Page 12 - Mobility Management, September 2018

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A Dream Vacation
Propel DR Changes the Lives of Clients, Caregivers & CRT Volunteers
Prior to 2016, when people talked about a vacation in the Dominican Republic (DR), I pictured my toes
in the sand and Caribbean music lulling me into complete relaxation, where thoughts of complex rehabili- tation technology (CRT) were simply not possible. Don’t get me wrong — I love my job and this industry. But everyone needs to take a break from reality for their own well-being!
So what is the mental image I get when thinking of a week’s vacation in the DR these days? I excitedly picture myself volunteering along- side colleagues and other health professionals, many whom have become friends. Our goal: To provide a lasting, positive impact on individ- uals with disabilities through equip- ment and educational seminars for therapists, teachers and caregivers from all over the country through a program called Propel DR.
What Is Propel DR?
Propel DR can be traced back to 2002, when one of its founders, Anna Harper, PT, MPT, was a student at Wake Forest University. For spring break Anna went on a week-long mission trip to the DR through Mission Emanuel (http://missionemanuel. org), which has a mission site just outside of Santo Domingo in the town of Cielo. After finishing PT school, Anna and her husband worked on the summer staff of Mission Emanuel for five weeks. Anna met several children with special needs, and the seeds for Propel DR were planted in her heart.
Over the next several years, Anna expanded her network of connec- tions in the DR and recruited two
coworkers from the hospital where she worked in Dallas to join her quest to provide better services to individuals with disabilities. Deanna Lusty, PT, MPT, ATP/SMS, took her first trip to the DR in 2009 and helped Anna open a therapy clinic as a part of Mission Emanuel’s medical facility. In 2011 Laura Rogers, PT, DPT, accompanied Anna and Deanna. That year, the three PTs began a relationship with the Association of Dominican Rehabilitation (ADR),
a large medical campus primarily focused on rehabilitation. ADR offers physician services, therapy services (PT, OT and speech therapy) for children and adults, orthotics and prosthetics, equipment technicians, and school (pre-school through vocational school).
Since then, Project DR has expanded to work with the
Centro Atencion Integral para la Discapacidad (Center for Integrated Services for the Disabled [CAID]) in addition to ADR.
Anna, Deanna and Laura deter- mined early that to make a lasting impact, training and education needed to be at the forefront of the program. Long-term goals are to build a self-sustaining wheel- chair provision model for pediatric patients and to provide access to continuing education seminars for Dominican professionals.
Propel DR continues to evolve. In 2017 the lecturing team comprised three physicians (pulmonology, physical medicine/rehabilitation, neurology), five PTs, and one OT. Throughout the week, more than 700 Dominicans were in atten- dance! The main rehabilitation
Angie Kiger with a new friend.
center closed its clinics for three days to allow staff to be fully present in the courses. The Dominicans are seeking, appreciating, and most importantly, applying the knowledge they acquire each year.
Propel DR relies completely on donations of equipment from
the United States. While over the years there have been generous donations of new equipment from manufacturers, the vast majority
of equipment is used. Donations
are gathered throughout the year, primarily in Dallas [see Editor’s Note]. The largest expense by far is shipping equipment from the United States to the DR. Each year, the all-volunteer Propel DR team works to not only coordinate shipments of equipment, but also to raise funds needed to transport the items.
On the first day of clinic, equip- ment is cleaned and organized by the U.S. team. Over the following
four days, families bring children from near and far to the clinic to be evaluated for a seating system and wheeled mobility device. The U.S. team — including veteran therapists,
10 SEPTEMBER2018|MOBILITYMANAGEMENT
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PHOTO OF ANGIE KIGER: MALA AARONSON