A Story About a Girl

Shortly after I arrived in Haiti, a young girl came into my life. This young child showed up one day at the clinic about 3 weeks after I started working in the clinic. One day I walked into the clinic after lunch and she was standing in the middle of the room. I thought nothing of it until I heard my name being called from across the room by another therapist. This therapist “quickly” filled me in on the story about this young child. Every one thought this little girl may have Autism. All I learned at that moment was that she didn’t verbally communicate, she was extremely aggressive with hitting and biting constantly, she didn’t transition well, etc., etc., etc. I asked what she could do…but I received no answer. I also learned she had been receiving services previously; however she had stopped coming in May. When I asked why, I got this answer, “her mother and grandmother took her to get a brain scan and they were waiting for the results”. I was slightly confused on the whole situation…okay, well actually I was really confused. I did not know what “scans” she got (and no one could really tell me)…and I wondered why it would take 3 months for the results to get in….and I still do not know what the results even were. I also quickly realized that I would be the one working with her…no one else was jumping at the chance and in fact…some may have even quietly exited the clinic for a minute. (I don’t want that to paint a negative picture of my coworkers…none of them have ever worked with a child who has been diagnosed with Autism or sensory processing deficits, so she was a difficult case for them...it is not as common here as in the US). Of course, I agreed to be the one to work with her weekly. Even though I have experience in working with children on the Autism Spectrum, I knew that this would be a big challenge. I depended a lot on verbal cuing when treating children on the spectrum….I do not not speak fluent Creole, so I could no longer depend on verbal communication. But none the less, I accepted the challenge without a blink of the eye because I knew this child was special…she was a child of God after all! The first session with her began extremely well…who knew she would love “barrel o’ monkeys”?!?! Ha!!! After I had about 10 monkeys hanging from my hair (any possibly after many strands of hair went missing from my head), the aggression began! Hitting, biting, scratching, and pinching. I quickly realized she was simply looking for a response. When I did not respond with anger, she appeared slightly confused. That is when I learned that she is often HIT at home. I am not talking about a little spanking…I am talking HIT. She is hit A LOT at home. Caregiver education is the most important part of her therapy!! This little girl has learned to communicate through aggressive behavior. Problem. So she demonstrates aggressive behavior along with minimal verbal communication and some sensory processing deficits. But her facial expressions will make you laugh and it hurts and will make you instantly fall in love with her!! She is ONE OF A KIND...just as God intended her to be :)!!!!

As the weeks went on, session after session was a struggle for both of us. We had good moments and we had bad moments. (Not to mention a missed therapy session due to her falling into the toilet…bad situation). We both ended every session in a massive amount of sweat. Each and every session I tried to give direction as best as I could and she just would not follow simple directions. I tried everything. But we just were not connecting. I prayed for her and I prayed for me…I prayed for us. 
And just as I felt defeated and discouraged, something amazing happened. Last Friday another therapist was able to join me in my session…I strongly encouraged other staff members to work with the child with me so I could teach them about Autism since I will be leaving in 6 short weeks. During this session, I realized that the young girl and I had in fact made a connection. It was then that I realized how blinded I was to this connection…yes, she may not have always followed directions or completed tasks or did anything but sit under the mat table, but she saw that I was still there…I stayed with her during all these moments…I stayed with her while she hit and bit and scratched…I stayed with her and didn’t hit her or yell at her. I quickly realized how important this was…how important it is to not get wrapped up in the therapy so much that I lose sight of relationships being made. 

During this session with the other therapist, the young girl engaged with me. She followed directions, not 100%, but significantly more so than previous sessions. She would follow directions if I verbally stated them….but if the other therapist stated them she would not. I realized then just how important trust and consistency truly is. She laughed with me and she talked with me (through many babbles and nonverbal language)…she actually wouldn’t stop talking :)!!! (And I will say that she even VERBALIZED "wi" (yes), "non" (no), and "ban mwen" (give me)!!!!!!) I just sat and smiled and pretended I knew what she was saying. So there we sat laughing, talking, and playing. We had a conversation about who knows what and we both fell into contagious laughter. CONNECTION! The connection has been made…the relationship has been built. We took pictures together…just her and I. My heart was immediately happy…and my eyes filled with tears. God is SOOOO good. We still ended the session in a massive amount of sweat, but we also ended the session with laughter and only ONE attempt at hitting. I will say it again…GOD IS SO GOOD!!!! 


