The Kids
I don’t treat kids. I never have. But for one week in Haiti, I was a pediatric physical therapist. The kids there were a reminder of the devastation the country had endured, but with the drive to survive and recover. I had the honor to work with some of the most dedicated clinicians I have ever worked with. There were no titles, we all called each other by our first names, and signed our notes with our first names, too. For 12 hours a day or more, these hardworking people did their best to make the best of a very primitive situation. They are all rock stars in my eyes.
These are some of the kids I worked with, walked with, laughed with, danced with,and blew bubbles with. They were the reason I crawled out of my sleeping bag every morning at 5:30am, and I will never forget them.
Ketia relaxing before therapy.
The boys rockin’ to 50Cent outside the pediatric wing.
Gerald, our faithful helper. We gave him an honorary physical therapist assistant degree.
Otaline, who stole Gina’s name tag the first day. We renamed her “Gina PT”.
And Kimberlie, singing us a song. What you can’t see is that Kimberlie only has one leg. At the end of the song, you are supposed to stomp your feet. Look closely, and you will see her stomping one foot. The spirit that things will go on after a tragedy. Things will go on.
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Gillian said:
I work in healthcare also and, all too often, I think that bureaucracy gets in the way. This takes us to the heart of what it’s all about…the people. What an unforgettable experience and a chance to help where it’s really needed. Thank you.