CHW Medical Missions Blog: The View from Your Mission

Ron McDowell
Physical Therapist
Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta

Gratitude is the idea and the feeling which continue to arise within me as I look back on our work this year. It starts with my feeling grateful for the many, many people in my family, hospital and community who have supported us with goodwill, donations, prayers, and willingness to allow us to be absent from our daily responsibilities to perform our mission. I have had a feeling of being lifted beyond my own individual capacity by this support - buoyed up unexpectedly at times by a word of encouragement or an excited “How was your trip?” from a housekeeper, a patient or a physician. Those of us who traveled and worked in Guatemala carried our communities’ hopes and wishes with us to meet the hopes and wishes of the people we supported and served.

To those who returned this year to deepen and further develop our mission, I also want to offer my deepest appreciation. Our organizers and leaders: Susan, Pamela, Pablo, Mary Carol and Peggy- their work and vision have helped each of us have the vehicle we need to carry forward our intentions to care for the people we have chosen to serve.Our health promoters, people like Telma, Oto Chico, Yolanda and many others, these are the individuals who carry the responsibility for their community’s health and well-being all year long, and with very little material resources. They link us to the people, and they are now being challenged to grow and develop their skills to collaborate with us in the new initiatives we offer. And of course, I feel deeply inspired and grateful for the presence and support of Sister Caridad, a true pioneer who shows me just how much can be accomplished through love, determination and commitment over time. I feel grateful and inspired also by the innovation brought by returning clinicians: Sandra’s fluoride varnish program is a significant step towards self-sufficiency and collaboration, and will save much suffering for countless young people in the coming years. The practical knowledge that people like Rachael May and Michelle Telford-Vegas were able to impart to the new members of our team gave us a jump-start to more effectively serve our clients.

I feel humbled by the seemingly tiny impact my own work may have had in this short time, yet I also feel truly grateful for having been given the privilege of a profession, the abilities I have been able to cultivate as a therapist and interpreter, and the good health and disposition I have been given to truly love and thrive in the act of serving others.

Memorable experiences:
One striking aspect of this year’s trip was my experience of how the medical mission served as a catalyst for individuals’ personal development.

On our first clinical day, I found myself performing hemoglobin tests with the help of a lovely young girl, Flor Maria, the 10 year old daughter of one of the health promoters. It quickly became evident that this young lady was very bright and capable beyond her years. We went on to develop a friendship that week, which allowed me to encourage her in pursuing her education to perhaps become a doctor. Hopefully, the fact that she felt valued and recognized will provide a spark to carry her forward towards her dreams.
One of our young health promoters, a teenager named Claudia told me that she wants to become a civil engineer. She was one of two young people who learned to perform the fluoride tooth varnishes. As we got to know each other, and I encouraged her to practice her English with me and the other team members, I sensed that the recognition and encouragement we offered her could be important support for her pursuing her life goals.
Our team’s new Spanish interpreter, Glenda Peralta, told me after the first couple of days of clinics that her work with Dr. Hooper had inspired her to take training as a Certified Nursing Assistant in order to be able to be of greater service in the future.
Our two US college student helpers Phil and Theo told us that they had been quite motivated and inspired by their work with us, and that they had gained some new ideas for projects they hope to complete in the coming months.

I also feel inspired to become more capable in order to better serve in the future. I am determined to continue to improve my Spanish skills and also to develop better ways to bring education about self-care, body mechanics and ergonomics to the hard-working people I saw suffering from preventable neck, shoulder and back problems. I want to learn more about the practical means for improving local water quality and perhaps be part of an initiative to support self-sufficiency for clean water in the small villages we visited. I want to learn more about the resources with which we can collaborate in Guatemala and surrounding countries to extend our effectiveness for medical follow-up, public health and community development.

Of course, I have much careful consideration to make in the coming months, to clarify and define what I can realistically undertake, and to understand what will best support our overall mission, but it’s exciting to see how much potential there is for growth. Another very important arena of growth for me is in relation to my support for the team’s ability to work more effectively and harmoniously together.