Things are getting real- August 4th

I can't communicate everything that the amazing BRIGHT team did today, but I will certainly try and communicate the highlights. First, Kimberly was able to take NINETEEN children in the pool today, in cooperation with the resident therapist (this is huge). The therapist expressed interest in learning the water therapy techniques and is bringing her swim suit tomorrow. Kimberly's highlight of the pool was taking a 23 year old with severe Cerebral Palsy into the water and having him initiate rolling over in the water. He cannot currently reposition himself in bed, so this was a fantastic start. The team at Kelly's House was able to train nannies on assistive devices for feeding, get kids walking that surprised the nannies, talk with the resident therapist, and co-treat to maximize the therapeutic value for the children. OT Amy was able to speak with the nannies, asking them if they felt they could implement the equipment and techniques. They not only felt confident in this, but correctly identified which children would benefit from such devices. PT Michael got a fourteen year-old girl walking who was just rescued a month ago (due to malnutrition) and is the size of a 7 year old. The nannies couldn't believe she was walking with minimal assistance. Lorena SLP was intentionally sought out by the resident therapist to consult about some children at Kelly's House. The therapists at the nutrition center spent the majority of the day doing infant massage training with moms and their infants. So many moms were interested that they left their other stations and joined out of fear of missing their opportunity to participate. In the infant massage training, there were also opportunities to talk to the mothers about feeding, bonding, and language. The afternoon also included a revolutionary play group, where the toddlers actually left their cribs and walked to a separate room with a floor mat, an inflatable kiddie pool with balls and toys, a tunnel, a parachute, and some low tables with toys. The therapists serving families went to Safe Haven Village and The Village of Transformation today. The morning was spent following up with yesterday's families, while the afternoon was spent interviewing three more mom's about the challenges they are facing in raising their children. Tina was able to give some great advice on feeding schedules and allowing the child to have some control. Jim was incredibly encouraging for the parents, and Amy SpEd & Megan OT were able to co-treat and problem solve some of the issues discussed. Shout out to our awesome translators, Michaell and Harvey, and our photographer, Ben. He spent the morning adjusting equipment at Kelly's House, and the afternoon taking pictures. Check them out on our facebook page!