Ms. Judy Gumbs has returned home after successfully completing a two-year therapy course in Barbados. She received this with funding of Optimum Chance which was founded by Barbara Salamy, a registered nurse from New Jersey, in 1992.
Since that time Barbara and her team of therapists have travelled to St. Kitts and Nevis to work with the Special Education Units treating children with special needs. Three years ago Mrs. Salamy, in conjunction with the Rotaries of St. Kitts and Hackettstown, NJ and with the help of the St. Kitts government, funded Ms. Gumbs to the rehabilitation therapy degree in Barbados.
Ms. Gumbs is the first graduate using this Optimum Chance funding and hopefully not the last. Mrs. Salamy passed away from ovarian cancer in 2006. However, her work continues to be carried on by her husband. He plans to raise enough funds for two additional scholarships by the next class in 2009. Ms. Gumbs currently works with the Special Education Unit in St Kitts as a rehabilitation therapy technician.
In other Rotary news, the Rotary Club of St. Kitts hosted a camp at the St Johnson’s Community Centre on Saturday November 17, 2007 for persons living with diabetes.
Approximately fifty persons who attended the camp were selected from health centres around the island and from private physicians. The club provided transportation to and from the venue for those who needed it. From 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with breaks for lunch and a snack, the participants were exposed to talks and discussions on many aspects of diabetes.
The idea that persons living with diabetes can live long and healthy lives was stressed, and instruction was given on how this could be achieved: by careful adherence to dietary guidelines, by faithfully taking the prescribed medication, by daily exercise and by regular examinations to detect complications at an early stage.
All participants had the opportunity to get their blood pressure and blood sugar level checked just before the lunch break by nurses of the International University of Nursing.
The club used funds raised from our recent raffle to arrange this camp, and we thank the public for their support in this and all our other efforts. We had assistance from several sponsors, whom we thank sincerely. As a result of this sponsorship the club was able to donate a free medical consultation and ECG examination to eight of the participants, and gifts of dietary supplements and other items to everyone. We also thank the presenters, who willingly gave of their time and expertise and whose presentations were all enthusiastically received. To the many other persons who helped in various ways we express our thanks.
