Most advertising makes us believe we need the newest and best of things, but do we really?

If you ask Jose’s mom, I don’t think she would agree. Her son receives physical therapy every other week at ASELSI in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. We do not know Jose’s diagnosis, but we do know when he first came he struggled with head control. It took a long time, but eventually he started lifting his head and sitting. As he grew he learned to sit and do other things, but standing and walking were still hard, as he didn’t have good trunk control.

Last year when the team from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and Erin, my PT friend, came, he was one of many children who received different devices built with locally purchased materials. He received a PVC pipe walker, allowing him to stand and walk while giving him the support he needed. 

Recently the mom said part of the handle on the walker had come apart, so we went on our adventurous house visit to check it out. (If you missed last week’s blog about it, check it out here.) The walker was easily repaired, and he was walking around, showing off what he could do. (See below.) 

Now, instead of standing inside the walker, he pushed it from the outside. What a delight to see the improvement in strength, trunk control, and balance in a year, all with a simple device that could be made locally. We’ll be providing more PVC pipe walkers, standers, and other things to our patients who need them when the UTMB team and Erin return in August.