CHW Medical Missions Blog

Serving Others Cultivates Gratefulness

Today we'll hear from Janet Hoffmeister, PharmD., who works as a pharmacist at French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, CA. The 2009 mission was Janet's second with the CHW Foundation for International Health.

"As I think back on our time in Guatemala, I am left with such appreciation for the experience; from the wonderful group of people that I traveled and worked with to the precious people I met in the country. For me, I don't feel like I was some great person that was serving the poor.

I felt like I was going there to receive. I felt and truly believe that there is a piece of me in every person I interacted with and they in me. This was a co-creative experience where everyone received what they wished for. We were all on the same plane and came together in that moment in time to fulfill some need in each of us: to serve each other.
 
What surprised me on this trip were the expressions of the unruly, violent ways of the society that was not exposed last year – the talk of the weapons that many carry, knowledge of family violence, violence against women, and the circumstances of the street children.
 
Last year I had no chance to get out of the Basilica and see the town. This year, I was able to visit several markets, walk around the streets, climb to the roof of the Basilica, and visit the orphanage. I was very comfortable in the town and in the surroundings. I felt like the community was exposed to me and I was part of it. 
 
That feeling of comfort also translated into the clinics. Since I had knowledge of what was expected or what I could expect, I was more relaxed about the job at hand. The team I worked on was the smaller of the two, but each and every person was wonderful, collaborative, and I feel like I got to know and appreciate each and every one.
 
Since I was tied up in the pharmacy during the clinics, I had very few patient experiences. My favorite was a moment when Adam (one of the students from St. John's University who helped us during our clinic days) was fitting a sweet elderly lady with glasses. When she put on glasses and looked up into his face, she beamed. Her face totally transformed. It was a beautiful moment. I also enjoyed seeing all the rough cowboys with their fancy, designer sunglasses. I will also remember fondly Dr. Willie coming into the pharmacy after every patient he saw and explain something to me, at length. All I could do was nod and agree with all that I wasn't understanding.
 
The only challenge I had was the last clinic day when it was so sweltering hot that we stuck to the paper and plastic bags we touched. But we were so busy that you couldn't give it much of a thought.
 
I wish everyone I know could have a similar experience to the one I had!"

"The gap between life and death is so small here"

More news out of Haiti. An emergency room nurse from CHW's Mercy Medical Center in Redding, Donn Kropp, recently returned from serving in Haiti and shared his story with the Redding Record Searchlight. In addition to the interview, he also shared his story through video:

Kropp was in Kobe, Japan, in the aftermath of the 1995 earthquake, and 10 years later in Pakistan-administered Kashmir after a similar disaster. What's different this time is he and his wife, Dea, have two children, 3-year-old Naava and 1-year-old Jude.

"I just couldn't stop thinking of the kids," he said. "That really struck me the most."

A nurse since 2001, Kropp believes his professional training served him well, along with his own commitment to showing both courage and sensitivity. It wasn't until the trip was over, when he was headed home and listening to his iPod, that the adrenaline wore off.

"And I felt this flood of emotion," he said. He reflected on what he hopes he contributed.

"The gap between life and death is so small there," he said. "(If I did) the little amount I can to widen that gap, I've helped."

Answer the Call | A Song for Haiti

Geoff Ibe is a nursing assistant at CHW's Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Gilbert, AZ. He is also a talented songwriter. After witnessing the devastation in Haiti he wrote this song to encourage others to give to the relief efforts. We are proud to share it with all of you:

You can donate to a number of organizations, including Catholic Relief Services and the Red Cross

Medical Missions Bring An Enhanced Commitment to Healthcare

We will continue to provide updates on any news we hear out of Haiti. We will also continue to post the returning reflections of our team members following our 2009 mission to Guatemala. The following reflection is from Herbert Villafuerte, an emergency room nurse at Glendale Memorial Hospital:

 
"I think the most surprising thing about the mission was the number of different organizations that are working currently to help disadvantaged countries. There isn't enough advertising and marketing out there to make us aware of all the efforts put forth by these organizations. At the airport, I became aware of at least three different groups trying to get their medical aid through customs to help the people of Guatemala.

One of the experiences that is staying with me is actually a combination of all the young people that work the fields in Guatemala. We saw a lot of them at different stages of blindness due to improper protection to the sun light. I am sure they spend countless hours in the fields without sunglasses or anything shielding their eyes.

