Jumping for Joy!

The clinic has been incredible the last few days. So much progress has been made! Marjorie who had surgery on her plantar fascia in her foot is almost ready to go home. Today we worked on stairs, we walked up the stairs to the roof and walked around a bit there is a garden on the roof and some clothes lines. I have been working with her since I have been here to try and get her to run and today was the day. I kept encouraging her over and over and finally today on the roof she ran for about 10 steps! After that I asked her if she wanted to jump and she started jumping and laughing and jumping some more, it was amazing! Then we went down stairs and she was able to carry a 5 gallon bucket half full of water all around the clinic she has made a lot of progress.

Amanda is in a lot of pain right now she fractured her femur which is now healed but has a lot of inflammation and she has a brachial plexus lesion so she cant mover her arm. Today we did a lot of bed exercises for her leg which was quite an improvement from yesterday, and the did some passive movements with her arm she is getting able to have it moved further and further. Later in the day we did some exercises with the resistance bands for her leg and she tried to walk, she got about 2 steps but she is so much pain she started crying and sat back down. It was a good day for her she is doing a lot of work, she didn't want to stop but she was in too much pain.

I can't believe how much progress the patients have made just after one week it is amazing. They are so appreciative of you helping them and I think it is a great privilege that I get to work with them. I am learning so much and getting so much experience it is incredible. I really don't want to leave the clinic on the 20th but I know that Leogane was 90% destroyed by the earthquake and they need people to help with rebuilding. And my computer charger broke so after the 20th there will be maybe one post, I am borrowing someones computer now, hopefully I'll be able to borrow one when I move. Anyways I am having an incredible time here at Heartline it is a great organization and everyday at the clinic you feel like you accomplished something great and you know that you are helping to change the course of many peoples lives.