Opportunities to impact lives falling in to our lap
While in England, I received a message on Facebook Chat from a teacher in a school for those with special needs in Indonesia.
After many messages back and forth, we have been able to pass on a request from the school to visit Bann Feung Fah in the form of an ideas sharing project and as a visiting singing and puppet play for the children. They will be coming in June and will bring 14 of their staff to seek ideas to help their children and to bestow kindness on our’s.
It really is a lovely opportunity to share with others and to connect up.
The next opportunity arose from an expat lady from the international community who put on a second hand selling group that she was seeking to find a wheelchair for a little girl of 5, who cannot walk or go to school, who she had met while playing badminton. She asked if anyone knew where to buy a wheelchair. I wrote to Lady Isabelle and asked more about the child and learnt that her mum, who is from Laos, worked at the club and that the little girl seemed bright and only her legs seemed to be the issue.
I suggested waiting a short while till I could return and visit to meet the child. On return to Thailand I was able to join up with one of the Physiotherapists from work to go and see the child on Friday after work.
Miss ND is really a cutie, engaging everyone in play and full of joy. She was moving about in a bunny hop kind of crawl and playing and chatting up a storm. She was using a trike with her feet on the floor.
We made a plan that meeting with the doctor that Baan Feung Fah use for orthopedics was the best course of action. The physiotherapist was able to find her a stroller to make getting to hospital easier for Mum and Dad.
I had some shoes that were good for supporting her ankles as a temporary fix and we would see what the doctor said.
We talked about which would be better: a wheelchair or a walker and are thinking a walker would be better. Isabelle has a group of expats willing to help assist with funding and has also managed to find a foam matting so that Miss ND is encouraged to sit in a better posture to improve hip health.
We had much conversation about movement and stretches with both Mum and Dad and suggestions of how to get Miss ND into good movement patterns.
On Sunday, when I dropped off the shoes and Khun Pa (the physio) dropped off the stroller, it was clear that these parents and child were motivated and had been working hard. Already she has understood how crawling should be left then right and not bunny hopping. She told me today ‘the bunny rabbit is gone’. She still sometimes forgets when excited, but it will become habit to crawl correctly and sit correctly.
I heard today the doctor is happy to see her and will be checking hips, hamstrings and ankles to see if anything can be done to get her walking. If she gets walking she will get to go to school and, in her words, be able to go on outings.
She worked so hard with me today and I was impressed.
Please lift this smart and determined little girl up in your prayers. May God bless the whole family.
Watch this website for an update.
Nicola Anderson.
What a wonderful report and look forward to hear more of her progress.