Being stretched

I've been working with a little girl called Lanouska since January of this year.  She is now 13 and has a very complicated history...like most medical histories in Haiti.  Until she was 11 she was able to walk, not completely normal but mobile then one day she fell after school and hasn't walked since.

I have been going to her house to treat her every Friday we have been working on getting her stronger and being able to stand.  She has weakness and neurological issues in both her arms and her legs.  Having never worked in neuros or paediatrics I feel way out of my depth but she has definitely made progress since January.  After a few months I was able to get her standing with two people helping her.  Then Phil built me a standing frame for her which we have been using so she can learn to stand independently and she continues to improve. 

I have been trying for months to get her a decent wheelchair so she can go out and maybe even go to school.  Finally and thankfully  I was able to get one from the walkabout foundation and I delivered it to her last Friday.  She was very pleased and even able to push herself a little which I was not expecting because of her arm weakness.  This chair will keep her in a much better position and give her a little independence.

The issue now is the closest school won't accept her, shes 13 and with missing a couple of grades of school because of financial difficulties, then missing again after her fall she is now only in 3rd grade so she would in be in with the 8 year olds.  Not only that she would need someone with her to push her chair and take her to the toilet.  So school is not working out.  The family have talked about paying someone to come to the house but they just don't have the money. 

This is a very difficult situation, not knowing what is wrong with Lanouska makes her difficult to treat.  I am sure her family is putting on their hope on me to help her walk again which I don't know if that is going to happen.  It has also been hard to get her family on board to continue her therapy in between treatment sessions.  I have had lots of opportunities to share the gospel with her family so please continue to pray that God will speak to the family.


The new physio building is so close to being finished and should be done by the end of this month.  We are so thankful to God for his provision for this building.  I am working on getting equipment and other supplies I need so once the building is open we will be ready to go.  My plans for this new building are :

• To continue to treat patients but have a bigger space to do so
• To run group classes and education sessions
• To work with Pastor Exalus and Pastor Daniel to incorporate evangelism and discipleship into these classes
• To have group treatments sessions for children with neurological diseases so their parents can have a time to talk and support one another
• When we have visiting PT's and OT's we can use this space as an education room to help develop Haitian PT techs in the area. 

I can't wait for the room to get finished!Dr Rodney continues to amaze me, not only is he a doctor, director of BMC, running the nursing school and teaching there and an elder in the church.  But he drew up the plans for the building and it looks brilliant!

I am still looking for any PT's and OT's to come and work alongside me, especially if they have a specialty.  As far as I am aware, there are no occupational therapists around the Cap Haitian area.  Your role would be to treat patients and educate not only me but other Haitian PT techs in the area.  If you are interested and want to know more please email me.

Meanwhile Bill has been teaching his two residential courses and his translator, Leme, told him 'Bill you don't need me anymore.'  Leme had just been in the room just incase Bill needed him but he is not using him so Bill is now teaching without his translator and is doing fine.  This year EBS is offering weekend courses for people who are working full time and cannot come during the week.  Yesterday was Bill's first weekend class and he will be teaching for the next two Saturdays. 

So were taking it easy this weekend, celebrating Matt's birthday last night and having home church this morning.  I find going to church in Haiti with the boys hard, trying to get them to be quiet and sit for 2 hours takes all my energy so when it comes to listening to the sermon in Creole I barely pick up anything.  Every 6 weeks or so we get together with our neighbours and listen to a sermon online, this morning was Francis Chan on John 21 when Jesus asks Peter, do you love me?  It was great, he challenged us on do we really love God and if we do how does that reflect in our lives.