Riverhead alum Kristianna Giannico loves working with children.
So when she learned that her doctoral physical therapy program at Quinnipiac University offers a service trip for the treatment of impoverished Nicaraguan children, she jumped at the opportunity to get involved.
“These are people who really need and really want our help,” Giannico said.
At 21 years old, Giannico has already graduated with her bachelor’s degree and is finishing up the first of three years of her doctorate. And now that she has the training, she says she wants to use her knowledge to help those who are less fortunate.
Quinnipiac University sends about 20 physical and occupational therapy students to Nicaragua each January to do just that.
“Many of the kids have cerebral palsy and other life-altering conditions,” Giannico explained. “A lot of them don’t have wheelchairs, or access to modern medical equipment.”
Hospitals in Nicaragua are overcrowded, often with too few beds for the number of patients in need of them. Multiple patients might be forced to share the same bed.
Disabled Nicaraguans often do not venture outside of their homes “due to the stigmas associated with having a disability, and the inconvenience of trying to negotiate the crowded and uneven sidewalks in their communities,” according to Quinnipiac’s health care delegation.
“We’re basically going to try to make life a little easier for the children and their families,” Giannico said.
The doctoral students will not only treat disabled children, but also go into their homes and make adjustments that will make their lives more comfortable. “They might need a ramp because there are too many stairs to get in and out of the house,” she said. “We’ll be making special chairs so they can sit and eat dinner with their family.”
Giannico and her fellow students will be in Nicaragua for a week next January. It is her first “big volunteering event.”
But first, she needs to raise $2,600 to cover the cost of the trip. That includes compensation for host families and the cost of travel and translators.
You can donate to Giannico’s service trip through her GoFundMe page, or by mailing donations to her home PO box: PO Box 767, Riverhead, NY 11901.
“I think this will be a really life-changing experience, for both the children and myself,” she said.
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