A new track to better outcomes

Alyn Hospital's Maslul program

Since its inception more than a decade ago, the Malki Foundation's Therapies at Home program has supported five kinds of paramedical therapy considered by the program's advisory committee to be essential to the development of a child with disabilities: Physical (Physiotherapy), Speech, Occupational, Horse-riding and Hydrotherapy.

The Malki Foundation's advisory committee includes a senior pediatrician. Through her close working relationship with ALYN Hospital ("one of the world's leading specialists in pediatric rehabilitation... the only facility of its kind in Israel"), she came to learn about its unique sport therapy program, called Maslul (the Hebrew equivalent of the English word "track"), and recommended we take a look at it.

After years of physical therapy, it often happens that an adolescent with special needs has 'had enough' - bored with doing the same exercises time and time again. What's more, the effect of these exercises can lessen. Still, it is vital that physical activity continue and the muscles keep being worked so as to avoid regression.

Alyn's Maslul program addresses this challenge. It is a tailored sport therapy program for children with disabilities who need to continue physical activity but for whom regular physiotherapy is no longer appropriate. The program includes swimming, an adapted gym and a Nintendo Wii Console arcade. (There's more at the Maslul Facebook page.)

Two applications for inclusion in the Maslul program tell the story. One was made on behalf of a teenage girl who had sustained a severe brain injury as a result of a car accident at a young age that left her with physical and development disabilities. The second girl has Down Syndrome and has received support from the Malki Foundation in the past for physical and speech therapy. At age 15, her parents and therapists feel the Maslul program will be more appropriate to her needs.

We are very grateful to the benefactors (who have requested to remain anonymous) whose ear-marked gift to The Malki Foundation enabled us to establish our sixth therapy program, henceforth to be called the "Miriam and Nathan Schlofsky Maslul Therapy Program". It is named to honor their parents.

The donors understood, as our advisory committee did, the importance of Maslul and how it fits in with the other therapies supported by the Malki Foundation. We are honored to partner with them.