Goodman & Company's Norfolk office started a Physicians for Peace movement in response to the recent Haiti earthquake.
Last week, we received a phone call from Goodman & Company, the fourth largest certified public accounting firm in the Mid-Atlantic, with some news which they wanted to present to us in person.
As you can imagine, accounting firms run a pretty tight ship and that includes a very professional dress code. A select few days out of the year, Goodman & Company allows its employees to have a "dress down" jeans day in recognition of a community effort or cause. Employees who donate to the cause are allowed to wear jeans for the day. The idea to help the disabled in Haiti through a donation to Physicians for Peace was introduced by the Norfolk office and spread like wildfire to each of the company’s locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The movement was so phenomenal, Goodman and Company offered to match dollar for dollar their employee contributions.
This past Friday, Thomas H. Wilson, CPA, Goodman & Company’s Managing Partner came to our office to present Physicians for Peace with a very large check (no kidding - see picture below) valued at $21,000. More than 200 individual donations were made, totaling over $10,000. Some Goodman & Company clients even who also participated in the fund drive. Watch our short video clip of the check presentation.
Again, another story of good people mobilizing to make real, positive impact. Thank you Goodman and Company!
Almost every day we hear stories of various fundraisers, collection drives, and mobilization of people in support of Haiti. One of our most unusual fundraisers was right here in our home town area of Norfolk, VA.
Physicians for Peace received a check for $394.94 raised by the students of Willoughby Elementary in response to the earthquake in Haiti. Their fundraiser was to lock their principal, Sharon Phillips, in ‘jail’ until she could be bailed out by the students. The students then had to pay $1.00 towards her "bail" fund to visit her jail decorated office, which included a little hole to pop her head out. Of course, the children and the teachers had a great time with this fundraiser and the $394.94 surpassed their goal to reach $300.00 to release her from jail.
Please, please, share your stories and pictures with us. We love putting them on our Facebook and tweeting it to get the word out about our wonderful supporters.
Shortly after the earthquake ripped open the heart of Haiti, Physicians for Peace responded with a fundraising drive to support its two partners in Haiti, both of which were reduced to rubble. This week, Physicians of Peace sent checks of almost $27,000 each directly to Healing Hands for Haiti and St. Vincent's School for Handicapped. These funds represented the donations collected by Physicians for Peace in the direct aftermath of the earthquake and were intended for immediate relief operations in Haiti.
Prior to the devastating earthquake, there were an estimated 800,000 disabled people in Haiti. This population was disproportionately underserved and in many cases, shunned as outcasts. To meet the needs of Haiti’s disabled, Physicians for Peace, a Norfolk, VA-based nonprofit that provides medical training for health care providers in the developing world, began working in Haiti in 2005 as part of its Walking Free program—one of a very limited number of agencies with a sustainable track record in Haiti working with amputees.
Physicians for Peace has now strategically shifted its focus from the initial relief operations to the long term rebuilding effort in support of Haiti's disabled population. All cash and material donations will be used as part of Physicians for Peace’s Walking Free program in Haitito organize, train and supply prosthetic and orthotic production and training facilities.
Walking Free—An Initiative of Hope for Haiti’s Disabled
Amputee and celebrity Heather Mills publicly launched the campaign on Larry King Live. Physicians for Peace also enlisted the aid of Hanger Orthotics and Prosthetics, the nation’s largest manufacturer, to use its 670+ sites across the nation as collection points. Dozens of cities, agencies and companies are now sponsoring local drives and Physicians for Peace has become the “go to” agency to donate desperately needed mobility equipment. Our 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse is now overflowing, and we have partnered with Arpin Van Linesand Hampton Roads Moving and Storage for additional storage capacity. These items will be shipped via container to Haiti over the coming weeks.
