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Les missions bénévoles de Monica Robichaud l’aident à faire la part des choses. « J’ai de la compassion pour mes patients, mais je ne fais plus autant de montagnes avec des riens. »  Photo : Tara McMullen.

Une fillette de 12 ans a une lésion incomplète de la moelle épinière après avoir été attaquée par un tigre. Ce n’est pas le genre de blessure que Monica Robichaud, ergothérapeute, voit à Ottawa.

Mais au Népal, où elle a été bénévole avec l’Équipe Canada Healing Hands, elle a aidé à évaluer la fillette et à obtenir un fauteuil roulant ajusté pour ses besoins.

« Avant la fin de la semaine, nous l’avons vue à l’extérieur de la clinique avec son père. Un timide sourire de gratitude a suffi pour nous récompenser », se souvient-elle.

Venant d’une famille où le bénévolat est à l’honneur, M^me Robichaud croit fermement qu’il faut redonner aux autres, ce qu’elle a fait depuis 2012 pendant trois voyages à Haïti et au Népal.

« Chaque fois que je pars en mission bénévole, j’apprends, je suis mise au défi, je m’épanouis et je perfectionne mes compétences », explique-t-elle.

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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