I know I am a little late here but…
yesterday, I finally started my activist project! I am going to be volunteering
at Maitland Cottage, a children’s orthopedic hospital in Newlands. Savannah is
an intern there, and so she was able to help us figure out when we should go
volunteer and how to get there. So yesterday afternoon after class, Melanie and
I decided to hop on a minibus taxi and go check it out.
I’ll admit that before I went to
Maitland Cottage yesterday, I was a little nervous. All of the children at the
hospital have severe physical disabilities, mostly bone deformities, and most
of them are confined to their beds. I remembered touring Maitland Cottage
during orientation and being struck by the site of dozens of children, lying in
their hospital beds side-by-side. I was not sure how the children would respond
to me or whether they would enjoy my attempts at playing with them.
Once Melanie and I arrived at Maitland Cottage, however, all my nerves disappeared. The nurses were all really welcoming, and the children absolutely LOVED that we were there. I did not realize how excited the children would be or how much of a difference we could make in their lives, just by showing up. Melanie and I brought a few crafts with us and all the kids went crazy for them! We showed them how to twist pipe cleaners into hearts, butterflies, and other things. It was the simplest activity, but they were all amazed and excited to try. We just gave them a simple pipe cleaner – and yet, I know that I will never forget how wide their smiles were. It was truly amazing to see how something so small could make such a big difference and bring the children such joy. I am really excited to continue volunteering at Maitland Cottage!
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| Lauren & Melanie are doing a fundraiser to buy toys for the kids at this hospital. Donations can be made at http://www.gofundme.com/7wejcc |
Then this morning, I went
paragliding off of Signal Hill! Most of the other students decided to go
skydiving, and since that was WAY too scary for me, Katrina, Allie, and
Savannah, we decided to go paragliding instead! That way, we still felt like we
were doing something exciting and we wouldn’t get too jealous of all the
skydivers. I’ll admit, when we got there, I was ridiculously nervous. It ended
up being amazing though! (Besides a small mishap when Katrina lost her sneaker)
We got to coast along, enjoying the incredible view and the beautiful weather.
It might not have been on the same intensity level as skydiving, but it was
still an awesome experience that I will never forget!
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| Katrina & Lauren |
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