A Humbling Experience:
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| Santos |
I never considered myself to be patient enough to work with children, especially those with mental and physical disabilities. Let me explain: I have always lived a high pace lifestyle. Starting when I was very young, it was all about who could swim the fastest in the pool and make it across the soccer pitch the quickest. Naturally, I have grown to be very competitive and, honestly, a little impatient with those who couldn't "keep up." I was never the fastest in anything I did, but I prided myself on work ethic and determination to be the best possible. However, I seem to have hit my nirvana moment after these last two weeks. A humble non-for-profit institution helped me to recognize what is truly important and meaningful in my own life.
For the past six days, I have been volunteering at an institution in Antigua called Asociacion Obras Sociales Del Santo Hermano Pedro. The hospital cators primarily to those who cannot afford standard healthcare. Their message that they serve others upon: Help me so that I can help you. Hermano Pedro runs solely on monetary donations and necessary goods and equipment that are provided the hospital by other hospitals or independent companies. Therefore, although they only ask their patients to pay what they can, if a patient cannot find the means to pay for a treatment, they are only asked to help serve the hospital in any way for the hospital's effort in serving the patients' needs.
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| Elmer |
This help-to-help philosophy not only attracts an environment of genuine passion to serve, but, unfortunately, it also attracts many families who do not wish to maintain the care of their children who are born with mental and/or physical disabilities. I asked a volunteer named Lesley, an English-woman who has been working at the institution for eleven years, whether their issues were natural chromosomal errors or malnutrition during pregnancy. Her answer was shocking. Out of the 40 or so children who live full-time in the children's ward of the hospital, only one child was a victim of natural chromosomal issues. The other 39 children were victims of poor pre-natal care and malnutrition, so it was up to the volunteers and nurses to provide the proper care to ensure the well-being of these children.
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| Edgar |
As a volunteer, I had to take initiative to provide these children with gentle care. Every child requires specialized and loving attention. This included preparing specific feeding schedules and formulas to identifying the meaning behind certain behaviors exhibited by the children throughout the day. One particular incident arose while I was feeding Edgar his breakfast. The nurse had prepared him frijoles with large pieces of bread, but having fed Edgar before, I remembered that he was incapable of swallowing large pieces of food and came to the conclusion he had been served another child's breakfast. I quickly notified one of the nurses of the issue, and she immediately resolved it by serving Edgar his designated breakfast. This perceptive act of concern had arisen naturally within me. Instead of forcing Edgar to eat what had originally been served to him, I intuitively understood his needs.
Edgar and the other children touched my life in ways that I had never expected. These last six days have been rewarding because I realized within myself a new-found patience and appreciation that I had never before acknowledged.
Gabe Sharlin
Collegiate Class of 2012
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