Mission to Guatemala
from Katie Hein and Julie Golden
A team of students, faculty and partners from Belmont University’s School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy are ministering in Guatemala during Belmont’s spring break, the seventh year a team has traveled there.
Today was full of adventures! We visited 4 different loactions. In the morning we went to the Children’s Rehab Hospital and the Guatemala Association for People with Down’s Syndrome. Then in the afternoon we went to Hope for Tomorrow/Nutrition Center and Las Conchas.
The Children’s Rehab Hospital Day 2- We met little Carlos, Kenneth and his wife to have little Carlos casted for AFO’s. Meanwhile, the rest of us participated in the morning therapy sessions (OT/FT- fisotherapy (PT)). The Guatemalan FT’s asked us for help with an exercise program for Christopher, one of the boys who suffered from Meningitis and is extremely weak. The only thing they have done for him in the past month is have him on tilting board to have him in a vertical position for 30 min. Lisa and Jessica (DPTs) evaluated his lower extremity and trunk strength, range of motion, and vestibular-occular system. He was getting bored with laying down, so we sat him up to work on strengthening and postural control. He was automatically happier and willingly participated in the activities.