A second patient that sticks in my head is the mother we saw in the hospital in Chiquimula with her two children in the ICU. The fact of having two children so sick at the same time speaks to the healthcare system in Guatemala. There is no preventive medicine out there to at least protect the children.

The third one a lot of us hold close to our hearts. The little girl that probably had meningitis at six months of age. The one that all of us tried to advocate for but quickly enough came to understand that she would eventually die. No matter what hospital or clinic we sent her to, her prognosis was not great.

Herbert Villafuerte explains the medications to a young mother for her ill child.

This mission experience has enhanced my desire to continue in the healthcare industry and also continue my current efforts to help those in need. I was very impressed by the people that accompanied us in this trip and their desire to serve. If anything has changed in my world view it is that there are still good people out there that are not selfish and actually think about others before they think about themselves.

The biggest challenge for me was leaving my six year-old for ten days. I have not been away from him ever for that long. It was a true commitment to leave him behind to go serve others. He has a good understanding of my involvement with other charitable groups and was glad I went to serve the children of Guatemala.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve."

Looking Back on Past Service in Haiti

We've received a wonderful message from a member of our 2009 Guatemala Mission team, Mia Paredez, and are sharing it with all of you today:

My wonderful family and friends,

I know this recent disaster in Haiti has been felt deep amongst us all.  I cannot find the words to convey how horrified I was to learn of the earthquake, how sad I am for the Haitian people who already were living in conditions we in the U.S. would declare unlivable, and how scared I am for the future of Haiti - who once again is faced with a lack of government control and hungry, impoverished people who will do just about anything to survive.  Like you, I am desperate to help. 

Most of you know of my amazing friend, Cheri Kay, my ensuing involvement with her nonprofit organization, Ancheri Care (www.anchericare.org), which provides therapy services to disabled children in Haiti, and the service trips I have made to Port-Au-Prince. I recently looked back on a reflection I wrote after my first trip to Haiti in 2006:

I had read over and over again that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, but one could never truly understand what that means until they see it for themselves.  While what we think of as “necessities” in the United States do exist, they are rare and never guaranteed – food, clean water, a roof, electricity, paved roads, medical services, transportation, sewage, etc.  It is easy to focus on what the people of Haiti do not have, but it was what they do have that has stayed with me the most.  The Haitians I met were vigilant, strong, and believers.  These people had a faith and sense of culture that I was fortunate enough to bear witness to.  They are not merely surviving in times of political upheaval and extreme poverty, but they are doing everything they can to truly live.

Haitians are a strong and culturally rich group of people. They are fighters. People have said to me this week over and over again that "something good has to come from this." I hope they are right. Please join me and unite for the people of this country who are fighting to survive each passing minute. Ancheri Care is anticipating the future rehabilitation needs of the Haitian people and will be planning a rehab service trip in the spring. Be assured I will keep you updated. I thank you a million times over for your continued support. 

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships,
so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears
for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
and turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness,
to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

-A Franciscan Benediction
(thank you Tricia and my Guatemala friends)

Love and light to all of you,

Mia

Port Au Prince Update, Creole-Speaking Volunteers Needed

We have heard from our contacts at the Hospital St. Francis de Sale in Port Au Prince. The news is difficult to bear:

"Thank you for your concern. In our dear Hospital St. Francois de Sales the building that contained the surgery, maternity, pediatric, and general medicine units have been completely destroyed killing about 30 patients (some of them parents and medical assistants). The building where the Sisters used to reside was also destroyed as was our entire stock of medicine. The building that was supposed to provide shelter to the maternity patients that Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach had helped us to build is intact and it is in this building that the surgery of the injured patients is taking place." Dr. Jean Marie Caidor, Chief Medical Officer

The hospital is about 70 percent destroyed, though it remains operational for emergency care. Catholic Relief Services is providing medicines, supplies, food, water, and extra medical staff. Global Health Ministry is working with the Catholic Medical Mission Board to send a team of 13. They are looking for Creole speaking medical professionals. If you meet the criteria and want to volunteer, send the following information to Sr. Mary Jo McGinley (mmcginley@che.org):

1. Name, Specific Professional level (ex. MD – Ortho surgeon; RN – ICU)
2. Contact info: Email Address; Work Phone; Cell phone; home address
3. Workplace:  Name of place and location.
4. Language: Fluent or Conversational in Haitian Creole or French.

