Lovely day in Guatemala. A small group of us traveled through a mountainous and lush region to Mulan, where H.I.M. has a complex consisting of a nutrition center, which currently feeds and houses 13 children, an orphanage, which currently houses 9 children, a senior center, which hosts seniors one day a week and the intent is to soon make it an adult day care center, and a physical therapy clinic. We evaluated and treated about 20 patients and saw a wide range of diagnoses: recent stroke, chronic stroke, Friedrich's ataxia, s/p ankle dislocation, tunneling pressure ulcer (in a little boy with an AFO that didn't fit well), venous ulcer, neck and shoulder tightness from a huge benign tumor in the neck, acute MCL tear, and many others, including a few children with cerebral palsy and one with severe bilateral club foot. The larger group traveled to a village to set up a mobile clinic. They saw a wide range of patients, too, including a man with a bilateral above-knee amputation with a scorpion bite on his elbow. He was very worried that he would lose his arm, which is essential for his mobility. They also saw a family with three non-ambulatory boys ages 14, 12, and 9. The parents carried them to the clinic. The boys had undiagnosed Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Remember the life expectancy I mentioned yesterday? About 14. The two PTs at the clinic had to tell the parents their children's diagnosis and arranged for them to be evaluated at the nearest city hospital. What a tragic day for this family.
The clinic was busy, and was short translators for the first hour until a woman walked in and asked if she could help translate. She is a professor of Kinesiology in San Diego and was visiting her family in the village and heard that there were Americans providing a free clinic. She helped translate all morning. God knows all of our needs!
The orphanage
My view for lunch
Members of 'Music in Motion' practicing. Local children only attend school in the morning, and are often lightly (or not) supervised in the afternoons while their parents work. This ministry of H.I.M. invites them to learn to play an instrument in the afternoons. They have a building and practice right next to the PT clinic. Unfortunately, I will miss the concert they are giving on Thursday.
Holly, You must feel frustrated seeing all these people that need help and there is only so much that you can do. It sounds like good relationships are being built for future visits. Great work. Again, I am so proud of you and your team! Love, Pam
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