Honouring a Remarkable Achievement
Beckenham Park Care Home resident Sarah Davies was awarded an MBE on Friday 15th December, for her services to vulnerable and disabled children in Mexico. Her husband and loved ones were delighted to join her in a ceremony at the home conducted by the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, Sir Kenneth Aphunezi Olisa, on behalf of the royal family.
In her career, Sarah worked as an Occupational Therapist for the National Health Service, the Dutch Health Service and the United States Healthcare system. After moving to Monterrey in Mexico for her husband, Kenneth’s work, she could never have anticipated the impact she would have on the lives of children in their community.
Sarah started as a volunteer at Instituto Nuevo Amanecer (INA), a local charitable institute for children and young adults with cerebral palsy that brings together medical, education, and therapy services.
She expanded her aims to enlist experts working with severely disabled children, including neuro-paediatric rehabilitation, to provide training courses to the staff at INA voluntarily. She founded the charity Mexican Disabled Children’s Trust (Medict) to raise funds to cover the costs associated with sending these experts to work in Mexico. Through Medict, she has raised over £130,000 and collected and shipped 17 large containers of refurbished paediatric equipment from the UK to Mexico.
As a result of Sarah’s voluntary involvement, INA now has a fantastic postural management clinic. It continues its support by arranging for volunteers to deliver training and sending equipment that has been donated, continuing to transform the lives of thousands of disabled children in Mexico.
