Description:

Since January of 2003, hundreds of volunteers from across Canada have traveled with teams to Haiti, Belize, Nicaragua, and Dominican Republic. In Haiti alone, 2-3 teams of 15-30 medical and support professionals have worked each year to provide ongoing training and therapy at one of the country’s only rehabilitation clinics. Since the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, we have continuously sent both teams and individual volunteers to work in the rehabilitation clinic, support field hospitals and other medical aid organisations, and to integrate with our local counterparts to address the everchanging needs of people with disabilities in Haiti.

More than 20,000 pounds of rehabilitation equipment and supplies have been transported with teams, each individual bringing up to 100 pounds of equipment per trip. Additional cargo shipments including a sound proof booth (for testing hearing) have been transported by sea. Thousands of pounds of wheelchairs, seating products, and rehabilitation equipment are also sent to support the work of the seating team via air cargo annually. Team Canada works with numerous local organizations in Haiti, and have established ongoing partnerships with charities and community programs across the country.

Team Canada HealingHands Inc is a not-for-profit, registered Canadian charity, dedicated to the provision of rehabilitative education, training, and care in areas of need. Volunteers are medical professionals and support personnel who work year long fundraising and organizing projects that typically culminate in 7-14 day intensive team missions internationally. Since 2003, volunteers have traveled annually to Haiti, Belize, and other areas throughout the world. Based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, volunteers have participated from every region of Canada, and even the United States and Europe. Many volunteers are “repeaters”, with most having done 3 or many more trips.

During each mission, volunteers both teach and provide care in rehabilitation clinics, prosthetic and orthotic clinics, hospitals and orphanages, as well as teach courses in rehabilitative therapy, public health, primary care, and specialized medical topics. Our volunteers have included: physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, pediatricians, family doctors, orthopedic surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, massage therapists, prosthetists, orthotists, pedorthists, engineers, wheelchair technicians, teachers, administrators, business professionals, computer technologists, medical students and residents, nursing students. We all stay together in a guesthouse in Port au Prince or in small, modest, local hotels in other areas. Evenings and weekends are spent preparing equipment and programs for the coming days, participating in cultural events, team debriefings, and learning about our host country.

Organizational Base: Frederiction, New Brunswick