Upsee

We recently purchased a new item to help with our physical therapy.  The Upsee came on the market in April and we have been waiting patiently to receive ours.  It came with our Saramoldaeva delegation and we have had the chance to use it with one child, David, a few times since its arrival.

Our first attempt, was honesty not the greatest, but was a great opportunity to learn for the future.  Although we had read the instructions and watched the instructional videos, we hadn't really though through everything.  I had the opportunity to wear it the first time we used it.  We didn't really prepare David for what we were doing and just went outside with his two siblings to the yard.  I didn't think to bring a blanket to lay him on while putting the vest on and we hadn't put the vest on inside.  As a result, I put it on him while he was laying across my lap (definitely not ideal).  Since I couldn't look at myself while I had it on, I couldn't quite tell that it wasn't adjusted quite right.  Despite this, the look of delight on his face and that of his sister's was priceless as they held hands standing up together (see pictures below).  As suggested, we only spent a few minutes using it and only walked a few steps.  Afterwards we went back inside to do the rest of our exercises.  David did not want anything to do with his other exercises.  Although he couldn't communicate what was wrong, I had the sense he was mad that we came inside and he was no longer standing. We have moved the use of his Upsee to the end of his exercise time, which has helped.

The next time we used the Upsee, his dad put on the belt and walked with him.  I preferred being able to watch and give suggestions as I could see what was going on and how David was responding.  The smile on his face as he walked around was great.  We are still getting the hang of using it, but so far David's reaction and his ability to do some "normal" things outside has been priceless.  We are looking forward to trying it with a couple of the other children in our Ray of Hope club this week.

Building Community

One of the desires for our Ray of Hope Club is for it to be a place where community is built.  We want mothers, fathers, and children to feel supported and encouraged by one another. One of our board members was in Taraz last week for a visit. She has a background in education and currently provides anti-bullying training for schools in Virginia. We hosted a tea where she shared some of the wisdom she has learned with parents. She also took the time to listen to their ideas about how they want to bring hope to their children.  While the parents sat, talked, and drank tea, the children played in the adjoining room. Our time together lasted for over two hours as everyone had a great time laughing and enjoying each other's company.  

We also began a piece of art work that is now hanging in our Ray of Hope Club. Children and their family members created leaves for our tree using their feet and hands. We will continue to add the hands and feet of others who become a part of our club down the road.  It will be fun to see the branches fill and know that each leaf represents a life that has been touched in some way.