But as I sat there…my happiness was clouded over just a bit because I know in just 6 weeks I will be leaving. The next 6 weeks will fly by and just like that, I will be gone. So what will happen with this little girl? The other therapists are FABULOUS and completely have the ability to work with her…but for the past 2 months, I am all that she has known. I just wonder if she will feel I abandoned her or that I didn’t care. I wonder what will go through her precious little mind…will she even noticed that I am gone? All of this is exactly what I was feeling/experiencing when I left my job at Kenny Rogers and moved to Haiti. These same emotions were present in July as I said my goodbyes to “my” kiddos. The unknown...it is tough, but one thing I do know is that I truly will miss her just as I miss all my other kids!!!! 

Heartwarming Stories

Today was a day full of happiness. I will share two of the many stories from today. 

Enjoying life….

A 13 year old boy who has a diagnosis of CP (cerebral palsy) was carried into therapy by his father. (For this story we will call him John and his father papa.) John always has a smile on his face. Upon first looks, one would think he was probably around the age of 8. John is unable to stand independently or walk independently. John is able to maneuver around by rolling and somewhat crawling; however it takes a lot of energy and muscle strength for him to do so. John is able to talk; however has difficulty with articulation and voice production (so he is hard to understand at times). Johns personality always lights up the room (which is good since we have no light in the clinic right now). He can make any day into a great day. He just warms your heart and puts a smile on your face. Powerful! So as we were starting therapy, John quickly said to stop and wait. He turned to papa and said, “papa, i need to call mom. I need to tell her I am here working”. Papa laughed and politely attempted to redirect him to continue therapy; however John REALLY  wanted to call his mom. So his papa attempted to call her. No answer. His papa convinced him to get back to work. John kindly let us know that we were working on his legs and to continue with that (seriously…his words). Quickly, papa’s phone rang. It was mom. So John said a few things to her and then demanded that the translator talk to his mom. You see, John is demanding in a sweet, caring way, so the translator quickly found herself talking to his mom. John was beyond excited and full of smiles and laughter. Once John got the phone back, he very seriously stated, “ok, I need to work. Bye”. So as the session went on, I decided to assess John’s vision and see how his eyes are working. I also decided to take a couple photos and video (with papa’s permission) to use in a presentation I am currently working on. John demanded…remember in his caring, sweet way….that papa be in a photo with him. So below you can see John and papa….two people who love each other dearly and who both can brighten even the darkest days. Special people have that ability…and these two are two very special people. Nothing else mattered in the world during that hour therapy session….just a teenager enjoying the life he was given!

Hope in a Bucket….
A fews weeks ago, a mother sat on one of our mats with her head buried in her hands crying. She was crying because at that moment, she felt hopeless. She felt hopeless because her precious son is unable to independently sit, crawl, roll, talk, walk, hold his head up, etc. Her beautiful boy who is 2 years old needs a lot of help from her to complete all tasks. She loves her boy, but at that moment she felt hopeless.  She sat there wondering if her child would ever do any of the above. She sat there wondering if her child would always need her help. She sat there wondering what he would do if something were to happen to her. She just sat there wondering and crying. Through the tears she was able to say that she just hoped he would sit up one day. You see, she has no chair at home that he can sit in independently. She has always held him and carried him. She doesn’t have the luxury of a seating system or a wheel chair. What she does have though is love…love for her boy. That is evident in his bright smile every time he hears her voice. That day that she sat there in tears, we told her if she could bring a bucket, we could make him a chair. Even though she left that day still feeling hopeless, the next time she brought her son to therapy, she was very proudly carrying a bucket. She gave a little smile when she handed over the bucket. That little smile was a little sign of hope. 

Silvana and I began working on the chair on a Saturday just two days after she brought the bucket. We just knew we had to get this chair done quickly. However, quickly is used lightly as we still had a full schedule of patients to see, so we did work while we could. A little here and there. As the next couple of weeks went by I watched the mom during therapy. I watched her look at the other children. I watched her look at the little boy giggling as he ran away from the therapist. I watched her witness a 5 month old baby sitting almost independently with perfect posture. I watched her look at a little girl take her first steps unassisted. I watched her as she looked at a child running to his mom telling her he loved her. I just watched her. What was she thinking in those moments? That I do not know and I will never know. What I do know is that after each of those moments, I watched her look at her boy with a huge smile on her face. Pure love. 

