Enabling children with disability to live life to the full
Thankyou for taking the time to visit our blogspot where you can find out more about the work we are currently doing and our fundraising goals.
We are a group of passionate occupational therapists, doctors and medical students working with young people and are fundraising to ensure children with disability have access to essential rehabiliation equipment.
We have set a target of 30 days to raise funds fro the transportation of equipment from Eastern Cape province to Kwazulu Natal province where we are based. Your donations will help make a significant impact to the rehabiliation work for children with cerebral palsy in this region.
To go directly to the secure online donations webpage please click the weblink below. We would be grateful if you could please use the reference 'COSH' with your donation and also email enablingchildren2014@gmail.com to confirm your donation.
https://www.payfast.co.za/donate/go/timionnpc
A little bit about us
We are a team of occupational therapists working in a rural South African hospital in Kwazulu-Natal Province supported by medical staff and visting medical students. We are passionate about our patients and that extends to supporting in them in every possible way. Our experienced and dedicated occupational therapists have had excellent results with the existing equipment at their disposal and are in a position to expand their service to our patients with additional equipment and resources kindly donated and manufactured by Timion.
"Working with cerebral palsy children has been a highlight of my year at Church of Scotland Hospital. I have learnt how small changes can make the world of difference by watching these children progress throughout this year. What an incredibly humbling experience it has been to be a part of improving these children’s livelihoods and watching their mothers develop hope for the future. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s definitely been worth it. I have discovered the importance of individualized therapy and how unique each child is, disability or not. I have also found that sometimes children exceed the goals you set for them in therapy which makes one realise how spectacular and full of determination these children really are. I am so privileged to have been part of their lives this year.”
- Courtney Cowden Occupational Therapist Church of Scotland Hospital
“Some of the most rewarding memories in my professional medical career have been working and mentoring young people. It has taught me these people are embarking on life journeys with varying degrees of adversity. How those challenges are addressed very much affects their subsequent trajectory of life. Practical and emotional support can make a real definitive difference and even the smallest of interventions can have positive consequences. By securing this equipment with the valued expertise of our dedicated occupational team I have every confidence that we will be making a real contribution to the health of the local population here in Kwazulu Natal.”
- Dr Shahzad Jamil Casualty Medical Officer Church of Scotland Hospital
Where are we based
We are based in the Church of Scotland hospital, Tugela Ferry serving the Msinga district within the Kwazulu Natal Province of South Africa.
What is Cerebral Palsy and how does it affect children?
Cerebral Palsy is a loss of ability to move a body part because of a problem with the brain.
Cerebral palsy is not a single condition. It is an umbrella term used to describe a group of conditions that cause movement problems. Although the main problem is with the muscles in one or more parts of the body, the condition is caused by damage or faulty development in a part of the brain. The part of the brain affected is that which sends messages to muscles. It controls movement and co-ordination. The damage or faulty development usually occurs as a baby is developing in the womb. Sometimes it occurs during, or shortly after, birth.
If someone has cerebral palsy, it means that they are not able to control some of the muscles in their body in the normal way. Depending on the type of cerebral palsy and the area of brain affected, a child may not be able to walk, move, talk, eat, or play in the same ways as other children.
Children with cerebral palsy are managed under the care of a specialist team which includes various healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists. There is no cure for cerebral palsy but much can be done to limit the degree of disability that may have occurred if treatment had not been given.
What rehabilitation work do we currently do?
The rehabiltation department within the Church of Hospital runs a Cerebral Palsy Clinic twice a month where the occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and dieticians provide their services to the children and their mothers. We run various groups to assist in improving the children’s level of functioning and quality of life. Some of our successful groups include: toy making workshops, empowering independence through participation in activities of
daily living, postural management and positioning and lastly making therapeutic equipment. The children receive both individual and group therapy at every session where our main focus is to improve functioning and reduce deformities.
"“FACT – arms and hands can perform activities better when the core is stabilized. Postural equipment is by no means curative but it’s a way to enable our children to participate in the activities that make them children. By positioning their bodies correctly, we open a whole new world of interaction and engagement. Imagine the frustration in not being able to perform a task just because your body doesn’t have enough stability to maintain a position. Postural equipment is the miracle that transforms inability to capability and it is so beautiful to see."
- Courtney Cowden Occupational Therapist Church of Scotland Hospital
Patient Journeys
Here is the story from one of our patients called 'Anele' narrated by her Gogo (grandmother and carer):
"Anele is my granddaughter, she is 12 years old. I try to take care of her with the money I have but sometimes I don't have enough money to transport her to occupational therapy. Anele is clever but she cannot go to school because she cannot walk and no one wants to help her at school. She used to be abused at her school before because the people didn't understand cerebral palsy and expected her to get up and walk. I was sad about this and I had to take her out of the school. Now I am scared to put her back in school.
We try to come for therapy once a month and Anele has been using the standing frame at OT for the past few times we have been there. She looks amazing standing up and it is great to see her able to do activities in a comfortable way. When the OT measured Anele and told us that she might get her own standing frame, I was so happy. She can use it at home or we can try keep it at school for her to learn with the other children.
Anele is very special to me and I hope that she will be able to have her own standing frame. Maybe this will help her to go back to school or do school work at home. I am happy about this."
How will the equipment help?
The equipment can help our children in the following ways:
-Improved seated posture
-Prevention of pressure sores or contractures
-Assistance to walk independently
-Support for seated play and feeding
-Improved vision or tactile discrimination
We have ordered equipment for 8 of the children that we see monthly at cerebral palsy clinic. All of these orders have been approved. Equipment typically costs approximately R3000 (£170) per item. Since we have ordered 17 pieces of equipment, we can estimate the cost to be R50 000 (£2,900). We are not expected to pay for any of this as Timion supplied the equipment free of charge.
Who are Timion?
Since 2007 Timion NPC is a NGO based here in South Africa that manufactures high quality equipment for children with disability from less privilged backgrounds, supplying essential regabilitation equipment that would be otherwise unaffordable. They have supplied equipment ot the townships in Nelson Mandela Bay metropole, the Transkei and the Eastern Cape areas. After close consultation with the Church of Scotland Hospital Occupational Therapy department they have agreed to manufacture 17 pieces of made to measure rehabilitation equipment ranging from rocking chairs to walking frames for the patient population served of Church Of Scotland Hospital. Timion NPC have kindly agreed for donations to be made via their online webpage via the link below, just left click which takes you to the payment page. It is a safe and secure way of making a donation, we would be grateful if you could please use the reference COSH with your donation and also email enablingchildren2014@gmail.com to confirm your donation.
