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Monica Robichaud’s volunteer missions have helped her keep things in perspective. “I am compassionate to the clients I serve but I also don’t sweat the small stuff as much.” Photo by Tara McMullen.

A 12-year-old girl who suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury when she was attacked by a tiger – not the usual type of injury Monica Robichaud, Occupational Therapist, sees in Ottawa.

But in Nepal, where Robichaud volunteered with Team Canada Healing Hands, she helped assess the girl and set her up with a fitting wheelchair and comfortable seating.

“Before the end of our week, we saw her outside the clinic with her father and a shy smile was all the thank you we needed,” said Robichaud.

Volunteering has always been important to her family, so Robichaud strongly believes in giving back and has done so with three trips to Haiti and Nepal since 2012.

“Every time I take part in a volunteering mission, I learn something new, I am challenged and I grow both personally and professionally,” she said.

Monica Robichaud worked in Nepal to assess people’s needs and adjust their wheelchairs, as well as educate local staff about wheelchair cushions and transfers.

During her first trip to Haiti, she developed occupational therapy treatment sessions for disabled children at an orphanage in Ile-à-Vache. A year later, Robichaud returned to provide education on therapeutic intervention and care for clients with stroke in Port-au-Prince and Les Cayes.

“We are all responsible for covering the costs of our initiatives,” she explained. “I was able to raise funds through CanadaHelps.org and social media. Supportive friends, family and co-workers make these projects possible for me.”

Most recently, in August 2015, Robichaud travelled to the Kathmandu area in Nepal as part of a small wheelchair seating team that worked with the Walkabout Foundation at the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Center. On the clinic’s first day, clients were lined up out the door to be assessed for their wheelchairs. A Nepali clinician partnered with each Canadian occupational therapist to assess the clients, and 53 assessments were done on the first day alone.

Monica Robichaud is always amazed at the resilience and courage of the people she treats during volunteer missions abroad, but also here at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre.

Later, the team began building new seating systems and people’s posture and comfort began improving.

“Over 50 new chairs were fitted and education on wheelchair cushions and transfers was provided to staff during the short and very productive seven-day mission,” said Robichaud.

Working in developing countries has made Robichaud appreciate our health-care system and all of the resources that are available to us.

“Every system and society has its flaws but I always come back with a renewed appreciation for what we have,” she explained.

People ask her how she prevents the suffering she sees in these disaster areas from affecting her.

“I see the suffering but mostly, I am forever amazed at the resilience and courage of the people I meet,” she said. “This is not much different than my job here at the Rehabilitation Centre. Every day I meet people whose lives have changed drastically, yet they show up to their appointments and accept the challenges presented to them. As an occupational therapist, there is no greater reward than to help someone return to meaningful occupation and a productive life.”

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