Service to Jamaica - Emory DPT 2016
Donation protected
Thank you for helping to make the 5th annual Emory DPT Jamaica Stroke Rehab Service Learning Experience possible.
Our Cause:
For two weeks in March 2016, our team of 16 third-year Emory DPT students, 4 Emory University physical therapy residents, and 4 Emory neurological rehab specialists will travel to the rural mountains of southwestern Jamaica to lend our expertise to stroke survivors. We will provide an underserved population with an intensive pro-bono physical therapy rehab clinic to help advance and maximize their ongoing recovery.
Our goal of this annual student led fundraiser is to raise the financial resources that make this trip such a successful endeavor. We will be raising money through February 26th, 2016 and if you choose to donate to our cause you will be helping us reach our $9000 goal to cover the cost of the following:
1. Medical supplies that we will be bringing to the patients at our clinic
2. The room and board for our large team during the two-week stay in the rural clinical setting
3. The in-country travel expenses for our team to reach our Jamaican population that dearly needs our assistance
(Our team is contributing to the effort by funding airfare to Jamaica, collecting gently used clothes and shoes for the patients, and organizing fundraising events with local friends, family, and businesses.)
In return for your generosity, all donors will receive a photo update from our trip upon our return. Those Super Donors who contribute $50 or more will also receive a handwritten Jamaican postcard by mail.
We hope to make this service experience the most impactful it has ever been. By increasing the time that our patients will have access to our clinical expertise from one week to two weeks in 2016, we are looking to grow our project and continue the upward trajectory and increased scale of this experience.
The Experience:
This unique population of patients makes impressive gains over the time that they spend time with our team. However, these special individuals leave a lasting impression as they help teach us the lessons of perseverance, trust, and the power of the human spirit.
Below are some excerpts from past members of the Emory team that can provide insight into what makes this trip such a powerful experience for everyone involved.
“My favorite memory is gathering around at the end of the day and listening to everyone talk about their highs/lows and ‘big ups.’ It was incredible to hear each of my classmates/professors and all of the patients talk about what they found difficult /rewarding, what they learned that day, and what they saw in other people around them. The entire trip was full of reflection and making the most out of every moment without just going through the motions.”
- Kari Lindegren PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Orthopedic Resident at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, OH)
“Even after some of the stuff they've been through, [our patients] would show up waiting outside the clinic for us, lunch in hand, a big smile on their face and we would start off each day with singing and dancing. They would always thank god for allowing them to be here and one song I liked is when they would sing ‘God is good, how can I let him down? How can I let him down? He's so good to me.’ [This] shows their outlook on life.”
- Erica Fredricks, PT, DPT (Emory Class of 2015, Current Physical Therapist at Dekalb Medical Center in Atlanta, GA)
“I can't share memories from Jamaica without including one of sweet sweet Norman (my patient for the week)… A 10 year stroke survivor, who still made incredible gains throughout the week, and was hands down the hardest working patient I have ever had a chance to work with. All of the patients at the stroke camp were. I will never forget the feeling of pulling up to the clinic in the morning and seeing some of them waiting there outside the gates for us to arrive.”
- Collette Wade, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Pediatric Physical Therapist at Vida Bella in Charleston, SC)
“The camaraderie between the patients at stroke camp seemed to add to the experience, both for them and us as developing therapists. We were able to incorporate more games into treatments, which not only made them more fun but also possibly more effective (since we could take advantage of their competitive spirits). It was also very inspiring to see the patients encourage one another to work hard, and to acknowledge each other's accomplishments.”
- Jenny Brickman PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Physical Therapist at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO)
“When the patients were asked what they wanted to get out of the week, a patient replied ‘Everything.’ That stuck with us for the rest of the week because these patients are so appreciative to be able to reach any sort of normalcy again, and they truly do work hard to get everything out of this experience that they can... We get to provide intensive therapy at a whole new level in Jamaica and the patients give us their all, in return.”
- Shannon Kimbrel PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Neurological Resident at Emory University in Atlanta, GA)
“I had the opportunity to work with an individual who had survived a right middle cerebral artery stroke… I knew this diagnosis resulted in cognitive and physical impairments, but I had no idea how difficult it would be to get this patient to engage in physical therapy… I never imagined using power tools during physical therapy, but I was willing to try anything. The result was a beautiful picture of what physical therapy is all about – teamwork, creativity, and healing. I will never forget the look of satisfaction on the patient’s face as he kneeled inside the raised flower bed and used his impaired hand to screw pieces of plywood together. It taught me more about the importance of making physical therapy meaningful and fun than any textbook or classroom lecture ever could have.”
- Michelle Sauer PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Neurologic Resident at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX)
“I think my favorite memory of camp was our dance competition on the last day. Each patient picked a song to dance to with [the clinician they had been primarily working with]. It allowed each patient to demonstrate the improvements they made after a long week of hard work through joyful freedom of movement. And the competition was fierce. Some people pulled out moves that I would be hesitant to attempt and many were dripping with sweat by the end. But in Jamaica... ‘The hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory!’”
