Wow! Today has been an amazing day! After a much needed day of rest on Sunday we were up ready to go this morning for a devotion with the hospital staff and a brief meeting on our goals for our time here. After the meeting the group split a little and went to work.
Dan, Emma, Thomas, JR, and Erik went to the workshop to troubleshoot the software and getting rid of a couple viruses. While JR, Emma, and Dan worked on the software and computers Erik and Thomas learned how the workshop currently makes their prosthetics and ankle-foot orthotics (AFO). They were able to learn how to cut the cast and manipulate it into a usable orthotic or prosthetic. For the next couple days we will be troubleshooting to make sure the software is usable. Afterwards they will begin to train the technicians.
Katie, Emily, and Tim went to the Clubfoot Clinic to learn and observe what they do there. At the clinic we observed Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists working with young children, all 1 year old or younger, who have either one clubfoot or both feet are affected. We saw them use the Pirani score to check the amount of correction still needed. The clinic also provides casting, which allows the physician to force the foot in the correct position and wrap it in a cast in hopes that the foot will begin to protrude from the leg straight instead of at a curve. We were almost allowed to help with a casting but the physician came in and was able to help! (We are hoping we can help next time). Katie is a part of the Clubfoot Collab team back at Messiah and she and her team are looking into a brace that is able to treat a unilateral condition instead of using the brace on both feet when only one foot is affected. It is called the Cunningham brace.
We had a break for tea around 10am and then lunch at 1. After lunch Simon took us on a tour of the hospital and we met most of the staff, many of which remembered Dan, Emma, and Tim. We then got to work a little more before leaving for the day. On our way back to the house we stopped at one of the workshops and held kittens!! Emma and Katie both agreed that the kittens were one of the best parts of the day!
Dinner was a delicious chicken and rice dish and we also got to see a very beautiful sunset (which of course we all had to take pictures)! Now it is time to rest and refuel before another busy day!
