For eleven days Patti, a Physio Therapist (PT) from Baltimore (USA)
and Matt went to the Peace Village (PV), the Company of Grace and other charities to visit people / children with disabilities.
Peace Village: Patti was involved with day patients, mainly babies and children to promote mobility, improve quality of life and movement potential through examination, evaluation, diagnosis and physical intervention in order to change their lives.
The out-patients at the PV were mainly young babies and Pattie worked with the local PV PT's. Yes there was a language barrier but it was overcome by actions ... no problem. Patti also worked with inpatients from the third floor.
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| Left to right Dr Tan, Dr. Lien, Dr. Nhi |
For more photos please click this link, thanks
Dr. Nhi asked Patti if she could give a lecture
"Treating
the Child with Hypotonia". It was a huge success.
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| About 25 PT's joined us for Patti's lecture |
Company of Grace: Our next patients were adults with disabilities at the Company of Grace, Tu Duc district, Sai Gon. Patti treated five adults, pity Peter, their leader was still in Adelaide.
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| Patti working with Miss Hien, a stroke patient |
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| Mr. Van ... on the mat learning how to do his exercises |
To watch Patti work with babies, children and adults was an eye opening experience for me.
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| Removing objects ... |
Miss Hien had a stroke eight years ago and had lost control of her right arm. After only two sessions she can use it again and pick up objects from a table.
Tram: We went to visit a 12 year old girl who is disabled. After a thorough examination the diagnoses was inconclusive, further tests have to be done.
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| Tram sitting on the floor ... |
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| Working with Tram ... |
In our spare time we also went to visit the kids CVSG is supporting in the Mekong delta.
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| Small presents for the students. |
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| The usual group photo ... |
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| On the bridge ... V sign means VUI or FUN !!! |
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| Mekong delta bridge from My Tho to Bentre |
We also visited a "Touch a Life" shelter and the shelter for pregnant women in Sai Gon.
TAL also runs
a shelter for pregnant women. Viet Nam has the second highest abortion rate in
the world. The aim of the shelter for pregnant women is to
avoid abortions by showing other alternatives. In just over six years more than
200 abortions have been avoided and the children have been saved.
The women can stay at the shelter during their pregnancy and
beyond. A GP (female doctor) next door is looking after the women during their
pregnancy. The babies are born in hospital. Bao is supporting the mothers
during childbirth. Once back in the shelter the women can stay with their newborn
babies for up to six months.
Claude and Bao help to integrate the women back into their
families, but often enough the women have to give up their baby for adoption. In
this case Claude and Bao keep the child and add them to their extended family.
Bao keeps in contact with the mother and in many cases the mother comes and visits
the baby and often the mother takes the child back into their family when circumstances improve.
