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Mississauga Physiotherapist Ready for Challenges in Haiticbm Canada
“People can rebuild their lives through rehabilitation. As a physiotherapist, I have a heart for helping people by making lasting improvements in the quality of their lives,” says 35-year-old Hard who has Masters of Science degree in Physiotherapy. Hard believes her clinical experience will give her a strong foundation for embracing the many clinical challenges that lie ahead. Over 300,000 people were injured in Haiti from the January 12th earthquake. Thousands have had their limbs amputated, leaving a generation of newly disabled people. “Professionally, I have worked in a variety of settings that have helped me to prepare for work in Haiti,” says Hard, whose experience includes caring for people with disabilities in underserved communities both at home and abroad. From 2003 to 2008, Hard provided rehabilitation support to individuals with disabilities in a rural community of Western Kenya through the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation during a challenging time of drought and post-election conflict. While in Kenya, Hard also provided training for people living with disabilities, as well as care givers who had complex neurological conditions, burns, wound infections and a multitude of injuries including amputation and traumatic injury. Hard will be taking a leave of absence from her current job at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, where she specializes in acute care medicine and also coordinates initiatives to support rehabilitation for people living with HIV. She is currently living at Matthew House which provides shelter, guidance and support for newly arrived refugees to Toronto. “I have a personal connection to the people of Haiti because of refugees I have met at Matthew House. It has reinforced the need for me to support our global community with my skills, training and experience,” says Hard. “As a Christ follower, I am called to serve,” she adds. “I am fortunate to be able to offer my skills to help in this rebuilding process and to bring hope for a future in Haiti.” Hard will be one of six cbm physiotherapists on the ground in Haiti, serving at different hospitals every day, treating about 30 patients per day. cbm has been working in Haiti since 1976, with development projects throughout the country, including five programs for those with disabilities in Port-au-Prince. More than 300,000 people have been injured from the disaster. cbm, Handicap International and a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) are meeting with the Haitian Secretariat of State for Integration of Persons with Disabilities to begin drafting a National Plan on Disability. The plan will create a framework that will channel all efforts by NGOs working on disability. A leading international Christian humanitarian organization, cbm works to meet the needs of persons with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world. For more information, www.cbmcanada.org. Editors note: Interviews and photos available on request. Media Contact: |
Mississauga, ON, Feb. 23, 2010 - Next week, Julie Hard will be leaving for a trip of a lifetime. But it’s not a vacation. For the next six months, she’ll be working as a physiotherapist for cbm Canada in Haiti, helping the most vulnerable people who have survived the earthquake.© Copyright 2004. Christian Blind Mission International. All rights reserved. Privacy & Security.