PediHabilidad: Enabling children through rehabilitation

Mission

The PediHabilidad (Able Children) initiative is a rehabilitation program for children with disabilities in the Amazon region of Ecuador.

A 2 year old boy with a congenital bone disorder learns to walk with braces and a cane with Ecuadorian Physical Therapist Alexandra Cadena and his parents

In 2006 US physical therapist volunteer Nicole Falcone, formerly of NYU Medical Center, founded the PediHabilidad Rehabilitation Program with 6 children with cerebral palsy.

Over the last 3 years, the program has grown to serve over 400 children in this economically challenged rainforest region of South America.

PediHabilidad offers services at no cost to children with disabilities ages 0-12 resulting from cerebral palsy, epilepsy, birth defects, Down syndrome, and developmental delay designed to improve their physical well being, gain strength and improve their ability to stand, crawl and walk on their own.

Alexandra’s father learns exercises to perform at home from Program Coordinator Nicole Falcone, MPT

Parents also participate in therapy sessions where they are taught an exercise program to perform in the home, and guided in ways to assist and advocate for their child with a disability.

Through donations and grant funding, PediHabilidad is able to furnish the clinic with state of the art rehabilitation equipment otherwise unavailable in Latin America.

In addition PediHabilidad provides each child with the durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches and braces necessary for their rehabilitation.

Through therapeutic exercise and family and community education, the PediHabilidad Rehabilitation Program offers children with a disability a means to integrate into their schools and communities by enhancing their ability to navigate within the world in which they live.

Who we are

The outpatient rehabilitation clinic is located at Hospital Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra in Tena, Ecuador, part of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health system.

Neurology Brigade 2009

It is run by volunteer physical, speech and occupational therapists from the US and other countries that work together with Ecuadorian therapists and train University students in rehabilitation skills.

PediHabilidad also coordinates an annual Neurology Brigade with Dr. Sebastian Espinosa and a group of volunteer Neurologists from the United States to perform testing, diagnosis and orient treatment for patients with neurological problems such as epilepsy and paralysis.

Navigating the Community

Pedi-Habilidad is the only program of its kind in the Napo Province in the Amazon region of Ecuador that provides specialized rehabilitation services, offering families hope and assistance in managing their child's disability. Located in the rural Amazon rainforest region of Eastern Ecuador, the Napo Province (pop 91,000) is well known to kayakers and adventure tourists for its famous river and jungle trips. It is also one of Ecuador’s most economically challenged provinces, with limited access to major cities. Included in the population are local residents of Spanish descent as well as Native American (Quechuan) communities, which constitute 80% of the population. Volunteer therapists perform home visits to local Indigenous communities and deliver durable medical equipment to program children.

A 7 year-old boy with cerebral palsy receives a home visit from PediHabilidad to deliver a wheelchair and standing frame Support

Support

PediHabilidad is supported by grant awards and private donations through the US-based Maidstone Foundation, Inc, a 5013c nonprofit organization. Through grant funding, PediHabilidad funds volunteer efforts and is able to furnish the clinic with state of the art rehabilitation equipment for the clinic. In addition funding also provides assistance with the acquisition of durable medical equipment for the individual children’s personal use, such as wheelchairs, braces and adapted bicycles. The Catholic Medical Mission Board also helps to sponsor long term volunteers and ship equipment donations overseas for PediHabilidad. At a local level the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health and Hospital Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra provide PediHaiblidad with clinic space and personnel.