NPH USA

SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 

AT NPH HONDURAS

Youth with special needs have always been accepted into the NPH family, however since 2015 the government entities in charge of Honduran children have asked NPH to open its doors to more and more children and adolescents living with disabilities. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of children and adolescents living with disabilities at El Rancho Santa Fe, the NPH Honduras campus. There are currently five special needs houses that serve a total of 81 children and adults with severe disabilities. This population depends highly on their caretakers for their activities of daily living. The focus for these children and adults is one of inclusion and participation in the NPH family and community.

Most of the youth with special needs at NPH come from other centers that have been closed because they have not been able to overcome the challenge of caring for people living with disabilities with dignity, especially those requiring 24/7 medical care. The vast majority of these individuals come without medical or social records and in many cases it is unknown if they have family networks and their past is completely unknown. This increases the complexities of providing care and increases the challenges for caregivers and multidisciplinary teams. 

In Honduras, children born with disabilities are the first to be cast aside; the cost, the cultural stigma and the difficulties of caring for those living with physical and mental health complications force many families to abandon these children, or in the best of circumstances look for alternative care for them. NPH Honduras is one of the few organizations in the country that works with children living with chronic and severe disabilities on a permanent basis. NPH Honduras works with this population and values what they provide to the community and the world. Through the funding of this project, NPH Honduras is able to provide a permanent home for these children and young adults including around-the-clock care with nurses and other medical professionals. In addition, there are two doctors at El Rancho Santa Fe and one in Tegucigalpa at Casa Angeles that accompany the nurses and other clinical staff to see that the children are provided with specialist exams, updated medical records, the following of special diets, therapeutic programs, and recreational activities. All of the children are additionally placed in therapies according to their evaluations.

This project will also provide orthopedic devices to support mobilization and other necessary materials such as wheelchairs, helmets, walkers, and other special therapy equipment. Each child's needs are constantly changing and new therapy materials are needed every year in order to provide them with the care they need. Modifications also need to be made to the hydro-therapy pool that is currently in disrepair and not being used.

Dollars raised will also help with transportation and ongoing housing costs as well as keep an emergency fund available for use for unexpected medical appointments or long hospital stays that often arise. 

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Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) means “Our Little Brothers and Sisters” in Spanish. Founded in 1954 by Father William Wasson, NPH has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of the most vulnerable children and young adults, providing a nurturing family environment, education, health care, and vocational and life skills training. NPH USA helps children in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru achieve their full potential, becoming productive, caring leaders in their communities and breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. NPH also fills a vital, lifesaving role with its operation of St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, the only hospital wholly dedicated to pediatric and high-risk maternity care in Haiti, and the only Haitian hospital equipped to provide pediatric oncology care.

We support NPH through fundraising and volunteer programs. In addition to our national office, we have three fundraising areas (South and West, Midwest, East Coast) and the St. Damien Pediatric Hospital Fund each working in tandem to build support for our mission.

NPH USA Website