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."
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