Friday, December 20, 2013

To add another post! Not two in a row! This is neat news...

Paramedics Nicaragua

This link above is a little creative project, a slight effort in frustration too.
Take a look, it's not perfect, but it's my first.

Thanks everyone! :D

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Hands on, hard working and passionate students!
'Tis the season... and 'tis the time I start thinking about the next course... not even just my own course.  I am gearing up for the next journey to Nicaragua.  We have another new group of 12 medics, which is exciting, but strangely daunting.  I've never been one to be the huuuge organizer. But as I see the group as it shuffles, swells and dips and grows once again... I'm encouraged.

I am also making sure that if people find April difficult that there is always the option of November 2014.  We always have 2 groups go down each year.  The most recent group was small and I want each section to be as successful as the last.

Either way, I am excited.  There have been changes at Skylark, with Ellen and Fifo in Tennessee, there are new faces to meet and get to know.  Gary is encouraged by the interest and the next year coming our way.  The Nicaraguans are a completely new and inexperienced group.  So we go back to basics.  I am hoping to see the same interpreters or course, but I am sure that there will be changes to that group also, it's a fluid world.

Now, fundraising.  Each of us need to raise $1500.  We each pay $1000 for the trip, use up our much valued vacation time too. The $1500 is additional.  That is what covers the additional costs of just getting participants to the site, housing, feeding, and equipment, not to mention paying the interpreters and making sure Skylark is maintained and as fantastic a facility as it always is.  We were lucky and got one donation right at the outset! :) Now we work hard with chili cook offs, approaching corporate sponsors, family and friends, retail sponsors, etc.

My request to friends, family and colleagues - any suggestions, people you can put me in touch with, opportunitues, etc.  would be much appreciated.  I'm looking for anything and anyone, I have professional letters available for businesses as a formal proposal.

More fun to come! Keep on the blog! :D Cheers and thanks to everyone for the continued support!!! <3

Monday, April 22, 2013

2013 mission complete, and 13 medics with great memories

Well, this year came crashing together with immense success, new attention, support and encouragement from unexpected places.  I can't begin to express how shocked, excited and stoked I was when it came to the departure day.

A quick summary for today! There were 37 returning nicaraguans from Carazo province who arrived.  It was great to have a chance to visit again, hear stories, share experiences, learn from what others had done and then learn more from us! All 13 paramedics participating were involved 110%, with lesson plans, creative activities for some much drier topics and pushing participants to develop more critical thinking, creativity and confidence.  All of us remember how nervous we were to be "the one" when you feel like you have barely learned the material.  From the stories, and sharing that happened, it sounds like they did great! From Blood pressure assessments, trauma management, heart attacks and generally unwell... good hands on application was had by pretty much every participant.  

Overall these stories told me that everyone was well appreciated and that their efforts were respected and thanked by their communities.  

For me, it was the usual challenge, somedays pushing out of my shell, learning some new words in spanish (I just hope that I can remember them for next year!) and planning teaching lessons, learning new information - I don't know much about poison snakes, spiders and scorpions in Nicaragua, so it was teaching me too! It was an intense, challenging and enjoyable week.

Lessons being prepared

Last day practice and skill evaluation... 

The Jinoteppe group managing c-spine














































I will get to some additional information this week, as I am diving back into work.  Thanks everyone again to those who helped, supported, encouraged and cheered us on! :) 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

In a week... and then in two more days...

Things are happening quickly. Very quickly. I've gone to Halifax to meet my gorgeous niece, Dakota Rose. Had a 5 day sprint to visit, watch her grow and wiggle and poop and sleep... yup... sounds about right for a 1 month old human right?

   
wee dakota napping with me!!

 Now I am back in Ottawa and a week from tonight, I will be finishing my last shift before the next adventure - aka Progress in Paramedicine - Nicaragua! Holy jumpin'. And with all efforts combined, we have raised enough to get all of our Nicaraguan Participants and Translators to the event and we're working to compile the rest of the teaching curriculum. I am planning on going equipped with markers and hope for some chart paper so we can get the rest of the teaching tools put together. I was hoping that Ottawa U would be able to help with some teaching aids, but looks like maybe another time! WE of course will take additional donations, but best to do it either via email money transfer or if you are in Ottawa try out the BMO and just tell them it is for the paramedics going to nicaragua, and it will get to us. This year has had its growing pains, it was challenging to get everyone involved, our shifts don't make it easy. For future endeavours, we will have learned lots from this event, and can apply things to further make the planning and adventure a real success.

So, at this point in time I want to make sure i do thank yous! Family and friends - you will get my notes to you saying how much this rocked again, and how the first steps are often the hardest but you have all helped immensely! And then there are the folks at Art-is-in and their delicious bread for the chili day, Denise for helping me get the quick interview on CBC morning, CTV2, CFRA, and the future help from others.  I am sure there are more and they will hear from me soon.

My final thanks is to those who kicked in and put on events, crammed in as much support as we could on such a short time frame... totally awesome.  We did get to an honest goal, and we earned every dollar.  Thank you so much for your help, and for believing in this even though we're in the early stages.  I hope that this investment this year means you will consider future years.

Once again, Skylark, Los Medranos, Nicaragua, here we come.  None of us will ever be quite the same! :)

From start to finish... great times and good memories.

The final graduation ceremony - entertainment
Ambulance down the road... is there gas in it?


practice makes perfect 
Transportation is varried here... but fun!