- Cailidh Pedersen PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Physical Therapist at Oschner Health System in New Orleans, LA )
Our Cause:
For two weeks in March 2016, our team of 16 third-year Emory DPT students, 4 Emory University physical therapy residents, and 4 Emory neurological rehab specialists will travel to the rural mountains of southwestern Jamaica to lend our expertise to stroke survivors. We will provide an underserved population with an intensive pro-bono physical therapy rehab clinic to help advance and maximize their ongoing recovery.
Our goal of this annual student led fundraiser is to raise the financial resources that make this trip such a successful endeavor. We will be raising money through February 26th, 2016 and if you choose to donate to our cause you will be helping us reach our $9000 goal to cover the cost of the following:
1. Medical supplies that we will be bringing to the patients at our clinic
2. The room and board for our large team during the two-week stay in the rural clinical setting
3. The in-country travel expenses for our team to reach our Jamaican population that dearly needs our assistance
(Our team is contributing to the effort by funding airfare to Jamaica, collecting gently used clothes and shoes for the patients, and organizing fundraising events with local friends, family, and businesses.)
In return for your generosity, all donors will receive a photo update from our trip upon our return. Those Super Donors who contribute $50 or more will also receive a handwritten Jamaican postcard by mail.
We hope to make this service experience the most impactful it has ever been. By increasing the time that our patients will have access to our clinical expertise from one week to two weeks in 2016, we are looking to grow our project and continue the upward trajectory and increased scale of this experience.
The Experience:
This unique population of patients makes impressive gains over the time that they spend time with our team. However, these special individuals leave a lasting impression as they help teach us the lessons of perseverance, trust, and the power of the human spirit.
Below are some excerpts from past members of the Emory team that can provide insight into what makes this trip such a powerful experience for everyone involved.
“My favorite memory is gathering around at the end of the day and listening to everyone talk about their highs/lows and ‘big ups.’ It was incredible to hear each of my classmates/professors and all of the patients talk about what they found difficult /rewarding, what they learned that day, and what they saw in other people around them. The entire trip was full of reflection and making the most out of every moment without just going through the motions.”
- Kari Lindegren PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Orthopedic Resident at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, OH) “Even after some of the stuff they've been through, [our patients] would show up waiting outside the clinic for us, lunch in hand, a big smile on their face and we would start off each day with singing and dancing. They would always thank god for allowing them to be here and one song I liked is when they would sing ‘God is good, how can I let him down? How can I let him down? He's so good to me.’ [This] shows their outlook on life.”
- Erica Fredricks, PT, DPT (Emory Class of 2015, Current Physical Therapist at Dekalb Medical Center in Atlanta, GA) “I can't share memories from Jamaica without including one of sweet sweet Norman (my patient for the week)… A 10 year stroke survivor, who still made incredible gains throughout the week, and was hands down the hardest working patient I have ever had a chance to work with. All of the patients at the stroke camp were. I will never forget the feeling of pulling up to the clinic in the morning and seeing some of them waiting there outside the gates for us to arrive.”
- Collette Wade, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Pediatric Physical Therapist at Vida Bella in Charleston, SC) “The camaraderie between the patients at stroke camp seemed to add to the experience, both for them and us as developing therapists. We were able to incorporate more games into treatments, which not only made them more fun but also possibly more effective (since we could take advantage of their competitive spirits). It was also very inspiring to see the patients encourage one another to work hard, and to acknowledge each other's accomplishments.”
- Jenny Brickman PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Physical Therapist at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO)“When the patients were asked what they wanted to get out of the week, a patient replied ‘Everything.’ That stuck with us for the rest of the week because these patients are so appreciative to be able to reach any sort of normalcy again, and they truly do work hard to get everything out of this experience that they can... We get to provide intensive therapy at a whole new level in Jamaica and the patients give us their all, in return.”
- Shannon Kimbrel PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Neurological Resident at Emory University in Atlanta, GA) “I had the opportunity to work with an individual who had survived a right middle cerebral artery stroke… I knew this diagnosis resulted in cognitive and physical impairments, but I had no idea how difficult it would be to get this patient to engage in physical therapy… I never imagined using power tools during physical therapy, but I was willing to try anything. The result was a beautiful picture of what physical therapy is all about – teamwork, creativity, and healing. I will never forget the look of satisfaction on the patient’s face as he kneeled inside the raised flower bed and used his impaired hand to screw pieces of plywood together. It taught me more about the importance of making physical therapy meaningful and fun than any textbook or classroom lecture ever could have.”
- Michelle Sauer PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Neurologic Resident at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, TX) “I think my favorite memory of camp was our dance competition on the last day. Each patient picked a song to dance to with [the clinician they had been primarily working with]. It allowed each patient to demonstrate the improvements they made after a long week of hard work through joyful freedom of movement. And the competition was fierce. Some people pulled out moves that I would be hesitant to attempt and many were dripping with sweat by the end. But in Jamaica... ‘The hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory!’”
- Cailidh Pedersen PT, DPT (Emory DPT Class of 2015, Current Physical Therapist at Oschner Health System in New Orleans, LA )Organizer
Philip Ikoku, Rebecca Crockett
Organizer
Atlanta, GA