Medical Assistance Provided to Local Children
By Nan Clark - Proyecto de Luz
As an update to the great services provided to local children by Proyecto de
Luz, I would like to report progress made toward the special needs of two girls
in Playa del Coco. Last year a generous donor provided funds to build a therapy
room addition to the home of 6 year old Pamela who has leukodystrophy. That
therapy room is now complete with equipment including her gym frame with
suspended therapeutic swings. Proyecto de Luz also provided a small plastic
child's pool for water, sand or many small balls as sensory therapy, and a
rolling reclined shower chair.
In the past few months the second 9 year
old girl, Stephany who has Cerebral Palsy, was provided with an orthopedic bed,
railing bumpers, a rolling reclined shower chair, a large floor exercise mat, a
positioning bolster and wedge, and an exercise ball. As a retired pediatric
physical therapist, I was able to demonstrate and instruct both mothers and
Stephany's daytime care giver in exercises and equipment use which when followed
regularly will improve their head control, sitting balance and joint
flexibility.
It is a special bonus blessing that Stephany lives about 200
meters from Pamela, and her mother or caregiver have been able to take her in
her wheelchair to use the suspended gym equipment in Pamela's therapy room. For
both girls, their comfort level, quality of daily life and ease for caregivers
has been greatly impacted by the donations of the community through Proyecto de
luz.
There is ONE GREAT NEED that I would like to mention of a third
young lady who I serve in Liberia who has made remarkable progress after her
below the knee amputation a year ago. Veronica is a 13 year old girl with mild
spina bifida who lost her foot due to an antibiotic resistant infection.
Proyecto de Luz provides ongoing hygiene products for her urinary incontinence,
and provided a rolling walker and forearm crutches for her rehab. Veronica is
now walking independent of her crutches (on level surfaces) and is ready to
attend school regularly for the first time in her life. She is unable to walk
the 5 blocks from her foster family to get there due to the rutted streets.
She
is greatly at risk for falling during dry or rainy weather. The system has no
funds to transport Veronica. She needs a sponsor to fund her transportation by
Taxi or van at 24,000 colones ($48) per month. If anyone is interested in
providing this assistance for Veronica, she will be delighted! Please contact
me, Nan Clark, at: clark_nan@hotmail.com or 8303-0249.
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