Thanks again everyone... The best part of the adventure is about to begin... 

Monday, March 18, 2013

The final approach... well almost

I think with the winter lingering on... the approach of this adventure isn't coming fast enough!! Holy jumpin.  More snow coming on Tuesday? Really? C'mon!

I'd like a little more of this... instead of... 

This!!!

It's neat looking at the list of people who have chosen to support me.  Geographically diverse, not to mention from all the different phases of my life.  That's freakin cool! And also very sweet.  I know what I need to do for next year, so we're not as dependent on our family, friends and co-workers.  This means I want to approach some of our city counsellors, as well as some of the other political names to see if I can get rallied up a little more support.  I think we're also growing to a point where the multiple trips and multiple organizers, we are going to have to organize our supporters.  We are all paramedics and I think Ferno can only be approached so many times... ya know?  It's a little complex.

I am also approaching Ottawa University Kineseology Department to see if they have some teaching aids they want to part with. I guess I should have been approaching the med school.  Next year!

Either way... I have started thinking it is time to get my packing slowly started.  Dig out my warm weather clothing and get ready.  I know there's still time, but hey...

If you are interested, please click on the donate button if you haven't already. A few extra bucks is going to go a long way. :)

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Well 2012 vs 2013

Last year everything was low key, just got a little help and support from family and friends.  This year, it's a new scale.  Trying to raise funds for all of us.

On Monday I ventured into a media adventure.  Started off at 06:10... on CBC radio.  Then at 7:20 at CFRA and 7:55 at CTV2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv0720gkSgE

So if anyone knows of some additional funding... anyone who would wish to fund this project...

**Goodness me... I have great news to announce!! I'm only $400 short of my goal! I'm at $1100! Thank you everyone so very much! Less than a month till we head down and I'm so greatful to the help that everyone has provided! **

It's getting closer - we leave in a month today.
Thanks again to those who have supported us.  :)

Cheers!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Gratitude is building

Sometimes I wonder if I am actually expressing the experience well enough for others to appreciate, and then when I get that little bit of support, I realize that I must have said or done something right. My uncle, my dad and my younger sis have all posted links to this little blog. I've had some very enthusiastic assistance because of that. It does amaze me. I think that I am off in my own poor little head... but really I am actually able to share this wild ride I am on, and even use the english language and yes... my amateur photography to pass along the excitement. So I guess what I am saying is - Thanks so very much for the support. It's getting up there. I would like to say I got all $1500, but I'm getting slowly closer to making the target. The official total thus far: 470.00. Sweet! I can accept donations from email money transfers or the post I wrote just prior to this one has a little "DONATE" button on there that links right up to Paypal. And for a nominal fee it seems to work well for people. But email money transfers are just as good to me. Thank you again. And as a little inspiration, a favourite pic of my favourite God Uncle ever...

...
Gracias amigos!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Progress in Paramedicine... 2013

So now the challenge once again is to raise the funds, so we can get there, and get all 60 participants there and ready to learn and review.  This is admittedly not my favourite process in the adventure, but a necessary evil.  I did so well last year raising about $1000 from my family and friends which went directly to funding the mission and also supporting the year round efforts of Skylark.

As a group, those who are participating this year from Ottawa Paramedics, we're bugging our colleagues as much as we can, but don't want to wear out our welcome.  So I am hoping that as the next couple months pass that I will be able to ask again for my family and friends to help support me again.

This year adds the challenge of the continuing training, we have a group returning after having a year to work, practice and hopefully come up with more challenges, solutions and ideas.  I am looking forward to this chance to return and see the improvements.

So, today I am setting up straight through paypal a donation button, which I hope will get well used.  $5 is great, more than that steps me forward toward my goal.  I would love to see that $1000 tally again.  $1500 would be even better and I am using it as my official goal.  So I hope you can help, allow me the privilege to help and teach again this year.  To show another group of Paramedics just how much of an impact education can have on a community - empowering them to provide for their friends, families, neighbours and visitors.  And I hope eventually encouraging some of the youth to provide further care through further education.

Pretty neat, eh?



Let's see what we can make work... Cheers!

Friday, February 8, 2013

Graduation, giggling, gracias...

Well, I am doing a bit of reflection, looking at what I am going back into and how similar yet different it is going to be.  



The measure of success is not the piece of paper... it is the moment where pride is felt by both teacher and student. The smiles, the actions and competence... sure did mark a week of success.  


                




Amanda and Ellen helped with our lessons and worked on their spanish medical vocabulary.





Celebrations are had, laughs and thanks were shared.  We managed to communicate skills, knowledge, attitude and work ethic were also shared.  I also think that we're not just teaching but we are learning. I have so much more I want to learn.  I really would like to try to get a better grasp on my spanish - maybe on this trip.  I'm very excited in hopes that we get the same group of translators.  I felt very blessed that we got to work with them.  They were so talented - like multi-tasking in your brain all the way! :)


Traditional dance performed for us by the students.
Getting Kevin involved in the celebrations!


So in the end... I wish I had this done last april, but I knew this was just basically the wrap up and that the rest of the details were already down.  In fact it is nice to look back, especially knowing that April 5th I am going back.  Part 2 of the course - so some curriculum development, some review, so much fun.

                       
The journey had an end, but more of a break until we next meet.. At the end of the day it looks like fun was had by all... ;)