Notes from the field
Update, 11/8/2007
Last year the Virginia Hospital Center (VHC) Medical Brigade team provided care to the small village of San Jeronimo. Betty Martin was triaging at the front gate and noticed a young mother with a small infant in her arms surrounded by her 6 young children. The baby appeared to be in distress and was quickly pulled from the line and escorted to the pediatric clinic where I was worked along with Rebecca Eick. The baby girl weighed less than 5 pounds and was clearly dehydrated and starving. Imagine our surprise when the mother told us that the infant was actually 5 months old!!! The mother was thin, malnourished and was unable to produce enough breast milk to nourish her infant daughter. Several Brigade members, worked with the mother, providing her with prenatal vitamins and supplemental formula. In addition, Lu Lamb, a lactation specialist, educated the mother on how to increase milk supply. As we watched the young mother and her family walk away, we had heavy hearts, full of concern. The vision of the young infant stayed with many of us as we traveled back home.
This year, the VHC Brigade returned to the village of San Jeronimo. Rebecca and I were working next to each other all day, seeing patients in the same classroom. At one point, I glazed over and recognized the young woman's face. She was surrounded by her children and in her arms, she held a healthy, 17 month old little girl. Could it be the same woman and baby from last year? She confirmed that indeed, she was here last year and that the VHC Brigade had helped to save her daughter's life.
Kathy Ellis, NP – Pediatric Field Team
For me, volunteering has always been rewarding. However, the experience with the Medical Brigade 2007 was more than invigorating. I credit this to the wonderful members of the brigade and more importantly to the astounding need of the native Hondurans. Hardwork has never been so enjoyable. Thank you for a wonderful experience. See everyone in 2008!
Krystal Perkins, RN - Pharmacy Team, 2007
As I process, and get through, the emotional impact of being part of this 2007 brigade mission, I think what strikes me most is what one person's initiative, and drive, can actualize. I am still awed by the thought and diligent effort that went into ensuring every small detail of the mission was pre-planned. It is this year long effort that allowed newbies, like me, to hit the ground running upon landing in Comayagua. The stockpile of the warehouse, and the efficiency with which goods were distributed, is testimony to the planning, foresight, and sheer year-long elbow grease that goes into ensuring a successful week long mission.
I was also impressed by the forward looking goals of the mission. The initiative to bring potable water, and sanitary systems, to the remote villages will have far reaching consequences in improving the overall health, and daily living conditions of the people, and children, we met over the week. The hardest part for me was leaving all those lovely faces at the end of the week knowing we were taking back with us their access to the basic healthcare we take for granted in our lives.
I am comforted though by the other far reaching initiative ... to train community health care workers ... to provide some of the services after the mission team has left. I was impressed with the thoughtfulness of the initiative ... not just to train, but then to assess and review the quality of care being provided, and to deter the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. I will never forget watching Dr. Rennert facing reams of notecards for review late at night after I had just about collapsed at the end of a long day, and after having being wined and dined by the mother hens that clucked and slaved for us in the brigade kitchen all day :) His work was not yet done for the day.
It is this commitment and dedication to thoughtful development work undertaken by the core team members that makes me feel fortunate to have been invited to be part of such an incredibly effective humanitarian mission.
I miss my brigade family, and will be thinking of you as I sit in my "Honduran" chair by the fire this Thanksgiving, being grateful that there are people like you, who give of yourselves each year to touch the lives of the people of Comayagua.
Rano Singh, PT – Pediatric Physical Therapy Team, 2007
In 66 years I have never worked, played and joked with so many dedicated, sincere, professional and just down to earth people in all my life. It was a sincere pleasure to work, sweat, cry, laugh and sing with all of you during our Brigade trip to Honduras. I look upon all of you as, not only, just friends, but great friends which I'll always cherish deep in my heart. To single out any one person would be unfair and unjust to all of you. Thanks for just being there and God Bless.
Harvey Shaw – Physical Therapy Team, 2007
How can you explain what a great privilege it is to be able to change someone’s life? Working with the Eye Care Team from VHC Medical Brigade gives me that opportunity, and I am forever grateful. We can see the difference we make in the lives of the people of Honduras. I wish they could see how this experience changes each of us forever.
Cindy Elkin, ABOM – Eye Care Team, 2007
My feelings on the Medical Brigade experience is that it's some of the hardest work I've performed, but that provided me the most rewarding results since I've been in labor! Bringing 80 people together to form a Brigade where each one has his or her job but all work together for a common cause is awesome. Our common cause is to give what we can to our fellow men in Honduras and I always come home feeling that we have accomplished our mission.
Sally Kozlowski, RN – Pharmacy Team, 2007
The overriding specialness of the Brigade, for me, is our shared mission. We all are working toward the same goal. We are able to count on each other to treat the Honduran people well. Having a shared philosophy and shared values in such a big group is really powerful.