Physicians for Peace has formed two coalitions to ensure that amputee victims of the earthquake will soon walk again and play an active role in Haiti’s recovery. The first alliance is the Hispaniola Prosthetics and Orthotics Education Coalition with Healing Hands for Haiti and the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics-US. Healing Hands for Haiti has been our long-term partner in the devastated capital city Port-au-Prince and is settin up temporary (and eventually, permanent) work space in the city and will soon be able to begin prosthetic production. There are vital equipment, medical supplies and professional medical volunteers we need to send. With your generous donations, we can mobilize these efforts quickly.
Second, recognizing that considerable activity is focused in the capital city, Physicians for Peace has joined Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc., Shepherd Spinal Center, and the Harold & Kayrita Anderson Family Foundation to launch the “Haitian Amputee Coalition” to support the central plateau region. This coalition is creating a long-term prosthetic production center at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, an undamaged local hospital 60 miles from Port-au-Prince.
You can help Haiti’s disabled.
Your monetary donations will help restore the production, training and rehabilitation infrastructure for Haiti’s disabled and will give Physicians for Peace the leverage to adequately organize, train and supply our Walking Free program.
Thank you for all you have already done for the people in Haiti and for supporting our work.
Josephine Bundoc tells us in her report the excitement and overflowing participation on the second Prosthetics and Orthotics Convention in the Philippines.
It was truly overwhelming to see the enthusiasm of the attendees during our 2nd prosthetics and orthotics convention. Limited by space and with only Nancy Hylton capable of showing how the special orthosis for children is fabricated, the technicians and occupational/physical therapists craned their necks, stood on tabletops and chairs to get a view of the entire process!
We had 130 registrants on the day one lectures and despite limiting the number to 50 for the day two workshop, we could not deny those who came all the way from Mindanao (Iligan, Zamboanga, Cagayan DE Oro, Davao ) and Visayas ( Bacolod, Cebu ). All together, we had 85!
It is not a surprise, therefore, that Nancy Hylton not only donated to Physicians for Peace sensory enhancement garments and orthosis but also fulfilled her promise of tapping Cascades (Europe based plastics company) to donate plastics plus send a CPO to teach our local technicians proper use and handling of the plastics for functional and well-fitted ankle foot orthosis (AFOs) for our disabled children!
Together with her assistant, Ruth Doane, they pushed through a full week of activities with relentless energy and full of inspiration! They conducted aquatherapy sessions with the physical therapists on their 3rd day, had a full morning sharing session with parents of disabled children on their 4th day, and conducted training/treatment activities at Philippine Children's Medical Center on their 5th day - and left for USA on the 6th day!
Wow .... Nancy must have really been touched by the appreciation of the parents and the zest for learning by the therapists because she actually arrived in Manila with joint pains (she has Rheumatoid Arthritis) and was on antibiotics (for a recurrent infection). Yet, she hurdled the lectures at Clark and PGH and the workshops unfazed with still 100% vigor to sing the karaoke and dance during the post-convention night out!
Once again...this would not be possible without your continuing support! And...we are sincerely very thankful for the assistance !
A little background:
On July 14-16th 2008, Physicians for Peace, together with the Department of Othopedics and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of the Philippines, Manila Health Science Campus, sponsored the first National Convention on Prostheses for Amputees. The three day conference was attended by over 180 doctors, physical therapists, prosthetists, medical students, and patients who demonstrated how working together can improve the treatment process for amputees.
I wanted to let you know what your Physicians for Peace has been doing since the earthquake that has so devastated Haiti.
When the earthquake struck, we acted quickly. Fully recognizing that we are not first responders, we began working with other agencies that were, including Partners In Health.
We also began a fund-raising appeal in direct support of rebuilding efforts for our two partners, St. Vincent’s School and Healing Hands, located in Port-au-Prince, and have already collected in excess of $50,000. Both agencies obviously suffered huge loss of property and lives.
