Days 2 and 3! Just made it to Antigua! Pictures to come!
Day 2 We've been doing a lot of hurrying up and waiting in Guatemala and today was no exception. We woke up bright and early ready to load up the bus to Campur by 6:00am. After three hours of waiting and an intense game of spoons, the bus showed up and we were on our way. We stopped to pick up Rafa and Sam (our translators) then we started our adventure into the beautiful mountains. Did we mention that we like to live on the dangerous side a bit? Well that was the definition of our drive to Campur! We were driving through mountains on curvy roads behind 2 flatbeds of cinder blocks. Our driver decided to pass just as a big rig is flying down the mountain. The flat bed didn't want to let us in front of him. So we ended up squeezing right between the flat beds and big rig!! After a 6-hour drive and several games of chicken on the road, we were ready to get started! We did a quick set up at a local church and got straight to work! Katie, Sophie, and Alyssa met fun Isaiah, a child with Down's Syndrome. Sophie worked with him on certain sounds and gave mom strategies such as having him request for items. Katie worked with him on upper extremity strength and dressing skills while Alyssa fitted him for shoes and braces! Amber, Paige, and Cassie met sweet Yancy and her older sister who had traveled a ways just to see us. After a short assessment, we realized that Yancy had neurological damage; Amber was able to fit her for new shoes and braces as well as give sister strategies to improve her standing and sitting position. Paige and Cassie went on a hunt to find toys to help Yancy feel comfortable as she was struggling with the overwhelming environment. Paige gave her sister strategies for improved feeding position and assistance! Cassie worked on ranging her arms and reaching for toys! We sent her home with a bag of fun toys! Craig worked hard to fit Yancy for a wheelchair, and Yancy's brother decided to help Craig! The day continued to fly by as we saw a variety of people including a man who had experienced a stroke, a man with nerve damage, a child with hydrocephalus, and a child with a hearing impairment as well as several more! The PTs worked hard to find shoes for several other kiddos who did not have proper shoes, and even the speechies helped fit some kids with shoes! If ever there was a free market, that was us today; we were able to give out lots of toys, shoes, and braces. We are so thankful to all our translators and Carlos who helped us communicate with everyone! We met Heidi, who spoke all three languages and attends JBU! What a surprise! The people of Campur appreciated all the items we gave them, so thank you to all those who have donated to this trip! We could not do what we do without your help!
Day 3 We were lucky enough to stay at a beautiful ranch and coffee plantation last night. We woke up to the beautiful view of the Guatemalan coffee plantation situated in a lush valley. Perfect for a Sunday morning! We took a quick drive back to the local church to see more kiddos and adults. We got there early and had time for some fun activities including Craig teaching Katie and Cassie the art of capoeira as Paige and Sophie perfected their handstands and handstand push-ups. Videos to come later! The PTs had their fill of people to see including a little 18 month old and a 2 year old from last year. The 2 year old girl had been given shoes and braces during that trip. Upon arriving this year, it was clear to see that she had been using the braces because they were worn down to the point of breaking. We were able to fit her with new AFOs and shoes! Alyssa was able to see a guy who had had 4 knee surgeries; she gave him a home exercise program of stretches, scar massage, and patellar mobilization exercises. While the Amber and Alyssa were hard at work, the OTs and STs had plenty of time to play with the local kiddos. We gave them a plethora of toys; they loved coloring, playing with the balls, and shaking pom poms! Ashley was our go to lead as she screened each person who came in and sent them to the correct discipline needed! We would not have accomplished anything without Leo and our other two translators, Sam and Rafa. The PTs were able to give away a ton of shoes to kids and adults who clearly needed new shoes to protect their feet from the rough terrain. On our lovely 6 hour drive, we spent time getting to know each other with a questions game! It kept us highly entertained! We made it safely to Antigua and will be going to Hermano Pedro in the morning.
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