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ACPOC Explores What’s New in Pediatric Rehab Visualize this: over 200 healthcare professionals
representing a variety of rehabilitation-related
disciplines--orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, physical and
occupational therapists, orthotists, and prosthetists--coming
together to discuss both formally and informally the latest
developments in team rehab. Most of these professionals know one
another, some for many years, which leads them into lively
presentations, debates, conversations, and friendly banter.
Their focus: caring for children with musculoskeletal and
neurodevelopmental conditions.
This was the setting for the 2003 Annual Meeting of the
Association of Children's Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics May 14-17,
St. Pete Beach, Florida. Attending were a total of 207 scientific
attendees, ten accompanying persons, and 53 exhibit representatives
(many of whom attended sessions) from 34 companies. One
orthotist/prosthetist traveled all the way from Nepal. Gyanendra
Shrestha, managing director of Orthopedica, an orthopedic
association in Nepal, attended with his daughter, Shritu Shrestha,
and his niece, Rashmi Shrestha, a nurse who lives in San Francisco,
California. Hosts were Kenneth J. Guidera, MD, Janet G. Marshall,
CPO, and Sandra B. Smith, PT, all of Shriners Hospital, Tampa,
Florida.
During the business meeting, the association voted to hold its
2005 annual meeting in conjunction with the American Academy of
Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) in Orlando, Florida, if
financially feasible. Next year's meeting is scheduled for March
24-27 in Banff, Alberta, Canada.
Program Highlights
 A loving, supportive, athletic family, plus her
own indomitable spirit, has made Sandra "Sandy" Dukat a champion.
Born with a limb difference leading to amputation of her right
foot, Sandy went on to become a member of the US Disabled Swimming
Team, participating in the World Championships in New Zealand in
1998, and the US Disabled Ski Team competing in the 2002
Paralympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. She took home two bronze
medals from the Paralympics, but especially remembers her family,
friends, and coworkers cheering her on.
Although Sandy didn't know any other disabled youngsters until
she was 14, her family and community gave her a strong sense of
belonging and equality. Not until she went to college did she
experience teasing and being made to feel different and "disabled."
"It made me realize that society often defines what is
disability,'" she said. Sandy now works to help disabled youngsters
achieve their potential and to educate the public about disability.
After her inspiring speech and video, the audience rose to give her
a standing ovation.
Here are just a few highlights of the many informative
sessions:
What can parents do to ensure care for their disabled child
after their death? This has become a pressing issue for many
families, since more children with severe disabilities are living
into adulthood. Tracy-Ann Adams, director of family services for
"Disabled and Alone" Life Services for the Handicapped Inc., a
nonprofit organization in New York City, gave a warm and practical
presentation on how families can provide financially and in
personal caregiving for disabled loved ones. "Our goal is to help
families see the need for a plan--and to make the plan," she
said.
Mary Novotny, RN, founder of the Amputee Coalition of America
(ACA), and oandp.com have teamed up to establish a new nonprofit
organization, the Digital Resource Foundation. Novotny and Paul
Prusakowski, CPO, of oandp.com discussed the new foundation's goals
and initial projects, including free access to a virtual library of
orthotic- and prosthetic-related material for professionals,
consumers, students, researchers, and others.
Hugh Watts, MD, showed a video of twin girls with spinal fusion
muscular atrophy riding ingenious home-made carts enabling them to
go freely over practically every terrain. The video showed the
girls, who live in Alaska, riding among various farm animals,
including horses, and enjoying a variety of activities.
Another video demonstrated a wheelchair with a seat that a
three-year-old quadrimelic youngster lowers, raises, and controls
by himself, enabling him to independently climb in and out of the
device. It was highly enjoyable watching this lively child have fun
exploring his environment. 
Table Of Contents - July 2003
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