But we also knew that once the relief and recovery efforts were nearing completion, our Walking Free program (established in Haiti by Physicians for Peace in 2005) would be well-positioned to help reconstruct, rebuild, and retrain. Haiti’s disabled population has obviously now grown exponentially and the needs are overwhelming. So in addition to the fund-raising appeal (which has now shifted from the immediate needs of St. Vincent’s School and Healing Hands to a more long-term rebuilding effort) we launched a campaign to collect not only desperately needed cash, but also launched a local campaign to collect prostheses, wheel chairs, crutches and other mobility devices we know will be essential to helping Haiti’s disabled.
The media and community responses were overwhelming. The local CBS affiliate held a “telethon” on our behalf and in collaboration with Old Dominion University College of Health Sciences, we held our first collection drive. Above to the left, you can see the work being done by PFP staff, volunteers and ODU students. The response was staggering, nearly 300 cars, trucks and vans dropped off much needed equipment.
One of our long term Walking Free partners has been Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, the nation’s leading provider. For the past ten years, we have been working with this nationwide company. Hanger and its foundation generously donated $12,500 in cash and nearly $200,000 in equipment. They are also collecting donated prostheses at more than 670 Hanger facilities throughout the U.S. (If you or you know someone who would like to donate, for a Hanger location near you).
International star and charity activist Heather Mills has now partnered with us. An amputee herself, she is using her star power to help us raise awareness for our limb drives across the U.S. She appeared on Larry King Live and really helped us start a nationwide movement to collect prostheses.
America has really stepped up to our challenge to collect mobility devices for Haiti’s disabled. Above to the right is a picture of our 10,000 square foot warehouse—literally overflowing.
In the coming weeks, we will pull together the team of medical specialists to take their teaching and clinical skills to Haiti to help rebuild the lives. The need is obvious and our long-term commitment is unwavering. We appreciate the continued support we are getting and are thankful to the many volunteers and donors who have been so helpful during this time of crisis for our friends in Haiti.
Sincerely,
Brigadier General Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.), President and CEO
Physicians for Peace, which has been providing amputee rehabilitation services in Haiti since 2005, is sponsoring a drive to collect prosthetics, wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches for victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Saturday, January 23, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Old Dominion University - Webb Center
49th Street, Norfolk, VA
ODU students and Physicians for Peace (PFP) volunteers will be collecting the donations, refurbishing as necessary and then sending to Physicians for Peaces’s rehabilitation centers in Port-au-Prince.
“We will be sending this equipment by container to be used when the critical relief activities are near completion,” said Mary Kwasniewski, Physicians for Peace’s Senior Director for Global Health. “Then, we’ll work directly with our two primary partners there, Healing Hands for Haiti and St. Vincent’s Orphanage, who we know will be seeing an increase in amputee victims resulting from this tragedy.”
During the drive, cash donations will be accepted, however, donations of other equipment, clothing, etc, cannot be accepted.
This drive is part of PFP’s “Walking Free” program, recognized around the world for providing prosthetics and other devices as well as training to prosthetists and physical therapists to help amputees live fully productive lives.
Both medical workers and patients have shown tremendous courage in dealing with the devastation caused by recent typhoons in the Philippines. Dr. Josephine Bundoc reports on the conditions there, and the incredible determination of the survivors:
Dear Everyone,
The Physicians for Peace Walking Free team walked and waded through the aftermath of the typhoon to provide relief goods, medical, surgical and disability assistance to the amputees and wheelchair borne community of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (House without steps) on October 2, 2009.
Truly inspiring indeed is the fact that we were met with warm, happy and hopeful faces with only their wounds and broken prosthesis giving us a clue to the damages brought upon them by Typhoon Ondoy! As one of the survivors told us, "We survived it through faith and mind over matter."
Since President Arroyo was expected to arrive at 1 pm, we had to finish the mission before noon for security purposes. Within the time constraints, the Physicians for Peace Amputee Support Group was able to distribute 100 packages of toiletries and food, clean and dress 20 wounds, provide medical consults and medications to 75 families and screen 28 amputees.
On that day, we also turned over a donation of 10,000 pesos by HaoChin Chua Foundation and 20,000 pesos raised by the Physicians for Peace Amputee Support group for the rehabilitation of their dormitories, homes, and workplace which were neck deep in water.
