In the fall of 2013, after seeing the struggle of children with cerebral palsy, Kent graduate Scott Mitchell identified a need to help them better stand upright. Standers, the standard standing therapy tool, were too expensive for those who needed them in Guatemala. With this in mind, Mitchell, with the support of like-minded people, created Stand With Me, an organization devoted to creating and donating cost-effective standers. Over the summer, two Kent students, Thomas FitzGerald ’18 and Trey Walsh ’18, went on a three week trip to Guatemala with this organization.

During the first week, Walsh and FitzGerald used their Spanish language skills to translate for the American doctors, who provided general medical aid at an open clinic. They helped treat over fifty patients in the first week alone.

Meanwhile, they assisted with the process of creating and improving the standers. Walsh helped design standers that better accommodate taller children and worked with Hope Haven, a pediatric wheelchair building NGO, to lower the cost of materials. In its weekly newsletter, the Stand With Me team claims, “we expect to make 300 standing frames this year, but at a pace of over two a day instead of less than one a day!”

On the other hand, FitzGerald helped create a set of forms to gather information from therapists and families. This information would be useful for customizing the stander as well as allowing the organization to follow up with their patients. He also helped train therapists to better work with Stand With Me’s standers.

Now, FitzGerald and Walsh are looking for new students to join them on another trip to Guatemala during spring break. The only prerequisites are the ability to speak Spanish and a willingness to get into the nitty-gritty. Walsh explains, “It’s not just the trip, but the months of preparation and work before and afterwards” that the trip requires.