Pictures of Edward

Edward and his brother Barnabus who was already attending Upendo Primary School

Edward and his teacher, Mr. Peter

Edward and his peers at Upendo-  the tall boy has quickly become one of Edward's best friends at the school.

Good news!!

These past couple weeks have seen a significant victory for inclusive special education here in Mwanza.  Helena was successfully enrolled in the local Montessori school.  This is a significant move as being wheelchair bound and attending school with your peers has been virtually unheard of in Mwanza up until this point, even at the Montesoori School.  As well, Edward has been welcomed with open arms by the Sisters of our lady of Kilimanjaro at Upendo Primary School (fitting, since Upendo means love!)

However, with help from the school's founder, Sister Denise Matel, and the staff (who had to overcome a bit of reservation since last year they had turned mom away when she came to enroll Helena on her own) Helena was welcomed on the first day.  Providentially, her teacher, Mr. Arnold, himself has a disability; he moves around the classroom with the help of a staff since his right foot is shriveled and useless.  After the first week, things seem to be running smoothly and on schedule with bathroom accommodations and

Helena in her new classroom, called "Giraffe"

Edward's story

Edward, is a 4th grade student with cerebral palsy who had been studying at Huruma.  He has already overcome many challenges from poor muscle development to difficulty expressing his learning through writing.  However, Edward is a fighter.  Sister Mora, a former Irish volunteer a Huruma school, once said Edward's knees used to be bloody from crawling on the cement floors at Huruma, since his legs weren't strong enough to walk.  He loves learning English and is sharp in math, having memorized his basic addition facts.

Like any great mom should be (but unfortunately not many are here), Edward's mom is a fantastic advocate for him.  When she found out that Helena had gotten into a regular classroom with her peers she wanted to find a similar situation for her son.  However, with Edward, being in a regular classroom is much more difficult.  The primary issue is that many Tanzania teachers use the "chalk and talk" method of teaching.  As the name conjures, this method involves the teacher writing a lot of information on the blackboard and the students copying it down.  For a student with writing difficulties, this style of learning is extremely difficult.  

Edward's mother began the search for a new school with the one that his brother attends, Upendo, a Sisters of our Lady of Kilimanjaro School.  Together we visited the school, and while the grounds are nice and the teachers seem friendly, we were unsure whether they were ready to accommodate a student with special needs.  God comes through.  The head teacher at the school, a jolly sister who immediately gave Edward a hug, bent down and started engaging him in conversation with a big smile, was decidedly for Edward attending her school from the beginning.  Further meetings twice a week with Peter, his main teacher and the other teachers proved that the name fits the school.  Edward's teachers are excited about him being their, ready to give him accommodations such as having a scribe help him with his weekly tests, and even were excited to point out that he is making friends at the school.  Let's hope and pray that this spirit of love and welcoming for Edward continue at the school, but for now, it is so much more than had ever expected given other experiences with how people with disabilities are treated here in Mwanza.

Thank you all for your continued prayers.  I'll post a pic of Edward at his school on Monday when I go visit the school to bring an oversized adaptive keyboard that we got courtesy a Washington State University garage sale (during James's doctoral dissertation no less!).

Update on Stephano's house

Some of you may remember the different cloth items we were selling on our return trip home last June.  From shoulder bags to ipad pouches, these items were made by Stephano, a friend of ours who works at Tunaweza an adult vocational center for people with disabilities.  Stephano was selling these items to raise money for his family home where his mother and brother (who is also disabled) will live. So, you may be wondering, how is the house coming along?

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here it is.  They have built the foundation and the walls, and now are looking for ways to raise more money for the windows and the roof.  And so, if you're interested, we'll be coming home in June with some new products and designs of Stephano's!

Thanksgiving Update!

Aaron, Caitlin and David standing in a Baobab tree.

Thanksgiving Update!

It’s been a while, and we’ve been busy-  but we’re taking a day off (though the rest of the country isn’t) to remember all the things we are thankful for!  Here’s a quick list!

