When we last saw Meloonda in late April, she was unable to smile, move her head and had very little ability to move her limbs. Yesterday, we went to visit her home so that the therapists could do her rehab with her environment in mind, particularly important as they help move her toward some independence. She and her family live at the end of a road that is accessible only by a four-wheel drive. And then, it is a five minute climb (and climb is the accurate word in this case!) further up the hill to their house. The view is quite beautiful. The place is entirely inaccessible for someone who cannot walk.
The family has been living for the past eight months on the concrete pad that was the floor of their house before the earthquake collapsed it. The pad now serves as a base for a tent and open-air "patio". Recently, her father built a 12 by 12 room out of tin and wood to serve as their sleeping quarters nearby.
What progress since April! Meloonda can now smile! And what a beautiful smile she has -- her whole face lights up. While she still cannot hold her head up, she is now able to turn her head to the left, to the right, and to look up. And she reaches toward the person that she wants! Yesterday, we all celebrated her progress. But she still cannot talk or eat anything, and has almost no control of her trunk or neck.
It is fascinating to be here with PT and OT students and faculty. They notice so much about her abilities, her challenges and her environment that those of us without their training would miss. As the president of a university, it is so inspiring to watch some of SU's students and faculty at work in Haiti -- and essentially to be their student. They are helping me to see Haiti through a different lens and are also teaching me more about the fields of PT and OT. It is, frankly, hard to imagine how any disaster effort or field clinic operates without rehab therapists.
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