It pays to have information from friends on what's available for children with mobility problem.
I've worked overseas and have met people who are making the lives of children with mobility problems easy by providing them affordable, easy to assemble and easy to maneuver wheelchairs. I am talking about Wheelchairs for Kids, provided (on loan actually) for the AEPPI by their colleagues from the RSL Angeles group in collaboration with Don from Australia.
I've worked overseas and have met people who are making the lives of children with mobility problems easy by providing them affordable, easy to assemble and easy to maneuver wheelchairs. I am talking about Wheelchairs for Kids, provided (on loan actually) for the AEPPI by their colleagues from the RSL Angeles group in collaboration with Don from Australia.
Collecting the chairs at the source ...
The plan
The original plan was to hold a training for future technicians and collaborate with clinicians - preferably physical and occupational therapist to handle the assessment and follow up of the children at home. Unfortunately the plan remains a plan due to set-backs faced by the former organization that handled the activity first.
Now that AEPPI is back on its feet - new name and new registration, it can revive it's plan to provide quality assistive devices to its members particularly children with mobility problems such as those with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.
Inviting an expert back ...
When I returned to the Philippines over a year ago, I got in touch with a wheelchair expert in the country, trained using the WHO standard and is based in and out of the country. Good thing when I talked to her the first time she's in the country and had time to visit us. Tchai came to Laguna and met the group in September to sensitize the group on the importance of having good technology, appropriate to the needs of the children and having a good system of wheelchair services. The challenge has been set ...
Since September, no activity was done, it has been quiet until April this year. The first recipient - Gab was identified and visited by us, I assisted Tchai in the assessment while the following weeks, I supervised the assembly and first fittings of the chair to Gab with the help from his dad whose an engineer by profession. It was an easy 2 hours of assembly.
The original plan was to hold a training for future technicians and collaborate with clinicians - preferably physical and occupational therapist to handle the assessment and follow up of the children at home. Unfortunately the plan remains a plan due to set-backs faced by the former organization that handled the activity first.
Now that AEPPI is back on its feet - new name and new registration, it can revive it's plan to provide quality assistive devices to its members particularly children with mobility problems such as those with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.
Inviting an expert back ...
When I returned to the Philippines over a year ago, I got in touch with a wheelchair expert in the country, trained using the WHO standard and is based in and out of the country. Good thing when I talked to her the first time she's in the country and had time to visit us. Tchai came to Laguna and met the group in September to sensitize the group on the importance of having good technology, appropriate to the needs of the children and having a good system of wheelchair services. The challenge has been set ...
Since September, no activity was done, it has been quiet until April this year. The first recipient - Gab was identified and visited by us, I assisted Tchai in the assessment while the following weeks, I supervised the assembly and first fittings of the chair to Gab with the help from his dad whose an engineer by profession. It was an easy 2 hours of assembly.
WFK assembly and first fitting ...
Final fitting and a lot more tweaking was done by Tchai and finally on the day of Manny Pacquiao's defeat from Mayweather, Gab received his first wheelchair complete with table, toys and blanket.
Final fitting
Gab can now go outside the house and to other places more and participate in the activities for children just like summer art camp held in their village.
Completed chair and happy Gabriel
We have plans to give the remaining 9 chairs this coming July, the same time the Intermediate Wheelchair Training will be happening (details to follow).
Thank you to WFK Australia, to Don and his colleagues who putting together the chairs and sending them all around the world and to RSL Angeles for giving us the 10 chairs we will distribute to the children of San Pedro and we hope that more collaboration happens in the future.
By Dhidhak Bandalan / Volunteer Rehabilitation Adviser
Thank you to WFK Australia, to Don and his colleagues who putting together the chairs and sending them all around the world and to RSL Angeles for giving us the 10 chairs we will distribute to the children of San Pedro and we hope that more collaboration happens in the future.
By Dhidhak Bandalan / Volunteer Rehabilitation Adviser