1. Health:   We both have been very healthy all things considered.  Caitlin has been dragging David around on her 50 workouts before Christmas goal. (As of today we are half way there!)  We’ve been eating healthy and keeping the malaria away!
2. Proposal:  Recently we both wrote and submitted a proposal to the archdiocese of Mwanza to begin an inclusive special education program in the parochial schools here.  This program would be a much more sustainable model than an separate, donor funded institution and also be a much less restrictive environment for students with special needs.  Basically this would integrate special education services with regular ed. services, something that is not happening yet here in Mwanza.   So far the diocese has received the proposal favorably and the plan is to present the proposal before the headmasters of the eight different schools. Please pray that we find a way to get these principals excited and on-board with special education!
3. Funds for Huruma:  Due to the support of many of you and a couple major donors whom Maryknoll Lay Missioners helped David find, Huruma has funds to operate for another year.  Mum’s the word however as we would like the school and associated parents group to continue to make efforts to find funding and sustainable solutions on their own (with David’s counsel of course).
4. Impromptu school:  Tired of the neighbor kids coming over, bickering and breaking toys, Caitlin took it upon herself to start an after school supplementary program for these seven or eight kids.  She made each kid there own file folder that she fills with, math, writing and English worksheets for them to work on when they come over. The kids are eating up the more directed attention and are making significant improvements in math, writing and reading!  Somedays they go through their worksheets faster than we can print them. Even Steve, who just turned 3 has started asking for worksheets like the big kids!
5. Family visits:  We are grateful for Aaron Storey’s (Caitlin’s brother) trip out to Mwanza to see us and Andrew and Alicia Barrett (David’s cousins) upcoming visit in March.  Aaron got a full taste of Mwanza life as well as an enjoyable trips to Bukoba, a camping trip out in the bush with the Watuturu people and a short trip into the Serenghetti (complete with lion sightings from five feet away!).  We hope he’s recovered from the culture shock of stuffing himself with cooked bananas, rice, chicken and much more!



Father Dan Ohman- a man with an incredible story who has been out here since before independence in '61!  It's been a privilege to see his work with the Wataturu people.

6. There’s so much more!  God has been incredibly faithful over the last year, giving us good work to do and times to rest and recover.  As well we are always meeting amazing priests, sisters and other lay people who have heard the call to engage the Tanzanian people and it is always encouraging to hear their stories!   We hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we’d love to hear from you soon!

Helena is walking (well, in the pool with a noodle at least)

Helena walking in the pool at the international school.

Four months after her surgeries, Helena is walking.  Well, sort of.  We have been doing some amateur physical therapy at the pool at Isamillo International School (because that is the only option).  It took a little while for her to get used to the water, and since her bone is still healing slowly she was very hesitant, but now she is much more excited and has even walked the length of the pool while floating on a noodle.  Now we are going to the pool at least four days a week and would go more if Helena had her way!

Thanks for your prayers and stay tuned!   

As many of you know, Huruma Special Unit was founded by Bertha Haas in 2004. The school serves around 40 students with disabilities in Mwanza, Tanzania who otherwise would not go to school at all!

Currently the school has funds to remain open for two more months. We need to raise additional funds to keep the school open for at least another year while we continue to find local support from the community and government.

If you'd like to help, you can donate at https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/MaryknollLayMissioners/OnlineDonation.html 

or

http://www.gofundme.com/48q5i4

Both sites will allow you to make a tax deductible donation.  

Thanks for your support!

Helena got her casts off with some help from Aaron Storey

After two months with full length leg casts, Helena finally was cleared to have them removed today!

Dr. Isidore (who is coming to a conference in Richland WA next week), prescribed a leg splint but none were available.  So, Highline Community Hospital's ER tech Aaron Storey made one out of the materials he could find.  Helena was happy, mom was happy and things are progressing along well.  

Our next step is getting some biphosphonates to strengthen her bones.  We are working with a group called Join Hands Tanzania out of Dar Es Salaam and hope to see some progress soon.

