Toys

 One of the things I was able to do on during my time at home in Northern Ireland during covid was some more training, specifically in paediatrics to help our paediatric service  at Bethesda. 

We have big plans for the future of the paediatric service at Bethesda.  Altidor and Echebert have already done some training with an American OT on how to build adaptive equipment for children with additional needs.  We are planning more education for staff and for families. We want to have an occupational therapist, maybe even a speech therapist.  Its going to take a few years before we get a really good comprehensive service but its what we are working towards. Once we build a new Bethesda and move we will have more space,  something we really lack right now. 

Our kids with come every Tuesday and Thursday morning and I am so pleased to say the extra training has paid off and they are all making great improvements.  

Altidor has done a great job while I was gone during covid especially with little Oly who first came in the middle of covid, unable to even hold his head up.  He was born two months premature and has cerebral palsy.  Oly continues to improve and improve, his mum is so willing to learn and do all she can at home.  A year ago he was learning to hold his head up today he is pulling himself up to stand at home!!  

I wish you could hear the fits of giggles he has when we play with the foam roller.

Little Gabby started  about a week before I started working in September, when he first came he was not interested in anyone or toys.  His little hands were fisted shut, he was floppy and unable to hold his head up, infact on his first day I was unable to even get him into a good position to practice holding his head up because his spine was so stiff.  His wee chest was all rattly (maybe that not even a word! he was full of secretions) - not out of neglect but out of lack of education.  His family did not know what positions to put him in and how the lack of movement and poor posture affects his chest. 

Today, he is engaged, he is smiling at people, at his mom but mostly at himself in the mirror. He is holding his head up when he is supported in sitting, he is holding his head up when lying on his tummy, his chest is clear, his hands are open and grasping toys and he wants to roll over. 

After two sessions he was holding his head up and happy about it!

This is absolutely my favourite bit about being here. 

We get these kids who can't do anything, again it is not because they are neglected, it is not because they are not being well taken care of. It is because of a lack of education among the general population, among the parents and dare I say it even among some health care professionals.  One of the reasons being that physiotherapy is still a relatively new profession in Haiti and the role of physiotherapy in children with additional needs is not widely known. 

Anyway after 1 or 2 sessions we see a massive difference. It is like a light has been switched on and the child realizes they can do something.  Their brain is stimulated and it wants to learn, it wants to move and build connections.  It is really amazing to see how movement affects every area of their development.  Once they start to learn it just grows and grows and they become more and more motivated because our brains were made to develop and learn. 

One of the things we lack is space and another thing we lack is appropriate toys.  Almost all the toys there are my boys old toys and the heat and humidity has destroyed most of them.  We are in desperate need of new toys. 

This is where you can help.

I have put together a wishlist on amazon of toys which would really help us.  You can buy from anywhere in the world and have them to delivered to Bethesda using the following address 

Bethesda Medical Center PT 

Unit 1133 

3170 Airmans Drive, 

Fort Pierce, FL 

34946 

USA 

Here is the link to the wishlist maybe some of them will even be on offer for black Friday - I hope so I love a  good bargin!  I would really appreciate your help and so would these little ones. 

You can have a look at the list here.

Opening up....well sort of

 After the holiday on November 1st and 2nd we were not sure what was going to happen the rest of the week.  But it seemed like people were fed up of staying at home and are trying to get back to normal. 

So life kind of looks normal here in the North, some schools are open, people are moving around and there are some vehicles on the road.  However fuel has not been available at the pump for more than two weeks now.  Some hospitals are close to shutting down because they do not have diesel for their generators. The only place to buy any fuel is at the side of the street for $20 (US) a gallon and I have a few questions about that. 

Firstly, how is anyone affording to pay that? If I filled up the car we drive it would cost at least $300 US.

Secondly, where is the black market getting its fuel from?

I wish I knew the answers to these questions.  Anyone I have asked doesn't know the answers either. 

It is extremely frustrating that there is fuel in the country and that people are paying the extortionately high prices for what they can find therefore the problem continues on.  As far as we hear gangs are continuing to block fuel coming from Port au Price. The gangs have said they will continue to do that until the current prime minister steps down.  So we continue to watch, wait and pray. 

Last week Emmaus did fill up the van with diesel from the generator so I have been at work the past 3 days and the boys went to school but we cannot really continue to do that so we really don't know what next week will bring. 

Emmaus did have classes last week including 3 masters courses where students had to come everyday.  The courses were offered in person and on zoom and everyday there were students who were not able to come due to transportation issues.  Emmaus has a massive advantage over other schools and universities in the country, firstly we have solar so we are not dependent on diesel to run a generator for electricity during the day.  Secondly the majority of students arrive on a Sunday and stay all week so they do not have to worry about transportation to and from Emmaus everyday. 

Bethesda has been open and receiving patients.  Not all of our staff are able to come and those who are coming are paying a ridiculously high price to get there as are our patients.  I talked with one patient on Friday, usually she pays 75 gourdes to get from where she lives to Bethesda on Friday she paid 375gourdes and that was only one way.  Just imagine how it would affect you if the price of public transport was now 4 - 5 times the normal price or the cost of filling your car up was almost ten times the cost.  There is only so long this can go on.  

Before this many people were struggling, now I have no idea how anyone is paying that sort of price for transport. 

Bethesda is pretty low on fuel and it is affecting our water supply as we need electricity to pump the water.  We have cut back as much as we can but we do need electricity for water, lights, fans and to run lab tests and X ray.  There is talk that boats are coming into Cap Haitian with fuel but much of this fuel has gone to places like banks, hospitals and the phone company.    

You can read the latest update from Bethesda here.