The countdown is on!

In less than three weeks from today I'll be headed back down to my FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD!

I'm thrilled to be part of the Regis University 3rd annual service learning trip to Peru, where 6 PT students and profesora Nancy Mulligan will team up with CMMB and local organizations for a 2 week trip!

This year we've expanded the 2 day continuing ed conference to include a group specific to speech therapy. We're very blessed to count on the expertise of Emily Redd and Melanie Mae, from Utah and California, respectively, as well as a group specific to PT: low back pain, led by Ana Herrera (Lima) and Nancy Mulligan (Colorado).

We'll be meeting with leaders at the Ministry of Health in Lima and touring rehabilitation facilities, before we head up to Trujillo for the conference and to partner up with Universidad ALAS Peruanas and CMMB for clinical and community based rehab work. Also looking forward to meeting with Asumiendo con Esperanza, a support group for caregivers of kids with disabilities, teaming up with community based rehab agents with "Rehabilitacion con Esperanza" for a series of workshops, and doing home visits and pool therapy with the kids!

Of course, no visit to Peru will be complete without a little bit of ceviche, overnight buses, pisco sour, combi rides, cuy farms, and Huanchaco :) Above all I can't wait to see my amazing Peruvian family and friends!

 
I want to thank an anonymous donor who contributed a very large amount to CMMB to make the conference possible this year. Also, MUCHAS GRACIAS to Regis University, Univ. ALAS Peruanas and CMMB for their continued support of this partnership. Gracias a Fernando Arana Rios y Maria Ysabel Lopez Rodriguez por todo el trabajo con los inscripciones! And in particular Claudia Llanten and Heather Platter who have made all of this possible!

                                                          Nos vemos pronto Peru!

Back to the Basics

It's been an interesting transition in the last year from life in Peru to life in the US. I feel like I finally got used to our own culture again, when all of a sudden, it was August - time to go back to Peru! I was overjoyed to return to my "second home" and felt much more comfortable this time around with the re-insertion into Peruvian culture - the simple life, or "back to the basics."

The return trip was anything but basic, though - it was more of a two and a half weeks jam-packed with activities and little sleep! (Just the way I like it...) The first few days were filled with emotional reunions with family and friends, plus meetings and preparation for the conference and the Regis group activities. I met the 5 Regis students and professor Nancy Mulligan in Lima, where we began with touring a local hospital and rehabilitation center and met with Dr. Leon and staff at the Peru Ministry of Health.

One overnight bus later, we were touring the Bellavista health outpost and had a very memorable lunch with the focus group "Asumiendo con Esperanza," a group of mothers of children who have disabilities. That evening, Claudia gave us a wonderful welcome dinner and shared her incredible story of how she ended up in Peru. We spent the next day teaming with PT's/PTA's at Hospital Albrecht in outpatient care, and meeting with the director of a local university to make an official partnership with the potential to set up future clinical rotations and student exchanges between ALAS Peruanas and Regis University! The following day we had one-on-one sessions with children in the community, performing initial evaluations and wheelchair fittings, and prepared for the conference.

The 2-day continuing education conference included two separate themes, stroke and cerebral palsy, and featured leaders Ana Herrera, Cindy Potter, and Sarah Ingram, who did a fantastic job in lectures and lab with actual patients! The event's cocktail reception and networking lunches were also a lot of fun!

The following week we jumped right into work with CMMB's project "Rehabilitation con Esperanza," where the group performed home visits and led workshops for caregivers and community agents. Visits to Huanchaco beach for ceviche and surfing, plus a trip to see the local pyramids, gave the group some much needed r+r to finish out the trip! And on our last day we had a pool party for the kids in the project - a day I will never forget!

I can't thank CMMB, Regis University, and my Peruvian focus group enough for making this trip possible! It's very challenging to make a short-term mission trip something that is centered in sustainability and in helping vs. hurting, social justice vs. charity. The continued strengthening of partnerships with local organizations gives me hope that this trip will be something that is bi-annual, self-sustaining, and always with the needs of the community at its heart.

Feeling very blessed to have the opportunity to return to Peru - and the daily duality of two distinct cultures impacting my life. Thrilled to have a few weeks of "back to the basics" - although I won't lie, I was extremely close to "missing" my flight and staying down in Peru for another year!

I recently heard the following quote...

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. -Albert Schweitzer

I think that any of our volunteers this year -an amazing group- will attest that this is so true, and I hope that whoever reads this will consider coming down with us next year - or find some other way to get involved in global health! Until next August - Te Amo Perú! Siempre Contigo!

Hospital Loayza - Lima

Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación - Lima

Perú Ministry of Health - Lima

Health Outpost- Bellavista

Support group: Asumiendo con Esperanza

patient care at Hospital Albrecht - Trujillo

Forming new alliances - with Universidad ALAS Peruanas

PT session with the kids!

Getting creative to transport conference materials!

Segunda Conferencia Internacional de Actualización en Terapia Fisica: Avances en Condiciones Neurologicos

we made the paper!

Cindy's group: Cerebral Palsy

Saturday evening reception with conference participants

Sarah and Ana's group: Stroke

networking luncheon

view of Sector Bellavista, La Esperanza - home of the community based rehab project

with CMMB leaders

home visits!