Saturday we are going swimming and starting physical therapy.  Thanks again Aaron!

Here's a quick video of Helena doing some exercises.   She will go in to get the casts off in the first week of September, and then, soon, we will go to see some specialists in Dar to get treatment for her Osteogenesis Imperfecta condition-  thanks to Join Hands Tanzania!  Please support them as they get started.

By the way, in the video I say, " Well done." and, "Are you feeling any pain?" to which she answers, "No!"

Pictures too Graphic for Gofundme.com!

Here are some pictures of actual children suffering from OI and Noma.   We are trying to raise money for Join Hands Tanzania to be registered as an NGO in Tanzania.  After establishing a page on gofundme, they took down our pictures because they were too graphic.  Well, here they are.  Sorry, at this time your donation is not tax deductible.  Donate at http://www.gofundme.com/Join-Hands-Tanzania or directly through paypal to daverosser@spu.edu

We understand that they removed the pictures because they are graphic and could be upsetting to look at, but imagine if this were your child and you had very limited resources!  What if you didn't have the choice to look away? What if these faces were looking to you for help? What would you do?

Update on Helena

TYou may be wondering, How is Helena doing?  

Well, here's the news.  After arriving back in Mwanza from a great vacation in Seattle visiting friends and family, we checked up on Helena and found out that, low and behold, her other femur had broken.  It seems she was trying to move her leg with the external fixator on the tibia, and the weight of this fixator snapped the bone.  This, along with the blue tint in the whites of Helena's eyes, has given Dr. isidore enough evidence to conclude that Helena has Osteogenesis mperfecta.  

Mom and Dad taking Helena down the stairs to the hospital to get her fixators removed.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or OI, is a genetic condition causing a deficiency in collagen making the bones brittle.  Straightening of bowed bones is a helpful operation, but now we now see that Helena needs special treatment to strengthen her bones by using biphosphonates.  

Trouble is, as you might have guessed, biphosphonates are hard to come by in a society that doesn't always have child doses of pain medecine!  So,  of late, we have been on the web and on the phone trying to find an organization that can help us obtain these valuable, but hard to come by drugs

The situation is further compounded by the fact that she will have to take this treatment at least through the end of puberty.

Your prayers have been and continue to be much appreciated.  Oh, and if you know of a doctor who has any experience in OI, and a benevolent heart, please pass on our contact info or tell them about this blog.

Also!
While we were in the US, our good friends Chris and Katie took up the charge of taking Helena to the hospital for her doctor appointments and x-rays.  To read more go to http://waldiesworld.blogspot.com/2013/06/busy-weeks.html

Buy some stuff, support Stephano!

SALE!!!!

Stephano from Tunaweza (a vocational school for young adults with disabilities) is trying to raise some money to build his mother a better house.  He has been hard at work making handbags, aprons, pouches and even iPad pouches!  We'll be arriving in Seattle on Saturday, but if you want to pre-order, send us an email with what you like and we'll hold it for you!

Shoulder Bag- $12

Shoulder bag-$12

Normal Pouch- $5

iPad pouch- $7

Camera pouch- $5

Foam Bag- $12

Foam Bag- $12

Clutch- $5

Shoulder Bag- $12

Shoulder Bag- $12

Apron- $12 (various colors below)

Back Home!

The climb up to the house.

Aside from some mildly rough seas, we had a safe and uneventful boat trip back to Mwanza,took some more x-rays and moved Helena back up the three flights of stairs to her house. She is there now, happy again to be with her family and free from needles and any other major sources of pain.

Some of you have expressed your support for Helena and her family's journey and have asked how you can help financially. For this we are very grateful and would like to share with you a list of some of the major and minor expenses so far for your information. Any financial gift may be sent through Maryknoll Lay Missioners at mklm.org/Rossers (which will be tax deductible) or through David's personal paypal account at daverosser@spu.edu. Either way 100% of your gift will go towards expenses for Helena's operation. As well, if you would like to send cards or small gifts such as puzzles or books (she is beginning to learn a little English so basic books like "Cat in the Hat" are good) they may be sent to PO Box 5021, Mwanza, Tanzania, E.A.C. Of course we will translate any cards that you write to Helena or her family and I am sure they would cherish any encouragement you have for them.

