Therapy Time

I have now been here exactly one month and I am utterly brain fried. I've reached a point where my sensory system is threatening shutdown as I consider where I am and what I am doing. I feel like one of Dali's clocks, dripping toxic plastic, a neurological meltdown, neuro-plasticity literally. Right now I'm sitting in Bokor lodge cafe stuffing myself with some kettle chips I've found in a store, trying to come to grips with this whole situation. The therapy centre has been hard work. Firstly I am not a specialist in cerebral palsy and I'm on the net every night trying to learn really quickly. Secondly all the employed workers are cambodian and I can't speak Khmer. Thirdly I feel terribly disrespectful not being able to speak to the children, as their voice, their opinion, their rights are what little human dignity and choice they have left. Fourthly, the disabilities I am seeing are out of this world. 

Fine motor crafts after lunch. Note the pet monkey chilling in the background

The photo here is Sim. He is the cheekiest,  most joyous and kind spirited guy around. His resilience and determination amaze me. He is just starting to crawl with so much effort and yet to weight bear and walk. He knows quite a bit of English just from picking it up from people around him and he teaches me Cambodian when I can understand. We have a lot of fun together and I really love his cheeky beaming smile. 

This is Jeante (?sp). She has been starved by her mother who felt it would just be easier for everyone to organise her funeral and get it over and done with due to her severe physical disabilities.Jeante is beginning to eat more at the centre and we are trying to facilitate her with the will to live. 

The real shocker is this. A four year old girl came to us 2 days ago. Severely malnourished with upper and lower limb spasticity. FOUR YEARS OLD. This little darling is looked after by her grandmother who is very poor, She has a weeping fungal infection on her scalp and scabies scars over her tiny body. We are starting her on baby formula and vitamins and hope to pump her full of nourishment so she can catch up on some developmental milestones. She is such a little fighter with an iron will to survive.