To UW's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine

Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty,

Please consider this a continuation of our gratitude for all of the support that you gave our group to make this trip possible.

Beginning with Cheryl Kerfeld, the organizer and connection to the co-founder of Manos Unidas, this trip became a reality. For the last two years, students of GROW have looked to faculty and received support from Cheryl in fostering a program that connects to communities nationally and internationally. We aim to serve individuals in need of physical therapy to the best of our ability and to match their needs. Cheryl has been paramount in advising this group of students and bringing together the pieces that enable us to continue in our endeavors. Thank you for everything from logistics to emotional support to the clinical challenge.

We would also like to thank the current and former heads of the department, Sally Westcott McCoy and Mark Guthrie. Without your support and belief in us as individuals, we would not have been blessed with such an incredible opportunity. The ability to travel to another country, experience another culture entirely, and meet people where they are is a life-changing experience in itself. To think that we did all of those things under the context of physical therapy is inspiring. This is a situation where our passions, our studies, and our experience were able to meet the deep needs of another community. We recognize that this would not have been possible without you, and hope to express our gratitude as fully as possible so you at least begin to feel how important you have been in this experience.

Finally, we would like to thank the rest of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine faculty. During your time at the University of Washington, you have challenged students to reach their potential and become not only better physical therapists, but better people. We recognize that you push us to be better people as a whole, while also giving us ample opportunities to hone our skills as physical therapists. Thank you for your continual support in the process of our growth as professionals.

Kindest regards,
Catey Whitlock