Students for International Mission Service (SIMS)

Physical therapy students are known for going on mission trips. They are studying to become physical therapists because they have a passion for helping people; they want to assist those who are struggling with disabilities to attain a functional, fulfilling life.

While they willingly participate in mission projects where they build churches and schools and help other medical professionals, such as physicians and dentists, they have unique skills of their own to offer. With this in mind, SIMS and physical therapy faculty look for ways to utilize physical therapy skills on mission trips. Several students have been able to help day laborers in Mexico and Central America learn how to take care of their backs by utilizing back protective postures when bending over and lifting. On other trips, children with disabilities are evaluated for assistive equipment and families are shown how to keep their children’s joints flexible.

A recent outreach trip was made to the California Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. This new hospital, funded by the San Diego Padres, was used as the base for a specialized pediatric assistive equipment clinic.

Six physical therapy students—Giovanna Casillas, Glenda Casillas, Nissa Casuga, John Domingo, Claudia Gonzalez, Tanya Radomski—and myself offered our assistance to help evaluate and customize wheelchairs for children with developmental disabilities. This effort was sponsored by Wheels for Humanity, an organization which gathers and refurbishes donated, outgrown wheelchairs and other rehabilitation equipment and distributes them to more than 20 countries where there is no access to this type of equipment. After seven hours of work, with help from many sources, 44 children with various physical disabilities were successfully fitted to wheelchairs. The wheelchairs will allow these

children greater ability to participate in their communities. As these children grew and got heavier, many had become too large for their caregivers to carry around and had to stay at home most of the time. Some of the children had never sat up comfortably before. Many had never experienced the joy of being able to wheel themselves around.

Trips like these bring joy to the recipients, as well as to the workers. This is an excellent way for students to learn hands-on rehabilitation skills and to experience the joy of service to others. Seeing the joy of the children and their parents is the biggest reward of all.

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