A great boost for PCC physio
In October 2014 we took particular pride in opening the wonderful and new Physio Palace!
Since its opening the building has been in much use, however, there was still a practical issue that had to be solved.
Admittedly … a brand new Physio Palace is a great asset, but the building itself contributes only relatively to the quality of physiotherapeutic treatment. Of course, the quality of the physiotherapeutic exercises and remedial therapy that we can offer our children is far more important. We are dependent on the much esteemed input of experts from Europe, who e.g. visit PCC as a volunteer, for bringing physiotherapeutic care to a higher level, because none of our caregivers has been educated as a physiotherapist (or anything close to this).
We had already been looking for a while for an experienced physiotherapist who would be willing and able to upgrade PCC’s physio, but such a person appeared to be hard to find. Until earlier this year when we received an offer we couldn’t resist from Inge Maters from the Netherlands. She is an experienced physiotherapist who has been working with (seriously) impeded children for 15 years. And the good thing was she offered to come and help us as a volunteer for 2 months.
This felt like a rare opportunity for us, almost like a gift from heaven, ….. which became reality!!
Inge has spent the entire summer with us and undoubtedly her stay has become a great success and a huge boost for our physiotherapeutic care!! By the way, Inge did not come alone, she took her family along – husband and 3 daughters (4 to 9 years old), who were a great help, too. But this story relates about physio, a success story!
More than 20 of our children have profited from Inge’s great proficiency and specialist expertise. Besides, she has put much of her time into training a great part of our caregivers and she has brought many new and useful physical therapy devices with her. She has also thoroughly recorded all information about each child’s remedial therapy. It is stored on an iPad (!), which she has also brought with her. In this way all information and instructions will remain available and easily accessible.
Admittedly … a brand new Physio Palace is a great asset, but the building itself contributes only relatively to the quality of physiotherapeutic treatment. Of course, the quality of the physiotherapeutic exercises and remedial therapy that we can offer our children is far more important. We are dependent on the much esteemed input of experts from Europe, who e.g. visit PCC as a volunteer, for bringing physiotherapeutic care to a higher level, because none of our caregivers has been educated as a physiotherapist (or anything close to this).
We had already been looking for a while for an experienced physiotherapist who would be willing and able to upgrade PCC’s physio, but such a person appeared to be hard to find. Until earlier this year when we received an offer we couldn’t resist from Inge Maters from the Netherlands. She is an experienced physiotherapist who has been working with (seriously) impeded children for 15 years. And the good thing was she offered to come and help us as a volunteer for 2 months.
This felt like a rare opportunity for us, almost like a gift from heaven, ….. which became reality!!
Inge has spent the entire summer with us and undoubtedly her stay has become a great success and a huge boost for our physiotherapeutic care!! By the way, Inge did not come alone, she took her family along – husband and 3 daughters (4 to 9 years old), who were a great help, too. But this story relates about physio, a success story!
More than 20 of our children have profited from Inge’s great proficiency and specialist expertise. Besides, she has put much of her time into training a great part of our caregivers and she has brought many new and useful physical therapy devices with her. She has also thoroughly recorded all information about each child’s remedial therapy. It is stored on an iPad (!), which she has also brought with her. In this way all information and instructions will remain available and easily accessible.
I could continue for quite a while about all other things Inge did for us, but it is just too much to mention. Useful advice on the correct wheelchairs and the right position of those children bound to a wheelchair. Specified advice for children like Lisa, Wumpini, Amma Lekma and Benjamin, stimulating activities for various groups of our children and many more things besides. She has even helped selecting useable parts of “old” broken-down wheelchairs and other chairs.
To give you a proper idea of the result of two months of physiotherapy under the instructions of Inge I would like to mention the following children who have greatly benefitted during this period:
Miriam is no longer afraid of walking freely.
Kwame Addai is jumping over obstacles.
Lisa enjoys another view of the world and all kinds of nice stimuli lying sideways.
Wumpini is able to play keenly sitting on a stool.
A group of children, amongst others Ayim, Moses, Tettey, Ahmed and Abass, are jumping, gambolling, running and walking backwards on the football field, it is obvious that they are having a great time while practicing.
Benjamin and Anna Lekma are watching entertaining clips on the iPad while lying on their backs but holding their heads up right.
Ahmed is playing football (a little…).
Kofi Asare is working really hard while lying on the floor during physio.
Aaron and Shalomina are able to crawl through a small tunnel and Joel is practicing walking on a few matrasses and he laughing out loud also when he is falling once in a while!
And so forth, and so forth: PCC is engulfed by a wave of new activity exercises!
It is a real treat to witness the progress of all children and to watch all caregivers while they are enthusiastically going about their work.
And that is why we would like to say: Thanks a lot Inge for a great job done! You have done well, may God bless you!