1 with the grinder! Wish you were here next week to. But I will settle for 2 weeks in September 😝😉! And Morgan Denny so glad I get you for another week! Thank you for making STAND possible! For following your dreams and just being the awsome person you are!

WEEK 1- Day 4 &5 

The rain slowed and thus the pediatric clinic got busy these past few days. We saw about 35 kids. We did a lot of evaluating and building. Lots of smiles and a few tears but overall lots of productive sessions and equipment build.

WEEKEND BETWEEN WEEK 1 and 2

Fun... Relaxing Saturday with the STAND group. We were unable to go to Tortuga due to weather but we still had a good day visiting a beach in St. Louis and then eating pizza, ice cream, bread fruit chips/salsa, and popcorn at a local Resturant. I then spent the evening at home spending a little bit of time with the kids then playing cards with my mission family. Looking forward to spending a day at home tomorrow with the kids.

WEEK 2- Day 1

Today the pediatric team at CRUSHED IT!!!! We saw 25 kids who were evaluated, treatment plans/home programs updated on patients already in program. 5 new kids added to the program! We also made 5 pvc standers, 1 walker, 6 adapted Haitian chairs, adapted 1 wheelchair, made a bivalve cast, for countless AFOs just to name a few! We have an amazing team of 3 American visiting therapists and a team of 4 Haitian Rehab Technicians. Everyone worked so hard today and so many kiddos were helped! So proud of our team!

WEEK 2- Day 2

Now the Pediatric Team at STAND The Haiti Project is just showing off seeing 29 kiddos today and fitting/building equipment and writing custom home programs and educating families! To make it more impressive before lunch they had only seen 8 patients! That means between 1:30 and 7 they saw 21! So proud of how hard the team worked. They build 4 standers, 1 walker, club foot casts, bivalve cast, did cereal casting, build a lap table, made a shoe lift, build an adapted chair... those are just a few of the items! Day 2 and already 54 kids seen! This is for sure a record!

The morning started out slow but thankfully 1 of the clubfoot kiddos came and Rhonda Nisbett was gracious enough to do an education lesson on club foot casting with all the rehab technicians. Since I am Not a PT when I taught them I did not Teach using bone names and technically correct terms. It was great for them to get that piece. Thank you!

So thankful we were able to adapt a little wheelchair to fit this bigger little guy!

WEEK 2- Day 3

At STAND The Haiti Project we saw 27 kids! So many families were helped in a variety of ways from wound care, to education, to new equipment made, to home exercise program, etc. so many highlights from the day not sure where to start. 2 families received wheelchairs. 1 to provide independence and the other to assist the parents in not having to carry their 15 year old everywhere. 4 standers we made and 2 adapted Haitian chairs. Many kids were fit with AFO and knee braces that will increase their independence with walking and standing. We have an amazing team of builders downstairs making some fun and creative devices!

Another highlight of my day was providing this 5 year old with her first form of independent transportation! This perfect wheelchair for her came in last week! ❤😁👍

WEEK 2- DAY 5

I was so blessed to bring a team from STAND The Haiti Project to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission Today. We had an adult PT who treated 20 of the Gran Moun patients. Then a big group of pediatric therapists who conquered fixing/re-doing 4 of the kids wheelchairs! It was such a blessing having them their to help me tackle the wheelchairs. I will quickly admit wheelchairs are not my thing. They also saw and treated 4 specific kids and helped massage/stretch the little guys. We had a GREAT day. Love getting to show STAND volunteers my everyday world...my passion...my love...the Miriam Center!

WEEK 2- STAND GROUP!

WEEK 2- PEDIATRIC TEAM

AWSOME GROUP OF REHAB TECHS THAT WORKED IN PEDIATRICS

So THANKFUL Rhonda a pediatric PT that has a clinic in Haiti with My Life Speaks.
She was such a blessing and asset to the week. I truly enjoyed getting to serve alongside her
and getting to know her better. 

Week 2 tub picture :-)

THE PEDIATRIC TEAMS OF STAND WORkED SO HARD AND HELPED SO MANY KIDS. THEY HIT AN ALL TIME RECORD OF SEEING 190 KIDS IN THE 2 WEEKS!!!!! THAT WAS EVEN WITH HEAVY RAIN THAT LIMITED WHO ALL COULD COME! 

I truly enjoyed getting to know each and everyone of them and working alongside them. I hope that each of them come back again!