Wheelchairs and splints!
I have gotten lots of feedback that you all are enjoying the pics of
the kids and the clinic, so here are some more! Last week we had a fun week of
adapting 3 different wheelchairs. This
involved hand saws, needle and thread, rubber cement, and scraps of foam we
found in the storage room. With a little
creativity and manual labor, we were able to get these chairs to be much more
suitable for the little ones.
Not sure if you remember, but back in the beginning of my journey I met
a little guy named Hugo who just needed a thumb splint. I was able to make one
out of some materials we had laying around here and I was quite proud of
myself. I also made a deal with his mom
that I could take him home with me if I taught him English. J Well, as most kids do, he had a tendency to
put his hand in his mouth, which didn’t work out so well for a splint made with
paper tape and foam. Also, he’s pretty
much outgrown this one, so it was time to think of something new. It was another proud moment for me that I was
able to find some old splinting scraps and make a much more official looking
and durable splint. (see pics)
Happy accident
Back in October, Tamara and I went out of town to Banos (with the waterfalls
and bike trails) where we met two American guys who were on vacation. One of
them, Ben, had mentioned that he had brought with him some school supplies and
toys that he wanted to donate to a school. I informed him that our clinic just
so happened to be affiliated with the local special education school and that I
would be happy to deliver the goods for him. All he requested in return were
some pictures of the kids with the toys.
I FINALLY was able to get a chance to go down to the school last week
with Tamara and we had so much fun there.
Unbeknownst to us, the day we went was also the day the mayor was coming
to inaugurate an area for a new park for the kids. So we walked right into a
big presentation and celebration. Being that we stand out like sore thumbs, the
administrator thought we were there as part of the inauguration so she had us
sit in front with the firemen, mayor and representatives who were actually
there for the inauguration. This gave us
front row seats to watch all the kids playing with their gifts from the “Reina
de Tena”, play soccer, and dance.
Finally after the festivities, we were able to give some of the kids the
presents from Ben, and take pictures.
Another happy accident about this trip was that while we were in the
special ed classroom we noticed some equipment that was part of the donation (that
I mentioned in a previous post) that wasn’t being used. We asked the teacher
about it and she informed us that she didn’t know how to set it up so she was
afraid to use it. We pulled out one of
the standers, dusted it off, and fit to for a kiddo named Carlos who has
cerebral palsy. Now he is able to spend some time out of his wheelchair, have a
work surface where we can play with some toys, and he is in a better position
for feeding as well. His father happened
to be present and seemed very pleased with this new set up. And the teacher was
appreciative of our help.
What started as a small trip for some donations turn into a very
successful morning. J
We were very glad we were able to make the trip to the school. Thanks Ben!
Views of everyday life
My favorite moments to capture are the candid ones that really show the
uniqueness of life here. Check out the
pics in my web album to see a few. To
give you a summary, there is the parrot who likes to visit my next door
neighbor from time to time, laundry at the river, and water than can cure all
your ailments.
Well, update on the soccer tournament is that we did not make the
finals. Despite being known as the American girl who runs fast, we had very
inconsistent attendance from my teammates so we came in 5th place
(out of 12). Anyways, watching the
finals was very fun and the whole tournament ended with a trophy ceremony/party
that went until 4am in the morning.
There also was an impromptu dip in the pool at the end of the party to
cool off. J
Finally, last weekend was my little sister’s 2nd birthday. We
celebrated by eating a jello cake, and going to lunch in the next town over
called Archidona. There we ate at a row of shacks that I otherwise probably
would have been too worried about my digestive system to eat at. However, both
my “mom” and the nanny who took care of me when I was sick were present, so I
trusted that they would not want to put me through that again. Sure enough, the food was delicious! I had
tilapia cooked in a maito leaf and fresh guayusa, which is the specialty tea in
this province. As a treat at the end, my “mom” bought maito de chontacuros for
everyone to share- this I did not take part in since they are cooked larvae. Yea,
you read that right. Larvae. Think Lion
King, when they’re teaching Simba to eat the tree grub. Yep.
My sister loved them and sucked them down. I watched, and took pictures.
All in all, I’m at the three month mark and new experiences and
challenges just keep coming!
Next entry will feature erupting volcanos and train rides down the “Devil’s
Nose”. Also to come, NAVIDAD! Don't forget that my pics are now in a web album, check them out HERE
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