Sustaining Help for Nepalese Children Suffering from Cerebral Palsy
Written by Dawn Sandalcidi, PT, RCMT, BCB-PMD
Growing up, I was blessed to be around children with Cerebral Palsy (CP), which stimulated my desire to become a physical therapist, a career that I love more now than when I started nearly 38 years ago!
Did you know….
The incidence of Cerebral Palsy (CP) in Nepal is estimated to be over 60,000. The Self -Help Group for CP estimate that 80% of children (and adults) also present with bowel and bladder leakage which significantly affects their quality of life and leads to infections and other medical complications. Additionally, a recent pilot study revealed an incidence of urinary leakage in school children aged 10-16 years at 73%, as compared to 6-13% in developed countries. This has shown me a clear and meaningful need to help CP kids in Nepal who are tragically affected.
Through a partnership with the University in Nepal, I will be training Nepali Physical Therapists how to treat children with bowel and bladder issues. Nepal currently does not have any trained providers – this training will provide sustainability as these providers will be able to treat multiples of children with bowel bladder issues, in addition to strategies for prevention.
The plan is also to visit several villages with a Self-Help Group for Cerebral Palsy children to educate families and caregivers how to manage incontinence and constipation in these children.
I need your help to accomplish this!
I will be donating a 3-day training for PT’s and several caregiver trainings for this project. With your help I can secure needed supplies, bring physical therapists from remote villages to the course and help with travel expenses.
The Prometheus Group has generously donated an entire biofeedback system with pediatric animation to the hospital, but additional lead wires and electrodes are needed to run the system.
What’s Needed?
- Supplies for treatments
- Electrodes for 1 child $4.60 x 100 =$460
- Additional lead wires and adaptors – $340 per set – 2 sets per year= $680.00
- Airfare and Travel Expenses (Hotel, etc.) to help offset the costs of – $3,750.00
My goal is to raise approximately $6,000 to help improve the quality of life for these children.
Your Support Will Make a Great Impact:
- $50 will help pay for electrodes for 10 children
- $150 will bring a physical therapist from a remote region to the course
- Any $ amount will help me educate the therapists in Nepal to sustain the program and treat thousands of children = PRICELESS
- A donation of any size will make a difference and will be tremendously appreciated. Please consider donating an amount that feels comfortable to you and know that you are impacting the health, well-being and quality of life for Nepalese children.
This is a personal mission – I’m asking for a personal donation (which unfortunately is not tax-deductible) to help me make a difference in the lives of these children. My hope is to train the physical therapists in Nepal who will in turn continue to train others. Training the trainers is the most sustainable way for me to begin this grass-roots process.
I need to be funded by February 29, 2020!
Ways you can donate to Dawn’s cause:
- Venmo @Dawn-Sandalcidi- no fees
- https://fundly.com/nepal-2020-1- (fees apply)
- Mail a check directly – no fees. Mailing Address: 3989 E. Arapahoe Rd #120, Centennial, CO 80122
About Dawn
Dawn Sandalcidi PT, RCMT, BCB-PMD specializes in: pelvic muscle dysfunction (incontinence and pain) and orthopedic manual therapy. She is the leading expert in the field of pediatric incontinence in physical therapy. She has trained medical professionals in manual therapy both nationally and internationally since 1992. Dawn is also Board-Certified Biofeedback in Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction (BCB-PMD).
Dawn has actively been treating patients for the past 38 years and owns the private practice clinic Physical Therapy Specialists in Centennial, Colorado. She develops educational materials for health care providers and provides consulting services through DSD PT Consulting.
In addition to lecturing internationally on pediatric bowel and bladder disorders, Dawn has also lectured on pelvic pain for CPD Health Courses for osteopaths, manual therapists and acupuncturists in Melbourne, Australia. In 2017, Dawn was invited to speak at the World Physical Therapy Conference in South Africa about pediatric pelvic floor dysfunction and incontinence.
In 2018, Dawn was awarded the Elizabeth Noble Award by the American Physical Therapy Association Section on Women’s Health for providing extraordinary and exemplary service to the field of physical therapy for women and children.
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