A Drastic and Humbling Change

Nicole Evans, RN, serves in the emergency room at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals in Nevada. This was her first mission experience.

I was most surprised by how grateful and patient the patients and their families were. Many of them traveled two hours by bus to be seen and waited many hours without a single complaint. This was obviously a drastic change from some of the immediate gratification we are used to in the states, and definitely a humbling act to watch.
 
I’ll remember our first day at Horcones, at the very end of our long day, we saw a brother and sister who both looked very ill. I triaged and assessed both children. The boy was listless and pale, the girl was sad and coughing. Dr. Frank Baudino clinically deemed the patients with probable pneumonia. We gave each an injection of intramuscular antibiotics and vitamins to take home, and arranged for transport to Esquipulas the next day so we could check up on the children at our clinic there. Mom did show up with her two children in tow, both with better color, playful, and acting as children should.

On day two we saw a sick infant. I triaged the baby and knew right a way he was ill. We had mom and the baby jump the line of people and got him to Dr. Frank right away. Dr. Frank ordered medications for possible sepsis, and we sent the baby to the hospital in Chiquimula. We actually saw the baby in the pediatric unit during our tour of the hospital days later. The baby’s mom proudly informed us he was doing much better and was going to be discharged the following day.

My third most memorable experience was the mother who had just given birth in the new birthing suite at the Chiquimula hospital. Our team members visiting the hospital all pooled together money and gave the new mother a donation, wishing her "buenas suerte," good luck, from the American medical team. Even shortly after childbirth the mom put a big smile on her face as she was handed the envelope.
 
I have served the poor before, though in a much different setting. The ER patients in the States for the most part still have a lot more going for them. They have clean water, bathrooms, available resources for low income and/or homeless, and the ability to receive medical care for emergencies 24/7. The work we did in Guatemala definitely makes me grateful for what we have here in the States, and at the same time grateful to be serving the underprivileged and making a genuine difference in their lives.
 
Everyone on our team was amazing. This was my first mission, and first time going with CHW, but our team seemed very fluid and I truly think we made a great team. It felt great to know we all had come together from various hospitals and backgrounds to serve and all had the same purpose in mind, to give our time to help those in need.

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