Eleanore's Project, Inc.

Thank you, Ride Designs, for the generous donation of Java Decaf back cushions for Peruvian kids!

Yesterday was home visit day for Eleanore's Project, with Yancana Huasy colleagues. Did you know that having the correct support in the right places can help calm a child's body down as they feel more secure? And stable shoulder support can often make head control easier?

But it doesn't end with the wheelchair. Supporting posture in lying is a crucial piece of the puzzle, to help young bodies grow straight. They go together, because sitting and lying are linked!

Did you know that every time Eleanore's Project goes to Lima, we offer continuing education workshops for the therapists who work at Yancana Huasy? This morning, Tamara is teaching about the importance of alignment between a person's body and the axle of their wheelchair.

People who self-propel their wheelchairs can develop severe shoulder pain if their body and wheels aren't positioned correctly. If the wheels are too far back, the wheelchair rider's shoulders and arms will have to work too hard, leading to long-term problems and potentially a loss of independent mobility.

At Eleanore's Project, we don't provide just any wheelchair chair. We provide the right chair, and that means ensuring that when a wheelchair rider is pushing themselves, it's optimized for their unique body mechanics.

Excitement is ramping up as our shipping container of wheelchairs is arriving in Peru on March 3. Next week promises to be busy with meetings, trainings for new therapists at Yancana Huasy and unloading the container when it arrives onsite. The unloading is always an emotional time and I haven't been present for it since the pandemic. May all go smoothly - stay tuned!

Organizing our next wheelchair shipment is a wrap! This gear and more will be loaded on a container next week and be on the way to Peru.

Eleanore's Project is seeking volunteer clinicians to join our team in Peru in March! Are you an OT or PT with wheelchair seating expertise? Do you have skills in 24-hour posture care management - or are you willing to learn? Are you available for 1-2 weeks during March 11-22, 2024?

If so, you could be part of a group like this one, this year! Please contact us through our website, or FB Messenger.

Hot off the presses, it's our 2023 wrap-up! Check out what's new with Eleanore's Project, and join our news list to get this directly in your inbox.

2023 updates to Eleanore's Project In June 2023, an EP team of 11 volunteers spent two weeks in Lima, Peru. The trip included home visits, workshop sessions for Yancana Huasy therapists, and 39 children and families were seen for custom wheelchair seating and postural care.

Do you live in the Missoula, Montana area? Do you have some extra storage space (garage, shed etc) sitting empty that you could donate to a good cause?

Eleanore's Project has a generous offer from a volunteer willing to collect and manage donated come rehab wheelchairs and other equipment for use in Peru. We just need storage!

Please DM if you can help, or reach out through our shiny new website:

Eleanore's Project Wheelchairs are wings. In the world of wheelchairs, one size does not fit all. With the help of our partners, we make wheelchairs work for every body. Learn More Why We Exist The Challenge The World Health Organization estimates that over 70 million people, including children and teens, need a wheel...

We have a beautiful, shiny new website - long overdue. Visit us on this Giving Tuesday!

Eleanore's Project Wheelchairs are wings. In the world of wheelchairs, one size does not fit all. With the help of our partners, we make wheelchairs work for every body. Learn More Why We Exist The Challenge The World Health Organization estimates that over 70 million people, including children and teens, need a wheel...

One of the special projects of Eleanore's Project is Hammie, the simplified anatomical model for reaching about posture. His newest gig is teaching about posture for horseback riding! Check out the post from Stable seat.

Hammie is on the way to New Orleans, and will arrive soon! For any friends attending the RESNA conference, come find us in the exhibit hall and get your hands on Hammie in person. Otherwise head over to www.meethammie.com and check out our new and improved website with information galore!

How it started // how it's going
Arleth (age 6) received her first wheelchair on Friday. Now her mother has an easier way to transport her and Arleth will get the kind of specialized support her body needs.

Kids are at the center of everything we do. Angelo (age 10) was the star as a team of therapists from Yancana Huasy adjusted his wheelchair so it fit just right. His bright eyes and mischievous smile say everything you need to know about why the right wheelchair makes all the difference.

Wheelchair clinic Day 2 - the joy of having a new wheelchair, after waiting a whole year! And a peek in the work shop and inventory storage. So much goes on behind the scenes to reach the end result.

Wheelchair clinic, Day 1! Thiago (age 8) was fascinated by Scott adjusting the brakes on his new wheelchair. Follow along for more stories and photos as we spend the next 2 weeks wrenching on wheelchairs, advising on posture, and changing lives.

We've just finished 3 days at Hope Haven International, organizing wheelchairs for our shipment to Peru. The container will be loaded this morning and start the first leg of the journey to Peru. Great work with fun people this week!

Thank you Ride Designs, for supporting Eleanore's Project with Java and Java Decaf contoured wheelchair backs. They will be on their way to Peru tomorrow morning!

Our intrepid friends and board members Anna Marie Tschida and Laura Miklautsch are enroute to Sioux Falls, SD with this load of wheelchairs from our Missoula area storage unit. Now cleaned out, we are letting it go. These chairs will be loaded into a shipping container bound for Peru later this week!

Check out this wonderful article, written by our friend Trish Toole!

CLINICIAN TASK FORCE - Issuu Little ones just want to move! There is something universal about a child’s desire to move and play that transcends disability and country. In 2018, I had the privilege of traveling to Lima, Peru, with Eleanore’s Project to serve a wheelchair clinic at Yancana Huasy, a specialized school and com...

Tamara Kittelson felt honored to be part of this panel last month - talking about why complex rehab technology (specialized wheelchairs and so on) is crucial to people's lives. Have a look!

Mobility: Exploring The Wheelchair Users World This is "Mobility: Exploring The Wheelchair Users World" by NRRTS on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

I am excited to share this podcast, talking about some of my favorite topics - including the wonderful work at Yancana Huasy Inclusiòn Educativa in Peru.

Tamara Kittelson, OT, ATP/SMS shares her thoughts, her story, and her passion for postural management. Join us. https://talkrehab.show/Tamara

Thank you to Ki Mobility and Dave Hustwaite - Montana sales rep - for beautiful Leckey and Prime Engineering positioning and mobility equipment. Board member Laura Miklautsch was on hand to help organize and photograph the equipment. These chairs, standers, walkers and even a bath chair will eventually find new owners in Peru via Yancana Huasy!

A brand new course is available on wheelchair seating and 24-7 PCM, cost free. Thanks Ride Designs!

Made for Each Other: Kids, Custom Seating and 24-7 Posture Care Management Made for Each Other: Kids, Custom Seating and 24-7 Posture Care Management Learn how to integrate fundamental principles of 24 hour posture care management. Implementing strategies beginning at a young age can aid in reducing secondary complications and provide more optimal outcomes. | .2 CEU awarde...