Cheri Kay in Haiti....where my life became meaningful.

...and Haitian Independence day!!! It is surreal spending the first day of the New Year here in Haiti! Not only is it the beginning of the New Year, here in Haiti, it is a celebration of their independence. Haiti is a former French colony, that after a slave revolt that began on August 22, 1791 became the first black republic. It all began when the slaves in the north rose against their masters near Cap- Franciais (now called Cap - Haitien ). This revolution spread rapidly and came under the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture. This revolution finally ended when Jean-Jacques Dessalines's army defeated the French forces at the Battle of Vertieres on November 18, 1803. On January 1, 1804 they declared their independence, securing their position as the second independent nation in the New World and the only successful slave rebellion in world history. So, what I am learning is that this is a time of celebration for these people. This week will apparently be full of celebratio...

I can't just sit for too long!!!!I love working with the people of this country and was anxious to get back out there today! I went back into the ravine with Dr. Ed to help with medical care and assist with minor surgeries. We had a good day. Last week there were many sick kids, all who have made great improvements and are healing. This week was mostly following-up with those little sick ones, with few new sick ones. Then we went over to the Coram Deo school where I see a little boy who was severely burned as an infant and is now suffering from contractures of the skin on the left side of his body. I am doing maintenance therapy with him to maintain his range of motion so that after his teenage growth spurt, the surgeon can release the skin contractures. He is 5 now and his health is good with good range in most joints. It is always a bummer to watch a child here, that would have had plastic surgery multiple times by now in the states, have to wait for ONE optimal surgery,...

Or in Haitian Kreyol---Jwaye Nwel! We had a wonderful Christmas here in Port-au-Prince. Nicky and her brother left today, but we had a wonderful time together. We had the opportunity to attend some Christmas services, travel up the mountain to the Baptist Mission, go shopping in Croix de Bouquet, and even do some therapy too! Nicky was so helpful with her expertise in occupational therapy, behavior training and sensory integration with various children that we worked with. She was very helpful in formulating new ideas to help the children that I already work with. We did alot of brainstorming together to come up with more ways to help the children using the limited resources that are available here in Haiti. So, today I am catching up with cleaning the house, emails, blogs, and updates!!!

I am excited to tell you that my friend Nicky (an Occupational Therapist) and her brother Chris (a mechanic, handyman, babysitter, etc!) have made it here safely. They will be here in Haiti until December 26 th and celebrate Christmas here with me. I am excited about this, because this is my first Christmas away from my family! Anyway, yesterday we went into the ravine and were a part of the medical team that serves the impoverished children of that area. It was definitely an eye opening experience for Nicky and her brother. Nicky said that she had seen the pictures and thought that she was prepared for what she was about to experience, but she said that there is nothing like the real thing. The smells, the sounds, and the feelings just can't be captured in a picture. We then went and evaluated a couple of baby boys at a nearby orphanage and had a great time doing some therapy! I'll do my best to keep you all posted on the fun of their visit!

Meet Marcline ! She is a 4 year old little girl that I met about 2 months ago. When I met her, she was not only not walking on her own, she wasn't even able to stand! Her parents are wonderful and they love her dearly. They travel 2.5 hours by tap tap (Haiti's version of the bus and/or taxi system) to come to see me. They have tried to get help for Marcline at many different hospitals and clinics and they are repeatedly told that Marcline will never walk and help is subsequently denied. I began working with her and taught her parents exercises to do at their home. They do the exercises every day--and guess what???? Marcline is now standing while holding onto furniture, walking around the furniture while holding on (what us therapists call cruising) and walking with 2 hands held!!! Her parents are absolutely delighted as is her therapist!!!!! We are continuing therapy with this little girl and I am hoping to help them get some braces for her feet. I believe that...

Welcome to my new blog! I created this blog to keep friends and family updated on activities that I am involved with here in Haiti. For those of you that don't know, I am a pediatric physical therapist. I have spent the last 8 months here in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I go to various orphanages and do physical therapy intervention and caregiver training for children with handicaps. I also am involved with various mobile medical clinics where I do PT consultations and education. I hope to not only share with you the stories of my patients here in Haiti, but I hope to share some of the cultural aspects of Haiti through my daily experiences. I hope you enjoy the upcoming posts!