The Rest of the Week

On Wednesday, the group (minus Sam) spent the day at Kuschinik (the daycare center) and helped special needs children.  We saw a wide range of patients, whom we got to experience very different techniques of therapy with. The cases that stuck with us the most were the two children who had club foot, which is something easily corrected in The States, a child with a case of extreme toe walking that walked in a crouch position with walking sticks, and a child with a spinal cord injury that had really bad scoliosis. For each case we followed the lead of Erin and Jodee and helped fit them with orthotics, serial casting, and a molded wheel chair back respectively. Getting to use/make all these things in the clinic was a great expereince because of the wide vareity. Each patient we saw had an extended amount of time with the therapists (and us).  It was really awesome that we got alot of patient/therapist contact. The last patient of the day had a spinal cord injury and was in his late teens.  He was the one who we ended up giving the donated Quickie wheelchair that we transported from Bolivar. The ability to make an impact in these people's lives by being here to help is going to stay with us the rest of our own lives and is a tremendous feeling to make that kind of difference.

On Thursday our group (minus Sam) spent the day at an orphange working with 8 children who had special needs. We spent most of the time working on wheelchairs, fitting them specifically for the patients. After seeing the 8 patients, we had the afternoon off to arrange our travel on Saturday and to explore Ayacucho. So we went to the super mercado, or super market as you might know it, shopped for souveniers and stopped to have cheesecake at one of the local restaurants, which was possibly the best we've ever had. Afterwards we spent awhile in the square and rested in the park trying to think of a talent for the talent show that was sprung upon us. On our way back to the hotel we ran into Sam and Ashley and went back to the market and looked for more souveniers. Once we returned to the hotel, we had dinner with several people that helped while we were in the clinic and others who were going to particpate in the talent show. There were quite a few acts that were pretty good from the Crazy Canucks who bashed Americans the whole time to Jodee's line dance. Our group "America's Got No Talent" had the final skit where we played a game that was like charades mixed with telephone, in front of the audience. Everyone enjoyed our embarrising charades of Titanic, The Lion King, and Snow White, and we all had a good time.

On our final day in the clinic before the excursion, our whole PT team was together at the high school near our hotel. There was long line of people waiting before we even got there. Compared to the previous day it seemed that our services spread by word of mouth.   So as soon as we got off the bus we were off to set up and get the line moving. PT's therapy room was packed with patients with two mat tables being used and a floor mat.   Being the last day of the mission, it felt like Erin and Jodee gave us students freedom in treating the patients under their supervision, which was an awesome experience.  During this past week alone we each learned alot.  After work we had the farewell dinner at our favorite dessert place, and got to eat one last time as a newly formed family. The table we sat at overlooked the church.  A parade, that our group was not expecting, came by celebrating the beginning of holy week. Holy week in Peru is a big party and it was interesting to see how they celebrate. Once we got back to the hotel we expressed our thanks to Erin and Jodee, the PT's who serve full-time here in Peru that we worked wth this week, as well as Taylor who saved us in the airport with postcards that we all signed. We finished the night with different cardgames and packing. Now on to the planes, train, and bus to Macchu Pichu!   

 

Thank you for your support and your prayers this week!