Tesoro Project

Meet Rigoberto!

Three years ago, he was in an auto accident and fractured his ankle severely which lead to surgical repair. Once he had his cast removed he did not have access to therapy services and due to this, has been unable to work because of difficulty walking and being on his feet. He is a single father of 4 children.

When we arrived to his home and began asking him questions, he started explaining how thankful he was for us even being there, and that he was blessed and thankful for what God had provided in his life. He was brought to tears in some of his responses to us, and greatly impacted our therapy team.

Through his responses we learned about resiliency, sacrifice, and strength. Being a single father of 4, he puts the needs of his kids first, worries about them first and is always looking for ways to sacrifice and improve their lives. He is resilient through dealing with these injuries for multiple years and strong mentally to be able to hold these burdens and not let it affect or project onto his kids.

Our team promptly started working on improving his ankle mobility, conducted an evaluation for a head injury he sustained during the initial accident, and providing him with a cane to assist him in maintaining his independence. He reported a significant reduction in pain and decreased vestibular complaints after our treatment.

Rigoberto’s current pair of shoes had started falling apart and several of his therapy team members generously contributed to purchasing a new pair of shoes for him! He expressed his deepest gratitude to the therapist who had blessed his life and the lives of his family.

Throughout our time together, his profound resilience and unwavering faith brought tears to our eyes. He expressed overwhelming gratitude for God’s provisions, leaving our entire group deeply inspired by his strength. We pray that God continues to bless him and his beautiful family.

Part 1️⃣ // Momostenango

Cofounders, Bri & Aimee visited a new region along side PHA for potential therapy services called, Momostenango, Guatemala!

It’s takes between 3-4 hours to drive to this region from Guatemala City, depending on traffic (IYKYK😅)

This region is a high-altitude (7200ft) municipality in the Totonicapan department of Guatemala, famous for its rich Mayan heritage and traditional woolen textiles.

The climate is cool, ranging from 45-70 deg, and there is a distinct rainy season and dry season.

Momostenango’s population is predominantly of Maya K’iche’ descent and 70% of the population lives in rural areas.

Most of the community are small farmers
growing maize and beans for their own consumption. Others are textile artisans
who hand-weave woolen blankets, ponchos, and rugs.

Tune in for part 2 to learn how Tesoro Project plans to serve this community in the near future!

Meet Mario!

He is a 48 year old with a history of multiple right foot surgeries following 4th toe amputation due to complications from diabetes. He reported current pain with walking, inability to work due to his hip and back pain, and concerns about his diabetes management.

Mario is a dad of 4, one of whom was an aspiring medical professional and would help with wound care at home. This contributed immensely to the healing of his incision.

PT and OT worked together to inspect his wound and provide clean dressing along with an ACE bandage to reduce the swelling in his joint. We observed his walking and provided education on the proper use of a single point cane to reduce hip pain. Mario responded very well to this with a couple of big thumbs up!

Mario was such a caring and fun patient to work with. Our team felt very blessed to spend time with him and give him appropriate education for managing his current condition.

- Kiera, Caitlin, & Parker

kinda the point to

❤️‍🩹 heal
🏥impact
🔨serve
🫱🏾‍🫲🏼build community
🇬🇹experience culture

One week until we welcome our August trip participants to serve alongside Tesoro Project and our Guatemalan community members in Guatemala City & Chiquimula!

Stay tuned for all the updates!

k i n d a t h e p o i n t t o

❤️‍🩹 heal
🏥impact
🔨serve
🫱🏾‍🫲🏼build community
🇬🇹experience culture

One week until we welcome our August trip participants to serve alongside Tesoro Project and our Guatemalan community members in Guatemala City & Chiquimula!

Stay tuned for all the updates!

✨ Meet Hayden ✨

22 years ago Hayden had a seizure and fell down, resulting in a head trauma and a dislocated shoulder that was never properly treated. 4 years later, he fell out of a truck, hitting his head and injuring his neck again.

These injuries have severely impacted his cervical and shoulder range of motion, strength, and affected his ability to complete self care skills and work tasks.

When working with Hayden, both OT & PT primarily focused on regaining mobility in order to improve his quality of life and ability to complete activities of daily living easier.

Hayden reported that certain self care skills were difficult for him, including upper body dressing and threading his belt through his pants. We spent time working on range of motion for his arms and found ways to modify work tasks to increase his independence.

Hayden, later attempted to thread his belt behind his back, and he was able to touch his hands behind his back for the first time since his accidents over 20 years ago!! He was so shocked and grateful by this new ability!

Hayden was such a positive, FUN, and motivated patient! We were blessed to have met him. He was extremely grateful for our help as well!

We really enjoyed spending time with Hayden and hope to have more follow up sessions with him in the upcoming years to see how he is doing!

- Steph and Shelby

|| ✨Story Time✨ ||

Josue is only two years old, but his eyes told a story far beyond his years.

Two month prior, Josue had experienced a stroke. At an age where most children are just learning to run, play freely, and explore without limits, his little body was already learning how to fight.

Upon assessment, the flexor synergy pattern beginning to take hold in his right upper extremity. His tiny arm pulled inward and his hand clenched, as if his body was trying to protect itself from something it didn’t understand. His brain was asking his hand to open and it just wouldn’t listen.

I knew I had to make a splint for him - because underneath the clinical presentation, underneath the diagnosis, underneath everything—we had a two-year-old boy who wanted to play.
And I knew I had to try.

Creating a resting hand splint for a toddler is already a challenge. But for Josue, it was more than that. He had experienced trauma on that side of his body. Touch alone brought discomfort, hesitation, crying, and even fear. So this wasn’t just about positioning his hand—it was about trust.

We took it slow. For three hours, we worked together—adapting, pausing, reassuring. I chose to fabricate the splint off his body to reduce any additional stress or trauma.

Mom watched closely, asked questions, and leaned in with so much love and willingness to learn. Because she knew this was about giving her son a chance.

Finally, after those long hours, we placed it on his tiny hand to allow for positioning, protection, and prevention.

Before we left, we spent time with his mom—teaching her how to incorporate his right upper extremity into play. Not forcefully. But in ways that felt natural, engaging, and joyful for a 2 year old. We talked about movement tolerance, sensory input, and encouraging use without creating fear.

As OT’s and PT’s it is important we turn therapy into play, because making it meaningful is what it’s all about.

- Dr. Aundrea, OTD

So grateful to partner with Potter's House Guatemala and bless another family with a hygiene station! We had the honor of completing the 100th one!