We would count today a success! We returned to a government-funded orphanage we initially visited last spring. During that visit, it was unclear as to what our role was in this new relationship. It was very important that we return to build the foundation for a continuous relationship and to help them in whatever way we could to care for the 70 + residents they house. We are SO glad we returned! We were greeted eagerly by the staff, which included occupational therapists, physical therapists, and special educators. They were very helpful in gathering the residents for which they had the most concern. Nicole was able to help a gentleman walk by giving him AFOs for stability and show the proper technique for using a walker to help him ambulate. The gentleman was very proud of himself and was smiling and laughing when she was able to walk with him. Paige met a non-verbal young man who strongly reminded her of someone back home and quickly formed a bond. She was able to initiate the PECS program and educate his teachers on how to best help him and the other residents communicate. He picked it up VERY quickly and we think it will be a very viable communication system for him. Kelly helped with the many sensory needs of the residents…and there were A LOT! We are so grateful God afforded us the opportunity to further our relationships with this orphanage and those who work there. They are truly caring individuals who have a heart to serve their residents.
We then met up with Carol and traveled to a baby orphanage. Not a bad way to end the day, right? So many adorable children! Paige was able to help so many children with language delay and articulation issues, and she and Kelly helped educate the nannies on how to best feed a child with was likely aspirating. Nicole worked on educating about tummy time and transitions for mobility. The workers in this baby house were so eager to learn and Carol had said that she could really see a difference between now and her previous visit.
Tomorrow are our University presentations. We will be speaking to special educators from all over Guatemala. Please pray for wisdom, guidance, and the right words to convey what we do in a manner that will motivate and enable them to make an impact on the kiddos throughout Guatemala.
We made to Guatemala! Thank you Delta for waiving our fees and being so kind to us during our travels!
We were warmly welcomed by the friends we have made here in Guatemala and treated to lunch and a shopping trip to collect a few last minute goods. After a good night sleep, we were ready to head out! We picked up Carol (But, we might have forgot our translator, whoops! He did meet up with us eventually) and headed to the town of San Cristobal and to the surrounding farm villages. Our first stop was a village clinic. The clinic was amazing and provided pre-natal/post-natal care, dental care, general medical care, and teacher educating training. We then headed into the village to follow-up on a sweet little girl from the last trip with osteogenesis imperfecta. Unfortunately, she has suffered a broken leg since our last trip and is very uncomfortable seated in any chair. We are hoping to head back to her house later in the trip with a new wheelchair or modifications that will make her more comfortable and aide in better breathing. Paige was able to educate her mother on ways to improve caloric intake. We were also able to see a 16-month-old little boy with hydrocephalus. We were able to educate the mother on positioning for neck and back strength and are planning to head back to their house with lighted and musical toys to help increase play time and interest.
Kelly and Nicole got to time travel back to their rehab days when we were asked to visit two of the local women’s husbands. A car hit one and the other was suffering from several mini strokes. There was lots of range of motion, positioning, and strengthening to be had!
We ended our day with the honor of attending the opening of a Manna Orphanage with a baby wing dedicated to Miss Quynh Harlan. We were able to witness her loving father, mother, and brother share her story and begin their journey of spreading God’s love and the love they have for Quynh to the orphans and residents of Guatemala. It was such a blessing and a great way to start our trip. We are looking forward to all God has in store for us as we are headed to many new places in hopes of building new connections and relationships.
We apologize for the delay, but better late than never! Please read about the final day of the recent Guatemala trip below!
Our prayers were answered at Anini with the caregivers being receptive and eager to learn the information we provided. We felt that being able to see the children and caregivers in their houses helped us to connect and establish a better relationship. Mike and Juan split off from the start to tackle the wheelchairs in house 5 and finish up any loose ends, while the rest of the group presented toys and equipment for the children and caregivers in house 1. They were excited to receive several large and much needed items, such as a bath chair, bench, and therapy ball.
The group then moved to house 6, where we provided several highly needed items as well. We were encouraged that the caregiver was implementing several suggestions from the day before, and we were able to give them a walker, physioball, educational toys, group activities around the house, and provided them with education on increased vocabulary and spontaneous language usage.
