January 10 - 17, 2010

Push International kicked off the new year with a small and very productive team made up of 3 Push Directors, 1 University of Puget Sound Professor and 4 UPS Occupational Therapy grad students.  Although small in size, this team accomplished a great deal during their stay.

Some of the things the team accomplished:

The team made five home visits to look for ways of improving the home life of Padres y Compadres special needs children and their families.  Their recommendations will be implemented by an upcoming Push team.

A workshop given by the UPS Professor was held for the therapists and families of Padres y Compadres to introduce them to a different therapy modality called Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT).  Participants were able to observe how NDT improved the postural position of a child named Carlitos after only 45 minutes of treatment.

In addition to NDT, the professor gave a feeding workshop.  She presented several techniques used to feed children with special needs.  She emphasized the importance of teaching children how to eat, as it is a basis for future development.

The team also participated in two distributions held on our shared campus.  The time was taken to ensure that every cane, walker and wheelchair was
“just right” for each recipient.

Overall, our time spent with our friends in Mazatlan was a success!  We continued to strengthen our relationship with Padres y Compadres and the community we work in by learning, understanding and growing in our cultural sensitivity.

A Push experience has many benefits and opportunities for the recipient and the giver.  We change their lives and they change ours.  They benefit from our aid and we benefit by having the opportunity to be a humanitarian in action! Come join us!