"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." -Alan Cohen

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Philippines 2015


It’s been a while internet friends… four years in fact. 

 I’m off on another adventure and I would love to share this experience with you. Check back on this blog over the next couple of weeks for updates. Without further adieu, let me introduce this next venture…

In the fall of 2014, I started a master’s program of speech-language pathology through the University of Northern Colorado. This two-year program has provided ample opportunity to learn about the field as well as various clinical opportunities to apply all that I have been studying.  I feel incredibly lucky for this opportunity and cannot wait to dedicate my life to this profession!

During my studies, I have been invited to go on a speech therapy mission to Dipolog, Mindanao, Philippines from March 9-20, 2015! The trip is in conjunction with the surgical mission of the International Children's Surgical Foundation (ICSF, www.icsfoundation.org).  The surgical team provides surgery for cleft lip and palate repairs, completely free of charge, to children and adults. They usually perform 50-60 surgeries in 2 weeks! Many of the patients include teenagers and young adults who have never received any medical assistance with the many issues associated with cleft lip and palate. This is the 5th year ICSF and the speech mission has traveled to this location, providing surgeries and speech therapy to children and adults.

Surgery alone usually does not resolve a child’s speech issues, so speech therapy is vitally needed after each child’s palate has been repaired. While the ICSF team and children are there, two speech therapists and myself will provide two weeks of intensive speech therapy. Each child will receive therapy two times a day for up to eleven days.  This year, we are expecting children from Ozamis, Mindanoa, Philippines in addition to the children in Dipolog!  Dr. Geoff Williams (from ICSF) has already performed surgical palate repairs for the additional children from Ozamis. A group of Nuns will be bringing the children to Dipolog so they can receive speech therapy services. With these additional children, we are estimating working with a total of 35 children.  It will be a busy 11 days! 

  
Below are pictures from previous trips and a link to the ICSF website. See you back here soon!
http://www.icsfoundation.org/




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