 

Pool party!!

 

Day off: let's go surfing!

Manipulations around the World: Huaca de la Luna!

with the Hermanas del Buen Soccorro who graciously housed us!

Peruvian flavor in Salt Lake City!

As I was hiking this weekend, I just so happened to run into a family of Peruvians on the trail! We started talking, and they informed me that SLC was having a big Peruvian party downtown that very day in honor of Peru's Fiestas Patrias- Independence Day! Before I knew it, I was surrounded by the smells of aji de gallina, picarones, ceviche, and Inca Cola -  and serendaded with some traditional Peruvian music (I am still waiting for my hearing to return to normal) :)

I can't describe how much joy I felt to be reunited with the culture I grew to call my own from the past year. I've had little bits and pieces of Peru flavor trickle into my life here in Utah lately - meeting Peruvian exchange students at my church, bonding with the staff at my new favorite restaurant "Que Rico Peru" on 3rd west and 21st south, browsing "La Pequeñita" market on state street... but the event was a beautiful and unique reminder of the amazing people, food, and traditions of the Peruvian culture. Call me a silly gringa, but I felt like I was "home."

What's even better than a bunch of Peruvians in Salt Lake.. are a bunch of Peruvians in Trujillo!!! Tommorrow I'm headed back to Peru for 3 weeks!

The itinerary includes:

- Regis DPT students service learning trip - we will meet with leaders at the Peru Ministry of Health, tour rehabilitation facilities in Lima and Trujillo, and forge an alliance with local universities in Trujillo

-Field work with Proyecto Rehabilitación con Esperanza - the new community based rehab project is in full swing and we'll be doing home visits with the kids and training sessions with families/caregivers and community health agents

-2nd annual international physical therapy conference - a 2-day continuing education event focusing on physical therapy management of cerebral palsy and stroke

-1 day of tourism and (hopefully!) a little surfing! ;)

But what I'm most excited about is getting to see my family, friends, nuns, mother's in the support group, PT colleagues/coworkers, and old patients!

Special thanks to Sarah Hansford and Cindy Potter for graciously volunteering their time and resources to make the conference happen - Regis University, Nancy Mulligan and Regis DPT students Julie Reagan, Leesa Henderson, Janelle Brown, Ryan Gary, and John Klapheke for all of the teamwork and planning -  St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center community for supporting the fundraising efforts - CMMB and Claudia Llantén for making all of this possible.

Nos vemos prontito Peru!!!

Seeking Donations!

A group of physical therapists and Regis University physical therapy students are seeking equipment donations for an August 2012 continuing education event and community-based rehabilitation project!

Looking for small lightweight rehabilitation type objects to bring down to Peru this year, such as:

-goniometers

-theraband

-stability balls

-gait belts

-notepads and pens

as well as any Spanish-language physical therapy or public health resources!

Please email alaska.walker@gmail.com if you have any questions, or would like to donate something.

Mail donations by 7/20/12 to:

Nancy Mulligan

Regis University, School of Physical Therapy

3333 Regis Blvd, G-4

Denver, CO 80221

MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS!!!

Photography Fundraiser!

Still looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift? Look no further...

Help support CMMB's efforts in Peru! I'm doing a fundraiser for CMMB's project "Rehabilitación con Esperanza" on Sunday, May 13th (Mother's Day!) - see information below. (If you don't live in SLC but are interested in seeing/ordering some of the prints, please let me know! Email: alaska.walker@gmail.com)

When: Sunday, May 13th, 2012

Where: St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center

            170 University Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Hours: 8:30am-12:30pm and 7:00pm-9:00pm

The Goods: Photography - matted, framed and non-framed, and select images on canvas - a wide array of sizes and scenes ranging from Peru to Alaska, Southern Utah to Tuscany! Special thanks to photographer Fred Walker for his numerous beautiful donations!

About "Rehabilitación con Esperanza"

Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) began a new Community-Based Rehabilitation project in 2011 targeting a population with disabilities. “Rehabilitación con Esperanza” is a public health program in the district of La Esperanza, Trujillo, Perú with two main focus areas:

• improving access to healthcare services, rehabilitation-trained community health workers, assistive devices, transportation, education, support groups, work, and recreation for persons with disabilities
• improving access to continuing education resources for physical therapists 

The project currently has a population of 20 children with disabilities, and utilizes community agents and support groups to address the needs of caregivers as well. While the project is organized by CMMB, it relies mainly on funding via grants. Unfortunately the grant process has not yielded support yet, and the entire project is currently running by the big hearts of a few volunteers.

This community-based rehabilitation program is hoping to build on its’ sustainability and improve the quality of care received by participants by involving collaboration with international volunteers. This year, Regis University (Denver, CO) will be sending down physical therapy students and faculty to assist with this public health project and the hands-on training of community health agents, local physical therapists, and families/caregivers of the children. In addition, two physical therapists from the US will lead a 2-day continuing education conference in the training of rehabilitation for neurological conditions to 80 local physical therapists in Trujillo.

