Wheelchair Clinics

Well, it's been almost a month since my last post and the wheelchair clinics went really well. Unfortunately, my laptop decided to stop working before I went to Arequipa, and so I was without a computer and a connections and wasn't able to update while I was in Arequipa. I really would have liked to - it was a wonderful experience to be involved in the wheelchair clinics after many years of not being here for these special events. It was amazing to work with Eleanore's Project and their volunteers and to see them in action. And once again, I'd love to refer you to their blog for a more detailed account of the week. http://www.eleanoresproject.org/wordpress/

Jorge speaks to parents about wheelchair use and maintenance during the March wheelchair clinics.

There were a lot of special moments for me that week. I love to meet the children and their families and to hear their stories. I feel like I have a pretty clear picture of what life is really like for these kids and their families, as I've been working here in Peru with families for many years, and I really do understand what a huge difference a wheelchair can make for such families. Without exaggerating, I can say that many kids over the age of about 5 or 6 spend their whole day, and practically their whole lives in bed, because they become too big to be carried. Of course, their are other issues that lead to isolation, namely the shame and embarrassment felt by some families due to cultural beliefs about disability. Nontheless, in many cases, lack of a wheelchair or other mobility aids is the biggest barrier to getting these kids out and about and participating in their communities and families.

The very fact that some of these families came from 12-14 hrs away on an overnight bus, carrying their kids on their backs (some kids as old as 17) shows how much these families value the wheelchairs and that they recognize the huge difference they can make in their lives. In many cases we met children who were extremely excited to get a wheelchair because it meant that they could go to school for the first time. Many of the parents of older children made comments and gave thanks stating the wheelchairs were really going to "save" their backs. It truly was amazing to see them carrying teenagers on their backs, without complaint. And after such a long journey...

Yousef is a teenager...It's not surprising that, until receiving a wheelchair, he never left his bed. On those rare occasions he did go anywhere (like to come 12 hrs to Arequipa to get his wheelchair!), his mother had to carry him on her back. Imagine that!?!?

That's better!

It was also fun to see a couple kids that we have known for years, coming to get a new chair or to get adjustments. And I particularly enjoyed meeting with community workers from the local Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programs and learning more about their recent work. CBR is something I am personally very interested in and we have always worked closely with the CBR programs here. There really is a lot to talk about on that topic, but I'll have to leave it for another post.

Anyways, after a week of long days, we'd seated about 40 children. Eleanore's Project does an amazing job in building specialized seating systems for kids with complex seating needs, and a team of professional and student volunteers can spend hours (sometimes the entire day) making sure a wheelchair is just right for a particular child. There is also quite a lot of education involved: teaching parents about the importance, use and maintenance of the wheelchairs. This year we also had the good fortune of having an OT with considerable experience in feeding and feeding issues with us, so parents who have had a hard time with feeding were given some tips and advice on how to begin to introduce solids. It sounds like a small thing, but when you have a child who is 7 or 8 (and looks like they are 4) and can only take in liquids, learning to eat can be life changing and life giving, to both the kids and their families. And well, after and exciting and eventful week we were left with another dozen or so chairs and other equipment which we will find homes over the next month or so, so the work is not done yet! Each chair and family had an interesting and important story and perhaps at a later date I can share some of them with you.

Miguel (7) and his mom on arrival

Miguel's mom learned how to begin to introduce Miguel to solids.

Miguel after (with the team that worked on his chair)

My time in Arequipa ended with some much needed planning time. First with our partners at Eleanore's Project, as we plotted and planned on how we can make our work together more sustainable and more valuable. Secondly, with my own team: Jorge and Sandra. We've recently moved from Cusco to Arequipa and we have a lot of new projects and ideas on the drawing board. Between working with local organizations, giving workshops, starting to work with local children with communication difficulties (teach Augmentative Communication strategies), planning our next big educational event, and possibly beginning some more formal research, we will have a lot on the go this next year.

That should also mean that I'll have a lot to post here...So...It won't be so long before I post again. Do stay tuned...