Catholic Healthcare West hospitals are continuing to organize supplies and other donations (a special thanks to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, which is donating more than $4,000 worth of medical and surgical supplies) and are working closely with our partners throughout Catholic healthcare to meet the needs of the Haitian people.

In Haiti, "It's Bad Beyond Belief"

We continue to monitor the situation in Haiti. Our international partner, Global Health Ministry, has been serving in Haiti and the Dominican Republic for many years. Word from their contacts in Haiti is that it's "bad beyond belief." We will be working closely with them in the coming weeks and months to support their efforts and to bring much-needed aid to the area.

At Catholic Healthcare West, we all share a dedication to serve those in need that reaches beyond the borders of our communities and our nation. In that spirit, CHW is making a corporate donation of $50,000 to Catholic Relief Services to help with the immediate needs of the Haitian people and $50,000 to aid in the reconstruction of the St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port Au Prince.  

If you would like to help with the relief effort, please contribute directly to one of the organizations working to bring relief to the victims. Below is list of a few relief agencies you may consider supporting.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community. They are working to bring immediate relief to the victims of the earthquake, including food, water, and shelter.

Global Health Ministry has staff on the ground in Haiti supporting the poor. The organization also sends medical teams to the area on a regular basis to provide primary care services.

The American Red Cross has made available all of the relief supplies from its warehouse in Panama which would provide for basic needs for approximately 5,000 families. In addition, it is deploying a disaster management specialist to Haiti, and has additional disaster specialists on standby if needed. You can also text "HAITI" to "90999" to donate $10 to the relief efforts. The donation will show up on your phone bill.

UNICEF will deploy essential aid – including safe water, sanitation supplies, therapeutic foods, medical supplies, and temporary shelter materials – as quickly as possible to assist with recovery efforts. The organization is also focusing on children who have become separated from their families to protect them from harm or exploitation.

In Service to the Poor, We Gain More Than We Give

Today's reflection comes from Keri Sutton, RN, an emergency room nurse at Chandler Regional Hospital in Chandler, Arizona. 

 

The thing that probably surprised me the most was how I felt once I returned home. I am not sure if I know how to put it into words but the closest thing I can think of is a sense of purpose is taken away from you. We woke up early and started our days with such a purpose and enthusiasm for the care that we were going to be giving and even though the day was long and exhausting you came away with such a good feeling that you may have actually made a bit of a difference. With my role on the team as the discharge educator, I like to think that some of my teaching actually got through to people and that they might take some of what I told them and use it to change old habits. That sense of purpose and excitement just suddenly ended when we got home.

The first patient experience one that will probably stay with me for a very long time has to be the ethical dilemma of the 15 year old girl that was brought in by her mother. We found out that she was pregnant and then discovered that the mother’s husband, the girl’s stepfather, was the father of the baby. The mother confided in me that she was very depressed about the situation but was also scared to do anything about it since she had received threats from her husband that he would kill her if she told us. That was a very difficult thing to hear and to then realize that our resources to do anything about the situation was almost none. To find out that it was an unfortunate "common" occurrence in Guatemala.

The second experience would have to be the little old lady who had just lost her husband and son in a car accident and was now living on her own. She came in for multiple complaints, but I remember the way she started crying when we gave her a pair of glasses. She stated that she had never been able to see that clearly and was now going to be able to make "good clothes" to sell to be able to feed herself. Almost everyone I spoke with did not know how to read but needed to be able to sew or stitch to make a living. She was extremely grateful for that gift of sight.

The last memorable experience has to be the visit we took to the orphanage. I have an adopted sister from an orphanage in the Philippines and when we walked into this orphanage it brought back a lot of memories. To see all those beautiful children that just latch on to you and to know that they need a home is truly a loving but sad experience. The comfort was that they did seem like very happy children and had a gorgeous place to live. I told my husband once I returned home that if it was as easy as it was 39 years ago when my parents adopted my sister (they left with her that night) that I would have brought him home a newly adopted little girl.

I have already made a big change in that I decided to step down from my current Charge Nurse position in the ER and switch to the float pool. This way I have more time to do some volunteering through our community and try to regain more of that purpose back.

I have kept in touch with several people from the team and I know that I am not the exception. I truly believe that we came away with a lot more than we could have ever imagined. With me truly having that feeling that I did make a difference in someone’s life just gives me the thirst to want to do so much more. I look around my home and do realize how fortunate I am, but I look at it all so differently now and realize that it is all just possessions and that true joy comes from giving and helping. After being on this trip with this incredible group of individuals I feel truly blessed to have been a part of this team and to have made life long friendships with you all. It was in God's eyes that we were chosen and for that I am so thankful.