We returned Oct 19 to measure the amputees for new prosthesis --- fulfilling a promise we made when we had to leave early last Oct 2 as we were pressed to leave the premises.
We will again go back in November to deliver their finished prosthesis so they can regain independent mobility and facilitate their immediate return to work and productivity!
On behalf of the beneficiaries, we express our appreciation for your unwavering support!
You can support our relief efforts and medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can contribute to our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html
Today Dr. Penny Bundoc, John Knight, Mr. Henry Knight, and I travelled to Clark Air Base to visit the “Walking Free” Pampanga Project.
Upon arrival we were met by Mr. Pepito D. Villanueva, Manager, Special Concerns Office. “Pep” was a gracious host, and it is obvious that he has a passion for this project. It is through his hard work that he has been able to take very few resources and make this project work. I was extremely happy that I was able to give him a handful of prosthetic knees that I had taken on the flight from our headquarters in Norfolk. These knees will help complete several more above knee prostheses.
As we toured the facility, it was evident that it was being run in a very professional and efficient manner. There were rooms set aside for manufacturing the limbs, physical therapy, and training. The result of everyone’s hard work over the last couple of years was clearly evident. In a span of less than 2 years, a total of 128 patients have receive prosthetic limbs. The patients that were treated lived in 21 different localities.
We were introduced later to Mr. Benigno Ricafort, the President of the Clark Development Corporation. Mr. Ricafort was very enthusiastic about the work that we are doing to help amputees and indicated that he would continue to support our work there.
A real indicator of just how much of an impact we have made in the Pampanga area is the fact that people that live far outside the general area come to the clinic to see if they can receive help.
Mr. Villanueva provided me with additional information as to the types of items that would be helpful. I told him that we will continue to ship containers full of prosthetic limbs, walkers, canes, crutches, and wheelchairs in an effort to support our friends in Pampanga and help them walk again and live a full life.
It is almost 1:00 A.M. Oh by the way it looks like there will be more massive flooding. We are supposed to be hit by more bad weather this weekend. Let’s just hope and pray that somehow it passes us by.
You can join Ken in supporting our medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can support our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html
John Knight, M.P.H., a long time Physicians for Peace volunteer and recipient of our 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award for Mission Support, is currently traveling in the Philippines with Ken Hudson, our Gifts in Kind Manager. He reports on the incredible achievements of the Walking Free Program and gives an update on the situation since the typhoons hit a few weeks ago:
As you know, our first of 3 "Seeing Clearly" missions was just cancelled in Isabela due to the impassibility of the roads in Northern Luzon. Back to back typhoons have resulted in massive flooding and landslides that have killed hundreds of people in both areas. Unfortunately, The Philippines receives more than its share of natural disasters. But because of this, the people are very resilient and, as always, still have great smiles and attitudes. The first typhoon hit Manila 2 weeks ago and hit home for Physicians for Peace, with the flooding of our Secretary Cherry's house. She had 10 feet of water in her house, had to spend a night on the roof, and lost many material possessions. The selfless person that she is, Cherry still managed to meet us at the airport, along with Juan and Lyne. This was the first trip to a developing country for my father, Henry and Ken. However, the staff and volunteers here immediately made everyone feel right at home.
Dr. Montero and Lyne are arranging for us to help with the relief efforts in Manila in the time that was allotted for the first mission. Ken did a great job of summarizing our tours of Walking Free and PGH today. My father also had never seen anything like what he saw today. As a Board Member of Duke University Hospital, he had been exposed to a lot of first world medicine but had never truly seen what the have-nots in the world must face when trying to care for themselves and their families. He was truly affected by what he witnessed and will share his experiences with many others. For me, witnessing first-hand these heartbreaking scenes never fails to put things in perspective, energizing me to give more of my future time and resources to help others. After visiting the hot, chaotic & overcrowded pediatric ER, my father and I agreed that had his 2 month prematurely born granddaughter McKenzie been born in such a place, she would probably not be alive today.
