Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/149404
Photos courtesy of Tina Allen and the Liddle Kidz Foundation. really understood our work and when a child really craved it," says Rachel Speranza, LMT, from West Palm Beach, Florida. "At times, some children would receive a massage, and then would get up and offer it to another child, or go to another volunteer and ask for more." Huong Tieu Huynh, the director of QHCC, thanked us for returning and divulged the true impact our previous trip had made. Before our first visit, the children had approximately 40 hospital visits per year between them all. Going to the hospital is not only scary for the children, but a large financial burden on a care system already struggling to feed and clothe them. After implementing the massage techniques we shared, the hospitalization rate is down to only 2–3 times per year in total. We could have never imagined such an amazing outcome, and the staff was eager to learn as much as we could share; the children just soaked up the love. Touch Matters "One of the first experiences I had on this trip was the most profound," says Karen Dickson, LMP, from Carnation, Washington. "The first day I went into the infant room and saw a handful of babies wrapped up on the floor. One stood out because she looked more fragile." During our initial team debriefing, Dickson expressed her desire to work with the baby and asked the team if they would join her in taking turns doing so the next day. Throughout the day, the baby was held and given massage and nurturing touch by members of the team. Dickson could see a difference almost immediately. "She had opened her eyes—something she wouldn't do before—and was freely moving her arm, "A person's a person, no matter how small." Dr. Seuss and she had taken a bottle!" she says. "I was so floored to know that we really helped this baby survive." Magic Happened During our time in Hanoi, we visited the My Dinh orphanage. The children there appeared physically healthy, with a small number of them having special health-care needs and emotional traumas. In the corner was a little girl about 6 years old with special needs, possibly autistic. Her body appeared underdeveloped, the muscle tone in her feet and ankles was low, and she was standing on her toes. "Tina noticed that she was in a crib and took her out, attempting to get her to stand up," Speranza says. "It became apparent that she could not do so. I worked, coaxing the child's feet with massage. About an hour later, this little girl was trying to take her first steps!" The quick progression of events amazed the caregivers, who apparently believed she was unable to walk. This child was ready to walk, had the desire to walk, and only needed extra support to help facilitate it. This interaction provided a wonderful example to the caregivers that just a little touch goes a long way with children of different needs. Watch the documentary Liddle Kidz in Vietnam at www.youtube.com/user/LiddleKidz, and see what it was like working with the orphaned and abandoned children of Vietnam. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 69