“I’ve made 15 trips [to Guatemala], returning again and again because I see lives changed! My favorite friend here…Gerardo, nearly died as an infant because paralysis made swallowing difficult and he got pneumonia. We created an infant seat for safe feeding and a year later we gave him orthotics and a c.p. walker. By age two it was hard for mom to carry him, so we found a tiny wheelchair. Every year for eight years, we adapted his wheelchair, adjusted his mobility aids, and trained his mother to provide year-round therapy. Gerardo, now 10, walks with an ankle orthotic and attends school. He is a bright, happy student. This is HHIM…long-term commitment to people that transforms their daily lives!”
Cathy A. Mulholland, OTR/L
Pacific Rehab, Inc.
Cave Creek, AZ
“…there was no need to ask for a translator when you got to see the smiles and tears on people’s faces the first time they are able to move on their own…. Wheelchairs are luxuries that most people in Vietnam cannot afford. One wheelchair alone could cost a family an entire years salary! By the end of the distribution, my knees were screaming and my back ached but as I wrote in my correspondences back home—‘I have never felt so alive.’ I looked forward to everyday and to meeting its many challenges with my new found friends. I was not prepared for how emotional this experience was to be--I think all of us at one time or another shed tears. I had never done anything like this before. I had never gone out of my way to volunteer, let alone fly half way across the world to do so. But it felt right. As I recount my tale, I feel nothing but pride in choosing to come to Vietnam with Hope Haven International. I hope that our actions in some small ways have helped to bring more hope, dignity and joy to their life.”
Natalie Chan, Occupational Therapist
Vancouver, BC
“HHIM is unique…I have served overseas with other global not-for-profits and I have never encountered an agency that has the number and quality of highly-trained health care providers who return on a regular, sometimes biannual basis…HHIM delivers first-class equipment with professional expertise.”
Mel Elliot, ATS
Carolina Mobility and Seating, Inc.
Apex, NC
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