While there is so much work to be done in that hospital, the shining star of what we saw was the Physicians for Peace Walking Free Program. The last time I visited it several year ago, all that existed was a concept, a room filled with boxes, very little equipment, and very few patients being served. Fortunately, Dr. Montero, Penny Bundoc & Lyne Abanilla have relentlessly worked to make this program a huge success. Prostheses were being formed while some patients were being fitted and others were "Walking Free". We heard first hand stories from these patients and staff who have been made whole again by Physicians for Peace.
Even though our team is delayed in the hands-on work we will perform, the Good Lord always has a plan. Today was a chance to see the overall picture firsthand. It was an opportunity to see how much has been done but how much more we can do. We all sat down for a quiet lunch afterward and had great discussions and brainstorming about how we can best help these most deserving Filipinos in the future. Although some ideas may be dreams, Penny told me that she did not think the dream of "Walking Free - Philippines" would be where it is now when we had similar discussions in 2004. With hard the continued hard work of Physicians for Peace's staff and volunteers, dreams do come true!!!
We look forward to updating you soon about "Seeing Clearly" missions 2 and 3 which are still on schedule.
God Bless You All,
John Knight
You can join John in supporting our medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can support our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html
Ken Hudson, our Gifts in Kind manager, is currently in the Philippines helping out with our on-going programs there, which include Walking Free and Seeing Clearly. His first observations on the ground show why Physicians for Peace is there and the importance of the work of our volunteers...
"I was excited to be on my first mission since joining Physicians for Peace in May 2005, and looking forward to participating in a medical mission trip to the Philippines.
Doctor Montero arrived to pick up John Knight, John Knight’s dad, Henry, and myself and then we were off to meet Penny and Pipo Bundoc and Lyne Abanilla at Philippine General Hospital for a guided tour.
While I cannot do justice to what I saw with words or pictures I will do my best to provide an overall sense of what is being accomplished there.
The main focus of the tour was the prosthetics clinic where the bulk of the work for the “Walking Free” program in Manila takes place. While Penny and Pipo gave me an education as to their primary needs in the shop they also took the time to introduce some of their patients.
I met Lea Redreno, who suffers from congenital deformities on every limb. Lea is working at the “Walking Free” clinic, helping maintain it’s inventory and organization. Lea has a beautiful smile and a great personality even though she has suffered from many personal hardships.
Then I had the pleasure of meeting Herbert Renuda, who at the young age of 15 was being fitted for an above the knee prosthesis at the hip. While being fitted, Herbert displayed maturity beyond his years.
Then I met several young amputees that also had appointments at the clinic who all had positive attitudes and big smiles for everyone they met.
This is proof once again that the Physicians for Peace team and our great volunteers such as Doctor Montero and Lyne Abanilla continue to do great work.
After visiting the “Walking Free” area, Penny and Pipo decided to give us a tour through the rest of the hospital.
What I saw was something that I have never witnessed. I saw a hospital that is bursting at the seams. Wherever I went there were extremely long lines of sick people waiting for help. As soon as you walked into the main screening area you could see that the system was overwhelmed.
One of the scenes was of a woman leaning over her mother who was laying on a cot in pain. She was busily trying to use a paper fan to try to cool her while her tears were falling as she wondered what illness she was suffering from. I came upon another family that was trying to comfort a young girl that they had barely saved from slipping into a coma. Her supply of insulin had run out, and they were not able to get to Manila in time because of the recent flooding and landslides that had been caused by Typhoons Ondong and Ppepeng. The young physician in training assured me that her patient would probably recover, but that she had suffered a great deal.
Particularly troublesome were the number of very young children that I saw that were waiting for treatment. It is hard to say how many there were but virtually all available space was occupied. The illnesses of these children could range from the common cold to more serious illnesses.