The therapist split up with Sophie and Kelly educating houses 2 and 3 with emphasis on functional group activities to increase social language and activity of daily life/ work skills. Then the rest of the group helped Mike finish wheelchair adjustments. Overall, Mike helped adjust about 16 wheelchairs at Anini!!! It was a huge group effort with our driver, translater and even the speech therapist helping fix some chairs. We are so thankful to have been able to spend so much time at Anini this past few days, and received a couple resident's email addresses to stay in contact. We are excited to come back next year!
In the afternoon we visited a new orphanage, where we were excited to see them already providing therapy services and school education to most of the residents and speech therapy was provided at the school as well. We were able to provide some updated equipment and give them a new stander which the orphanage director stated they use every day! Mike was able to drive to a rural farm in the afternoon and provided a new wheelchair for a sweet girl with osteogenesis imperfecta. We are hopeful this will allow her mom to keep her at home. It was a good end to our trip and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve these children!!
We started our second day back at Anini finishing up with the kids in House 1. We held a joint play therapy session with 3 of the younger children and finished modifying the wheelchairs for better positioning and performed some repairs.
Paige, Kelly, and Sophie moved on to House 6 where some of the higher functioning children are housed. We were greeted with huge smiles and requests for lots of hugs. While in House 6, we were able to evaluate some of the other kids not seen yesterday and develop a plan for more functional learning on a daily basis. They also implemented visual and fine motor activities. Charity and Caroline casted a little boy for AFOs in hopes that next time these will help enable him to have a better foot position to walk. It warms your heart to see how close they are and the love they share for one another.
From there half of the group hosted an impromptu mercado de zapatos (shoe market) for house 4 which are high functioning men. News traveled fast as we had many customers and were able to give away eight pairs of shoes and socks. We were also able to provide a sweet young man with a new forearm crutch which is his only means of mobility. At the same time, the other part of the group visited House 2. There the group interacted with some of the residents demonstrating more aggressive behaviors. They brainstormed some ideas with the aim to channel those behaviors to more positive outcomes.
In the afternoon, the entire group met back together in House 5. This house is home to the more involved older male residents, with the majority wheelchair bound. This was the pool noodle challenge. Every discipline incorporated pool noodles in various forms as solutions to challenges presented. For example, pool noodles were placed on wheelchair frames for arm pad replacement, hip alignment, and proper foot positioning. Pool noodles were also used to elevate the mattress head to decrease aspiration risks for one child and for another child a noodle was used to fabricate a protective barrier to prevent self injury! Also, Mike, our translator Leo, and our driver Juan worked together to fit a child with a new wheelchair and repaired three other chairs while there.
Our day ended with a Guatemalan thunderstorm and wonderful fellowship with our Guatemalan family.
Please pray that we can finish strong as we educate caregivers in each house about their specific needs. Tomorrow, we will also be visiting a new orphanage. Please pray for guidance as we explore this new opportunity and friendship.
The saying goes that "a picture is worth a thousand words" and well, we feel this could not be more true! Check out these great pictures! Our hearts are full!
"Truly I tell you, what ever you did for one of the least of these my brotheren you did it to me." Matthew 25:40
We spent today at Anini, an orphanage we have visited on previous trips. We all started together at the house with the babies and the children with the most severe disabilities. Speech was thrilled to find previous trip education was carried over and they were feeding kids in an upright position and putting wedges in their beds! We were able to observe the meal time routine and assess for further need. Speech was also able to educate on some basic interaction/ language facilitation. Caroline and Kelly teamed up to provide education on infant massage and positioning for the babies. Allison, Charity and Mike assessed the children and their wheelchairs and were able to make adjustments to improve position and comfort of the children in their chairs.
A highlight of the day was when two little friends from house 6 who have been wheelchair bound, were able to walk up to each other with assistance! One of the boys kissed his hand and instead of blowing a kiss to his friend, he touched his hand to his friends mouth as a sign of true friendship!
We were so happy that we saw carryover from previous trips and the staff was very helpful and eager to learn. We will return there tomorrow to continue seeing other children we were unable to see today!
Thank you for your continued prayers!
**Pictures will be coming soon, please check out the video on facebook for now!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10101082290782597&set=vb.495370220491170&type=2&theater