Screening day- Sunday afternoon after our arrival in Ozamiz City! The children and families were so excited to get started with their speech therapy. So far we have 20 patients with repaired cleft palate for speech therapy, as well as about 10 from the Center of Hope Special Education Center run by the Sister's of St. Columban missionaries. When we are working in the different cities around the Philippines, we like to assist the special education programs when possible. Since their is NO speech therapy available here, we feel it is important to bring speech therapy support to the schools or foundations supporting the children with special needs. The Hope Center has been instrumental in arranging the follow-up speech therapy for the children after their palate repairs. For the last 2 years, the mission has been bringing the patients to Dipolog City (4 hour drive each way) from Ozamiz to Dipolog! With an additional 14 palate repair surgeries by Dr. Geoff Williams and the team from International Children's Surgical Foundation this past December 2015- there were originally 35 children pending speech therapy! About 12 children have been unable to attend the 2 weeks of intensive speech therapy; a few more are still expected next week for screening and possible speech therapy.
Theresa Snelling and Jocelyn Noble, pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists from Lakewood screening a few of our younger patients! This is Theresa's 12th mission in the Philippines (her 7th with ICSF) and Jocelyn's first speech mission in Philippines; Jocelyn and Theresa participated in an ICSF mission to Pucallpa, Peru in 2013.
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| Betsy Straka, Speech-Language Pathologist from Colorado Springs, Colorado, screening one of our older patients who's palate repair surgery did not happen until he was 15 years old! Speech correction at this age is difficult, but no impossible as previous speech missions have shown! | This is Betsy's second speech therapy mission with ICSF! |
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