All donations received at the fundraiser will go toward the facilitation of the training/education sessions in August 2012 and supplies such as the rehabilitation equipment that each child in the project needs. Please stop by - learn more about CMMB - and support this great cause!

Muchisimas Gracias!

Peru, Take Two!

Great news- I couldn't get enough of Peru, so I am thrilled to announce that in three months I will be headed back! Unfortunately this time I will only get to stay 3 weeks, but hey, better than nothing.

This year I'm going down with a group of Regis DPT students and faculty Nancy Mulligan. Similar to last year, as a service learning trip, the students will do some touring of healthcare facilities and meet with leaders at the Peru Ministry of Health in Lima, before heading to northern Peru to help with CMMB's public health project "Rehabilitación con Esperanza." There, students will assist with outcomes collection and the training of community agents, PT's, and families/caregivers of 20 children with disabilities who are currently enrolled in the project. We also aim to strengthen our collaborative relationship between Regis and two of the local universities in Trujillo.

The students will also join two physical therapist volunteers from the US, Sarah Ingram and Cindy Potter, to lead a 2-day international continuing education conference in Trujillo with a focus on physical therapy examination/evaluation/treatment of neurological conditions (specifically cerebral palsy and stroke, the two most common neurological pathologies found in northern Peru) - August 11-12, 2012.

Of course, I'll be heading down early to make time to see my family and friends in La Esperanza - and get my share of mama Nelly's aji and home cooking too! ;) Can't wait!

Culture Shock, Take Two

I arrived back to the US last week and am still getting used to my own culture again. Alaska gave me a nice welcome with -20 degree weather and a big bull moose grazing in the backyard. I think the two worlds I’ve lived in could not be further apart!

Home sweet Alaska...

 Aside from the obvious climate differences, I am taken aback by almost every aspect of daily life. The other day I stood for several minutes just staring at the choices in the grocery store. I keep saying hello, thank you and excuse me to people in Spanish. It took me 6 tries to check my voicemail the first time because I kept pushing the wrong buttons, and still takes me ten minutes to write a text message in English (well, lets be honest, that may be normal for me). Other big news - People here abide by traffic laws! There’s no swerving or hanging out of moving vehicles, and transportation itself here is so lonely- everyone with their own car and so many going to their destination alone. I can get all my laundry done in one day, and with a dryer! Tap water doesn’t have to be boiled, dishes go into this contraption called the dishwasher, and I can flush my toilet paper down! Doctor waits are minimal. TV and music are so foreign. And it’s so QUIET.

view of Anchorage flying in

I can’t shake the feeling that there are holes in my life after Peru. I miss everything-everyone- to the point of feeling a physical ache. I miss the symphony of roosters, buses rumbling by, horns blaring, bicycle peddlers, children shouting, latin music blaring, dogs barking. The organized chaos that is the public transportation system. Peruvian babies. The view of the ocean as we round the curve to Huanchaco and the bliss of riding a wave on a surfboard. Greetings from strangers on the street. Stray dogs. Slow walking pace. My neighborhood market. Freshly squeezed juice. The mass in Spanish. Picarones-arroz a lo pobre-lomito saltado-ceviche-papa a la huancaina-tallarines saltados-chifa-chicha morada-helado de lúcuma-aji-arroz con leche-hamburguesas y sandwich de pollo-yuca-mango-choclo-Cusqueña-pisco sour. (in no particular order!) But most of all, I miss my Peruvian family. My patients – the laughter of my peds patients and the stories of my geriatric patients. Neighbors, colleagues, co-workers and nuns. Peruvian and gringo friends alike. My friend and Spanish coach Maria. Pancake and taco nights with family. The shouts of my host cousins as they race upstairs to feed the dog. Night-time tea and laughter. I miss the culture, lifestyle, and though I feel so blessed to have had such a great experience, I can’t help but feel pretty bummed that it’s all over. However, it has been amazing to see family and friends again - 14 months is a long time to be away!

“Most of us live the greater part of our lives submerged. Certainly in my own case I can say that not until I left America did I emerge above the surface.” Awhile ago my friend shared this quote by Henry Miller, and it definitely mirrors my own feelings about living and working abroad. I don’t think I really “got it” until I spent a good chunk of time in a developing nation. Now that I’m back in the US, I find it’s hard to convey the exact experiences and feelings of life in Peru to others. It’s hard not to compare everything to life in Peru and bring it up in every passing moment. It’s also hard not to judge others, nor to be guilt-ridden and disgusted by parts of American culture.

Someone responded to Miller’s quote with, “The tough thing is to make personal changes as a result, without turning into a sour cynic about your own culture. ‘Enlightened’ people usually turn into judgmental people. Enlightenment with humility of a good thing.” So, two months post-life-in-Peru, I find myself faced with this challenge and still in a bit of mourning over my separation from South America. I hope that my new lifestyle and many of life’s lessons learned - the Peru “magic”- will somehow live on in my life.

on the descent to Anchorage

So, I guess this is my last post. I hope you've enjoyed hearing about my experiences and will carry some "Peru magic" into your life as well. Thanks for all of your support over the year! 

Y gracias de nuevo a mis queridos Peruanos- siempre contigo! (y hasta pronto!)