HandReach's goal is to see every child has a chance to reach his or her potential, so we work to help rural children whose families cannot afford medical care that would allow them to attend school.
Research released by the Chinese Red Cross Foundation (CRCF) recently shows that children account for 50 to 60 percent of the total burn-injured population in China alone, estimated to be about 10 million. Most burn-injured patients are the children of migrant workers or those in rural areas who suffer from financial difficulties. The May 12, 2008 earthquake in the Sichuan region of China resulted in the amputations of 15,000 – 20,000 children, many of whom were inside their poorly-constructed school buildings when the earthquake hit. Data from the World Bank and the United Nations suggest that as countries industrialize and urbanize, higher concentrations of poor migrants, many of whom live in make-shift housing, produce higher numbers of burn injuries. As such, we note that the incidence of pediatric burn injury is on the rise in places like China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Asia, as well as in Africa. Many pediatric burn injuries in Africa result from warfare and require even greater levels of psychosocial and rehabilitative care to remove children from danger areas and help them prepare for productive occupations. HandReach seeks to establish a firm footing by establishing model interventions in China before moving gradually into other regions of the world.
HandReach is primarily funded by donations from private citizens.
Though HandReach has worked collaboratively with similar charitable organizations such as A Life A Time, Overseas Saving the Chinese Children Foundation, AngelMoms, and the 512 Children's List. HandReach helps children with complex injuries that require time and resources to heal. While other international health organizations sponsor one procedure for a child, HandReach and its partners work to ensure continuity of care until the child reaches adulthood at age 21. HandReach stands apart when one considers the productivity generated on such a lean budget. HandReach's only hurdle is obtaining the funding needed.
HandReach's management group is an international team of bilingual professionals with a wide range of expertise in communication, health care, international affairs, management, media, and public advocacy. HandReach's founder, Dr. Brecken Chinn Swartz held a Ph.D. in International Communication and a Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and she was fluent in Chinese, with extensive experience working with some of the best pediatric burn units in the United States and China. Her adopted Chinese daughter and current HandReach Director, Zhou Lin, is the survivor of a severe burn to the lower 55% of her body, and Dr. Swartz accompanied her on every step of the healing journey, from surgery to rehabilitation to psychological counseling. HandReach's current President, Steve McIntosh, has over a decage of experience in non-profit administration, and HandReach's China Program Director, Qi McIntosh, has extensive contacts and experience with partner charities in China and the US. HandReach Director Brock McConkey, Prosthetics and Orthotics Manager for Shriners Hospitals for Children in New England has extensive experience working internationally on accessible infrastructure systems in health care. HandReach's Board of Advisors also includes world-class pediatric burn specialists from Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
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