Another joyful month at the house! We noticed a decrease in the number of patients and caregivers towards the end of 2023, with as few as 12 patients and 4 caregivers present. However, our first visit to B.K. Kee in February brought in a total of 23 patients and 11 caregivers. With many of the older patients returning home, we welcomed more children again, including 4 toddlers.
Most of our long-term patients have departed, and many residents are new, which makes for a terrific adventure playing bingo. With Bee assisting as interpreter and Klao directing, we were able to support the newcomers effectively. I was grateful, as always, for the assistance of Rotarian Bill Pierce, who circulated among the tables, helping participants identify covered spots and distributing snacks as prizes while I called out numbers. This time, I involved the residents in calling out the numbers in Burmese before I announced them in English. With everyone engaged, we managed to play two games in just one hour, the second being quicker as everyone had gotten the hang of it. It was heartwarming to witness mothers assisting their children and vice versa.
In addition to our usual delivery of laundry soap, which is always in high demand, we provided backpacks for the new patients and restocked additional sanitary supplies, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and other essentials.
During our second visit of the month, Rotarian Bill Pierce generously delivered a large supply of N95 masks purchased by Project Champion Gary for the patients, caregivers, and staff to use during hazardous air quality conditions. The highlight of the visit was a talent show, "B.K. Kee Has Talent," featuring a delightful mix of singing and dancing. Many chose to showcase their talents accompanied by one of the patients, who is remarkably skilled at playing the guitar. After everyone had a chance to share their talents, we still had several prizes left, so we wrapped up the afternoon with a lively round of "How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up?," where participants had to guess the number of fingers shown by Rotarian Bill in English for a chance to win one last prize. The visit was filled with smiles and laughter, showing B.K. Kee indeed has a lot of talent!
By Project Champion Gary Herman and Rotarian Bill Pierce