Through all of this, the hard working and dedicated medical professionals like Penny and Pipo and our great volunteers Doctor Montero and Lyne Abanilla impressed me with their great attitudes and their hard work. This is the one piece of the thread that keeps things running at this hospital.
Additionally what was perhaps the most inspiring part of what I saw was to witness the strength and courage of the families that stood watch over their loved ones while waiting for help without a single complaint. I will never forget what I saw today, and this experience makes me want to do everything that I can to help the people of the Philippines."
You can join Ken in supporting our medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can support our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html
Dr. Josephine Budoc of Walking Free Philippines gives this report on the accomplishments of two of our prosthetic and orthotic technicians:
"The Cambodia School of Prosthetics and Orthotics ( CSPO ) has granted the Philippine Walking Free technicians two (2) full scholarships for its 3 year P & O Category 2 course. Their scholarship covers their $12,000/year tuition fee for 3 years, free board and lodging, allowance, and health insurance. Philippine Airlines has been kind enough to sponsor their roundtrip fares to and from Manila.
The 2 technicians are Edgar Bellosillo and Desiderio Gapasin. Edgar has been the PGH technician (initially for Jaipur and then Physicians for Peace) since 2005... Desiderio is a hip disarticulation prosthesis user who has been a P & O technician since 1990 and is our technician at the Clark Prosthesis Laboratory and Training CEnter.
They are scheduled to leave October 28 for Cambodia and we are truly wishing them all the best in their schooling. May we reap the fruits of their efforts in the P & O school we are trying to establish!"
Congratulations to Edgar and Desiderio, and to all the Walking Free Philippines team for their hard work in continuing to improve care for amputees. If you would like to find out more about our medical missions in the Philippines and other international health programs, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org.
You can also donate medical equipment or prosthetic devices to the Walking Free Program or make a medical donation to support international health education - Your support changes lives!
Although the weather did not cooperate with our efforts to collect recycled prosthetics at Harbor Park in Norfolk on Sunday, donations still came in, and publicity from the event was valuable in raising awareness about the importance of recycling prosthetics. The Walking Free Program and its partners were able to educate the public about the lack of amputee care in developing countries and the efforts to train prosthetists, orthotists, and physical therapists in resource-poor areas of the world. Receiving a limb and gaining the ability to walk independently is a life-changing event for someone who has lost a limb to injury, war, or disease. Thank you to all who assisted the Walking Free program in their efforts to help those in need!
Recyclingprosthetics helps amputees indevelopingcountries get the care theyneed.The Walking Free programhas partnered withHangarProsthetics andOrthotics, At Home Care, Nauticus,andOldDominionUniversity to sponsoralimb drive this Sunday from 12pm - 2pm at Harbour Park in Norfolk,Virginiaat the Tides baseballgame.The limbs and braces collected will be brokendownand shipped worldwide to support Walking Free volunteermedicalmissions.
Bring a prosthetic donation and get free admission to the Tides game!
Tolearnmore about the Walking Free programand its mission toprovide care toamputees in the world's poorest countries,visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org/walkingfree.html
Recognizing the need for recycled prosthetics throughout the world, Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics has recently donated over a dozen prosthetic limbs to the Physicians for Peace Walking Free Program. These limbs will find a second life, helping individuals to walk who would otherwise not have had access to amputee care. Ability will continue to donate prosthetics throughout the year in support of our international health programs.
Each year people throughout the third world, especially children, suffer from accidents and disease that result in amputation. Yet most of the time, treatment and rehabilitation services are unavailable, and prosthetics are rare and costly. Physicians for Peace volunteer medical professionals train prosthetists and physical therapists in their home country so that they can help individuals get the treatment they need. Thanks to the Walking Free Program, many are able to walk on their own for the first time, allowing them to earn a living and start a new life.
To donate medical equipment such as prosthetics and orthotics, contact our Gifts in Kind Manager at khudson@physiciansforpeace.org or call 757-625-7569 for more information.
Watch video about Ability and Physicians for Peace and their work to recycle prosthetics:
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