Catalyst Project
Facilitating wheelchair services through faith-based hospitals in low-resource countries.
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
It would be great if you could stop and pray! We are Heading for Ethiopia next week.
God has opened doors for a team to come together that includes two physical therapists with wheelchair expertise, a biomedical engineer, two nurses, a pastor, and a man who is expert in helping farmers with disability keep working. Therapists, prosthetists and other interested people from four organizations are planning to be there: Soddo Christian Hospital, Emmanuel, Agape and CURE Ethiopia. Please pray that the fruit of the Spirit will shine through it all, for unity, for peace, and favour in the details involved. We're brining some pediatric supportive wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy so please pray that these come safely without trouble.
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
Now 85 is the lowest number possible!!
Please consider helping us hit this higher target. Each wheelchair of this type costs $360 USD. Click on the button below to donate and clearly indicate "for wheelchairs".
One of our initiatives this year is with Participant Life. They make a pediatric supportive wheelchair called the Cub Chair. We were in the final stages to partner with with BethanyKids to obtain 30 of these wheelchairs, fit them to children, and then do a study next spring with Jessica Tsotsoros team at University of Oklahoma to see how well these wheelchairs work in Africa for these children. We had raised funds toward the thirty chairs, Thanks to all who donated!!
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
It's Make a Wheel Difference time
September again!! It's great to work with our church and our town here in Didsbury, Canada. Together we're running a Make a Wheel Difference event next Saturday, September 24th at 10:00 am. Each team of two has to figure out how to go 100 yards/meters on a sidewalk with only two good legs. :-).
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
It's been a busy and rather amazing month. God has opened doors for new collaborations! Jonathan Biggers is now onboard with Ideas and working closely with me. At the Ideas conference, we met Gabrielle, the new CEO. She's opening some great doors!!. Other Ideas associates are collaborating now. Bill Merrifield, who oversees the Ideas education sector, is planning to be at the MedSend Summit conference with us at the end of August. He and Jonathan are exploring cross cultural collaborative spiritual training for the chaplains at mission hospitals. We're planning a trip to work with Soddo Hospital in Ethiopia in November. Today, the medical director at Soddo opened doors for Jonathan to begin to interact with three of the chaplains a Soddo in preparation for our trip. That's so important because many families and individuals dealing with disabilities are considered to have done something shameful. So difficult and isolating!! Christine, another Ideas associate with expertise in community health education is collaborating about ways to work with families and their communities to open doors for inclusion.
Make a Wheel Difference September 24th
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
So good! We saw and encouraged over 50 wheelchair users and their families. We were encouraged by them, and especially by the BeeLine team. Data to improve design was collected by the great University of Oklahoma team. Medical help was given by our team and local nurses, doctors and dentists. Wheelchair repair and modification was a done by a team of locals and those with us. Plans were made and are in the works for sustained work to enable local and global excellence. So rewarding to be part of such a collaborative effort! It's great that the benefit is already spreading to countries in Africa.
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
The Hive Camp is happening!! In Guatemala, June 19 – 26.
It’s a collaborative effort of AT Catalyst, BethanyKids, Invigorate, and BeeLine. We thought we had things in place but realized the camp location we had been planning to use wouldn’t be adequate!By God’s grace, Elizabeth and Esther found one that seems perfect. However it’s suddenly adding several thousand dollars to the cost! There isn’t much time. Please consider helping this happen!!The participants are booked and planning to arrive and there is so much need. More info below.
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
Unless clinics and hospitals have a reliable supply of appropriate wheelchairs, it's impossible to provide quality care to those who cannot walk. In many countries, there is no reliable supply of pediatric chairs. We've tried many times unsuccessfully to find options for pediatric chairs. Now, thanks to Josh Smith and Invigorate, new doors are opening. It's a privilege to collaborate with him!! It would be great if you could consider supporting this! Starting with children throughout East Africa, Ethiopia and Guatemala this plan has huge global potential. Please consider supporting Josh and Invigorate as this initiative raises start-up funds. It's exciting to be part of this! Together we can initiate this reliable and sustainable local supply of wheelchairs for the children waiting in isolation.
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
Daniel is seven years old and never had a wheelchair. Because of your help with a shipment from Hoggi in Germany, he was able to get one from the great BethanyKids team. So fun to see his smile!
Daniel's story also illustrates difficulties
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
The rather unexpected trip to Guatemala was amazing. It was lovely to see Josh, Luke, Joab, Mark and Jeff planning together. While we were there we did the first planning steps for a research trip and family camp in June. We even met the Guatemalan minister of health thanks to Esther and Mark. Just to make things more dramatic, there was a small earthquake while we were there.
- Submitted by Karen Rispin
It’s winter here. So cold!! It’s been around 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit for a week (right around -30 C). I took the fence picture on a really cold morning walk. And we have months of this ahead of us.
During this cold dark time when we have had plans disrupted over and over, I have found it very easy to lose motivation. Especially if that motivation was aimed at completing a specific task or achieving a goal. Why even try anymore? What’s the use and what hope is there anyway?
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