The last steps!

Here are some of her accrued financial expenses:
The complete operation- USD 275
Transportation to Bukoba by boat and hospital by car- USD 200
Pain Medication and Antibiotics- USD 18
3 Post-Op X-Rays- USD 18
Hospital Food- USD 20

Once again, it has been heart warming to hear about all of the people touched by Helena's story. The journey is far from over, but a major step has been taken successfully. Thanks for your continued prayers as she continues to recover and prayers for at least one further surgery to come in six months.

Back home!

Recovery is going well

Helena and Vivian were in good spirits when we visited them yesterday. You can see for yourself here-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ySDg9kLlE

We are very pleased with how things are going and thankful for all of your prayers. We are humbled to be part of this long journey for Helena and her family and, while its not over, at least has made it past a big hurdle. Thanks again for all your support and all your prayers- and thanks be to our loving God whose plans no one can imagine and are full of goodness!

Tonight, Monday, if all goes to plan, the doctors want to release Helena and we will take the night ferry back to Mwanza. We devised a special chair that will allow her to be moved without moving her legs as much as possible. Please pray for a safe return home!

Vivian, Mama and Frank.  Vivian is recovering well.

Mama, Helena and David feeling much better.  Yesterday, the attempt to prop her legs up on the pillow was not a pleasant sight.  Today, it didn't seem to bother her and she was all smiles and having fun.

Happiness and her sister (far left) and Vivian's mom.  It's been great to see how the two mothers have really helped each other out and care for each others daughters like their own.  Both have done a great job learning the schedule for medicine and advocating for their daughters- something not often done in Tanzanian culture.

Karen and Caitlin making an improvised chair to carry Helena onto the boat tonight with.  If all goes well, we will return Monday night and this chair will hopefully keep Helena's legs from moving to much.

The Big Day

What a day yesterday was! Let's sum it up by saying we are very grateful that all went well and Helena is safe post surgery and Dr. Schaefer said he is very pleased with how it went. Thanks be to God and all of you for your prayers as well as the many people who have helped out along the way.

There was a major problem after surgery because one of the doctor's didn't write the prescription for pain medicine after Helena left the theater.  After Helena woke up and started crying from significant pain we scrambled to find a doctor to write the prescription and then dealt with an undermanned and inefficient pharmacy.  All in all, it took two hours for Helena to get any pain medicine after surgery on her femur and tibia.  Needless to say, all this was happening back in the ward- there is not a recovery room at Kagando Hospital.

Let's look at the day in pictures:

One last blood test before surgery.  That grimace says it all.

Caitlin's sister Meghan said that at Children's Hospital kids can check out iPads to relax with .  At Kagando, at least for  Helena and her roomate Vivian, courtesy of the Rosser's they do too!

Vivian (in the purple and white stripped sweater) is Helena's room mate at Kagando.  Vivian is a girl that our friends Frank and Karen are helping to get treatment for her club foot.  Her surgery went successfully also!

Mom and Helena get the call and wait outside the theater 

Nurse/Sister Velena was very comforting to Helena just before she went into the theater.  "Mungu yupo, na atakusaidia," she said- which means, "God is here and will help you."  

Helena eeks out a smile amongst the shivering tears thanks to the encouragement of Sister Velena

Mom (Happiness) gets a chance to visit with Helena just before going into the operating room.  As you can see the effects of the anesthesia are helping Helena to feel a little better.

Post- surgery:  Helena is wheeled back to the ward.   At this point she is still under the effects of the anesthesia.  

Happiness is relieved everything went well and comforts Helena while she waits for her to wake up.

An IV pole at Kagando Hospital.