Fiesta Shares Feeding Knowledge Overseas

Mishelle trains a caregiver how to feed a child with cerebral palsy    

Recently, Fiesta Pediatric Therapy has become involved with an organization, SPOON Foundation. The Spoon Foundation works to improve feeding and nutrition for vulnerable children overseas, including children with disabilities.  Mishelle Rudzinski, a speech-language pathologist at Fiesta, is a co-founder of SPOON.  SPOON works to improve feeding and nutrition for children in orphanages, most of whom have special needs and do not have access to adaptive equipment, specialized care, or therapy.  Most of the children are malnourished.  SPOON provides training, equipment, and advocacy for children living in orphanages and foster care in China, India, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and even here in the U.S.  Beth Williamson, Fiesta’s owner and Clinical Director, will soon be traveling with SPOON to Bangalore and Pune, India to train orphanage caregivers and foster parents on seating, positioning, and feeding for children with special needs.

SPOON also provides free resources to adoptive and foster families in the U.S. regarding the unique nutritional needs of adopted and foster kids at AdoptionNutrition.org. 

                             Follow Fiesta Family for updates on Mishelle and Beth's journeys with the Spoon Foundation.

A caregiver in India feeds a baby with cleft palate drop by drop with a small spoon.  Beth will soon provide specialized training and equipment so the babies can be fed with bottles.