I could have kept going a lot longer than our 10 days there!  Again it is just at the end of the trip loosing that sense of purpose that you have. I am going to do my best to try to regain that purpose by exploring other options for volunteering in the mean time, and I encourage any and all to do the same for there is no other feeling on earth quite like it.

Working Ceaselessly for the Poor, the Sick, the Disenfranchised

Happy New Year, readers! Thank you for continuing to check back in with us. We're continuing to post returning reflections as written by members of our 2009 mission team. Today's comes from Tiffany Edmiston, an emergency department nurse at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, CA:

To identify one thing that surprised me about the mission would be impossible. There were so many amazing things seen and done by each of us collectively and individually. Some occurrences were miracles and marvels while some instances were simply sad.

One experience that will replay in my head frequently is how well Andy North, Mary Carol Todd, Keri Sutton, and Olga Alvarez managed the beginning of the last clinic day. I recall the rush of urgency in mass numbers of patients that flooded through the opened fence. Our crowd control team handled the sudden situation safely and effectively. I felt that was a successful day all around. I was part of a great team and I knew it everyday.

 
I will also remember watching Mia work with great and genuine compassion for every one of her patients (including me). For me, Mia was an endless inspiration and one definition of our purpose and need in Guatemala.

I also need to acknowledge how productive, dedicated and competent every member of the mission was from beginning to end. Each and every one of us settled into our assigned roles with ease and inventiveness. There was a constant feeling of positive flow as we adapted to our different workdays. All of us worked ceaselessly for the poor, the sick, the people at the Basilica, the disenfranchised people, the grateful ones and our colleagues around us. I am proud and honored to have been part of a gallant and spiritual group.

My feelings surrounding the trip before, during, and after run deep…they are special reminders of love for what we can do to help others, including ourselves. It was definitely a life-changing event that has enhanced and strengthened my work ethic back here at home. The only difference now is I miss all of my Guatemala colleagues and friends. I easily recognize how fortunate I was to have had an exhilarating experience in Guatemala with such fine and fun people.

Be Present and Listen

Today's reflection comes from Nancy Link, RD, who volunteers as a dietitian at CHW's Folsom Family Clinic in Folsom, CA. This year was our first time bringing a dietitian on our mission. Nancy's contributions were indispensable and we'll be working to bring two with us next year. Here's what she had to say about her mission experience:

"I was not so much surprised as encouraged by the value of the process and the advance thought and planning that went into the effort. I had doubts about the potential for effectiveness of such a short mission.

I felt that overall we gained much more than we gave in our coming face to face with people who struggle each day just to survive, and yet many could smile and thank us for being there.

Our shared presence to each other was a priceless gift of better understanding and caring.

Some of the patient experiences that are staying with me include:

Nancy, the preteen girl with cerebral palsy, and her mother. Michelle called me by phone last year from Esquipulas for advice about her malnourished condition. It was wonderful to actually see her this year and to know that she is doing much better.

The older woman who held my hand and cried because she didn’t have enough food and wasn’t getting any help from her family.

The young mother who was bottle feeding her 5 month old baby very diluted milk.

At the clinic in Horcones, the white haired blind man who was using a tree branch as a walking stick and was guided by a young boy about 8 or 9 years old. The boy, not a family member but a neighbor, stayed patiently by his friend’s side throughout the waiting time.

The mother who was a health promoter at the training day with her few weeks old baby. She was carrying her umbrella and had muddy shoes although it sunny where we were in Esquipulas. I asked about the weather and trip into town. She said it was pouring as she walked three hours through the mountains to get to us. She came as a volunteer, to learn more about how to help the poor. Of course she still had to walk 3 hours home again in her pump sandal shoes.

This whole experience reinforced my feeling that it is very important to meet, be present with, and listen to people in other countries and especially those who are struggling. It clarified my feelings about the importance of projects or assistance in ways that promote self improvement for the people so that they can have a means to better provide for basic needs of themselves and their families.

What a wonderful group of caring and fun people I was able to serve with on this mission. They strengthened my belief that many people operate out love and concern for others, especially those who need assistance.

I was most challenged by my feelings of helplessness in the face of extreme hunger and poverty."