So today, she brought him into therapy with no smile, but no frown, just a flat affect. She kindly said, “Bonswa Ashley” (hello) and handed me his appointment paper. I asked her to move a couple mats down and while she was gathering her items to move, I quietly walked to other side of the room and grabbed his FINISHED chair. I sat the chair down next to her and she immediately looked up at me and said “Mesi, mesi, mesi” (thank you, thank you, thank you), but still had no smile. Then we put her boy in the chair and adjusted a few minor things. Then there he was in his chair sitting by himself. In that moment as we watched his mom look at her boy, I saw her face fill with hope and then there was that smile. The beautiful smile that she holds in so quietly sometimes was out to shine at that moment. The look in her eyes was priceless as she looked at her boy. The moment was just between her and him and that moment was priceless. So priceless that even a camera could not have captured the beauty and no words can describe it. But it will forever be embedded in my heart. We were all left a little speechless because we had all witnessed the same moment. The mom was so appreciative and could not stop thanking us  Is the chair perfect? No. But did this chair bring some hope along with some relief? Yes. That I would not trade with perfection any day of the week. After a few pictures (per moms request), off they went on a moto…mom, son, and his chair….

Below is a picture of all of us…. 

(sidenote: his head is better positioned than what the picture indicates….)

***All stories and pictures shared with parent permission

Answered Prayers

Sometimes just as you are feeling defeated, feeling hopeless, God proves otherwise. We have a young 12 year boy who has severe scoliosis. He is growing. He is getting heavier. His scoliosis is getting worse. He is unable to sit, unable to walk, unable to talk, unable to move most extremities. His breathing is becoming more difficult. His mom has to carry him everywhere. His mom is amazing. His mom is full of nothing but love for him. His mom is worried. She is worried that she will soon not be able to carry him for much longer. At the same time, he is happy and she is happy. The love these two have for each other is illustrated every time they come into the clinic. The smiles they share are priceless and heartwarming. 

But one thing still remains……

He needs a wheelchair. He desperately needs a chair where he can sit and engage in his environment. He needs a chair so he can sit instead of lay all day long. He needs a chair so he can breath easier. He needs a chair so he can enjoy life even more than he already does. He needs a chair to relieve a little stress from his mom. He just simply needs a chair. 

Below is a chair we have that we could adapt for him…

Could we adapt it to better fit his needs? YES. Would it be the most functional? NO. Will it be the best option for him? NO. Will it be done quickly? NO. But what are we to do with limited resources? One thing that is certain is that we pray and we pray. We ask others for help. We do not lose hope.

Well friends…prayers work and this story proves this fact. 

Many nights were spent contacting organizations within Haiti as well as stateside organizations. After many sleepless nights and hitting every road block possible (many organizations have either never given chairs to Haiti or have stopped distributing chairs to Haiti for one reason or another), I was slowly beginning to think that we were in for the challenge of adapting the chair in the above picture. But something in me continued to say wait…so I told the other therapists, “give me another week” (and I may have said that more than once…..). After a few good friends stopped by before leaving Haiti, prayers were answered. Becky Harding, also known as “the connector”, happened to have contact information for an organization who distributes wheelchairs all over the world. And YES, they still distribute chairs to Haiti. Side note: Becky met someone involved in this organization at the airport two years ago (I think she said 2 years…I could have it wrong?). It just goes to show how important any and ALL encounters can be. So after Becky sent me the contact info, I looked at the organization’s website. I found that they will be doing a distribution of chairs in Haiti….but not until January. My first thought, “he needs a chair before January”. I emailed the contact person and then checked my email MULTIPLE times afterwards that night. The power finally went out so I was able to get some rest…no power = no WiFi = no checking email…the one time I was a little happy the power went out, ha! 

The next day, I checked my email as soon as the generator was turned on. No reply. So off to work I went. Checked my email at lunch. No reply. Checked my email after work. Still no reply. (I am typically a fairly patient person….but I was not patient at all this time). Checked my email after dinner. A REPLY!!!!! Long story short…the person who replied sent my email to those who stay in country and said that they MAY be able to get a chair prior to January, but no guarantee and then stated that someone should be contacting me soon. So I waited again. But this time, I didn’t have to wait long. Once morning arose, I had an email waiting for me in my inbox. I clicked on it…and there it was…they HAVE A CHAIR!!!! So this week, on Friday, after 6 weeks of waiting, I will be heading with the mom and the child to Port-au-Prince to get him fitted for a wheelchair. Please, please, please pray that all the logistics work out on both ends and that we can get safely to Port-au-Prince. Pray that no delays in the process occur. And please check out the organization that is DONATING a chair to this family. Joni and Friends at www.joniandfriends.org. Under the tab “Our Ministries” click on “Wheels around the World” and you can learn about what they do. It is an awesome organization that definitely keeps Christ in the forefront. Nothing is impossible through God!!!! 

Below are a few pictures of him (with moms permission)….I wish these pictures captured his personality because he is truly an amazing young man!  

Fundraiser for HMMoM

This weekend is the annual fundraiser for Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis. Annually, they hold a 24-hour run - Tour d'Esprit. Each year they ask a volunteer to write a tidbit about his/her time in Haiti to put in the program for the event. That means, this year, it is me as I am currently the only volunteer from the U.S. So I decided to post what I wrote as I know many people are obviously not attending the 24 hour event. Again, I had a hard time finding the right words to type to capture the life and work here, but I was able to write something. I am honestly not sure if HMMoM ended up using all that I wrote or just took bits and pieces of it to put in to the program. Read below.

A day in the life at the clinic…
It is 8am. The door opens and the patients start coming in. Some have been waiting for an hour others are just arriving. Appointment cards are gathered, charts are pulled, classes begin, and one-on-one therapy starts. As the morning continues on, 4 patients arrive for therapy per hour. Five to twenty more patients are seen for class. The therapists see smiles and they see tears. Another patient with high blood pressure on the verge of a stroke or a patient who still cannot produce a movement in the leg or arm. Each and every patient with a story and with a goal. It is now twelve…time for lunch. Oh, but wait, documentation is a must and a few adjustments on a piece of equipment must be completed. Lunch can wait a little while. It is now one o’clock. Time for more patients to come and more therapy to be completed. More exercises, more problem solving, more measurements are taken for another wheelchair, more function to be gained. It is now 3 o’clock and the last of the ten patients seen in the afternoon leaves as goodbyes are said. Time for more documentation and cleaning up from the day…..

From a volunteer’s perspective…
As I look out the window of the clinic, I see patients arriving for therapy. One of the other. Some are walking, others are on motos. Some walk into the clinic independently, some with a cane or a walker, and others are carried in by a caregiver. Often times as I look out, I see frowns and struggle. But those frowns and struggles are quickly turned into smiles and hope as the patient crosses the threshold into the clinic. The struggles, the tears, the pain, the fear intertwines with the laughter, the strength, and the progress that occurs within the four walls of the clinic. The patients may present with dark eyes rested upon worn faces, but their smiles are beaming and their spirits are bright. They fill the clinic with a sense of pure joy and happiness on a daily basis.

Hope. Joy. Relief. Fun. Each of these is a common theme daily. Hope that one day, function will be restored and work can resume. Joy comes as each milestone is reached. Relief arrives as a caregiver learns he does not have to carry his loved one again. Fun happens as therapy activities are completed.  

The facts…
The rehabilitation clinic continues to service individuals from Croix-des Bouquets as well as surrounding areas. The clinic provides therapy services to adult and pediatric patients of varying diagnoses including, stroke, arthritis, orthopedic issues, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, etc. Overall, since May 2014 slightly over 120 patients have received therapy and countless have attended classes. Currently, on a daily basis 20-30 patients are provided one-on-one therapy during 60 minute sessions. In addition to one-on-one therapy sessions, 4 days a week various classes are offered to the adult patients and anywhere from 5-30 patients attend each class. These classes include stroke class, blood pressure class, arthritis class, exercise class, weight loss class, and back pain class. One day a week, a class on child development is offered to mothers of babies 0-12 months old followed by a quick evaluation of each child to assure proper development. Furthermore, the clinic now has an amazing workshop that allows the therapists room to adapt wheelchairs, make seating systems for kids to sit independently, and make adjustments to orthortics, among many other things. Not only is therapy completed and equipment developed within the clinic, but education plays a big role and not just for the patients. The clinic is a site for rehabilitation technician students from a university in Haiti to complete clinical rotations. Additionally, there is currently an occupational therapy student from the United States completely a three month clinical. Spreading the skills and the sustainability to future rehabilitation workers.