Ecuador - Day 4

August 16, 2011

It’s Tuesday – day 4 of our trip. During our walk to the foundation, I sense that it is going to be an extraordinary day. This week just keeps getting better with each day. I was right. We got to see some pretty amazing patients today. I will start with Carlos. Carlos was an outpatient. He is a farmer that came in today because he was having problems holding onto his machete. He has sensory loss in his hands due to Hanson’s disease (this is one of the key symptoms), as well as a deformity in his last two fingers. Carlos didn’t have his machete with him today, so we weren’t sure how we were going to adapt it for him. Thankfully, one of the other guys at the Damien House had his machete and it was very similar to Carlos’. We were going to make this work! We went to the supply room and got some Styrofoam tubing to build up the handle. He loved it. Next idea – Dycem. OT’s love Dycem. It is this amazing grippy material that you can put on anything, so we put it around the tubing so he could have a better grip on the handle. The best part about the Dycem? If it gets dirty, you can wash it and it will go back to being sticky again! Carlos was smiling from ear to ear. He got up in the treatment room and was showing us how he used his machete to cut down the crops and such on his farm. It was one of my favorite treatment sessions of the whole trip!

Today was also Jacinto’s birthday. After lunch we decided to surprise him with some treats as well as singing Happy Birthday to him in Spanish and English. Some of the other residents joined in, and you could tell it made his day.

That afternoon my group also got to see Angela. She was another outpatient: a 16-year-old girl who had a unilateral below the knee amputation. Her new prosthesis had just come in and she had not even seen it yet. We got to be the first ones to help her with it! She was so excited to walk again. She got up right away and wanted to walk with us on the parallel bars. We taught her how to walk with her new prosthesis and the crutches until she was stable enough to walk on her own. It was so moving to see how it made her feel to be able to walk again! After seeing her, we had another patient. Thirty-five minutes later she was still in the waiting room – she wanted to get her picture with us before she left the clinic. This treatment session was such a beautiful experience for me.

After another successful day of treatment and working at the Damien House, Sr. Annie showed us one of her favorite restaurants in Guayaquil. The food was amazing and we even got to go for ice cream afterwards. This ice cream shop might be my new favorite…

Ecuador - Day 3

August 15, 2011

Day 3 in Ecuador – Another wonderful breakfast this morning with fresh fruit, eggs and the wonderful bread and jam. We made our walk to the Damien House again this morning. I could get used to this… I hope I remember this walk for as long as I live! On our walk this morning we saw some construction men working on a house. They were using bamboo as supports. I was in awe. It was absolutely beautiful, so we had to stop and take a picture.

We saw four patients this morning. Our team works wonderful together. Our first patient was a man named Giovanni. He had dropfoot as well as other complications from Hanson’s disease (such as sensory loss, etc). His AFO (ankle foot orthosis) was causing him some discomfort, so Brittany and I did some adaptations with it to make it more comfortable for him. It is very comforting to be thrown into the mix at this clinic and see how much we actually know. Everything just comes so naturally when it is time to see a patient. The morning treatment sessions went by pretty fast and before we knew it, it was time to stop for documentation and lunch.

After lunch we were able to do some shopping with the Damien House residents. We got to go to their housing areas and buy some of the things they had handmade. This was such an awesome experience. The women had some really beautiful jewelry and handmade rosaries, which I bought for some of my friends and family back home. After finishing up with the women, we made our way to the men’s side. I made a beeline for the hammocks! I had been talking about buying a hand-woven hammock since I found out I was going to Ecuador. If there was one thing I was coming home with, that was it. I found the one I wanted – it was blue and white. Very fitting, considering those are Rockhurst’s colors. The man who made them came over to me. His name was Alcides, and he was very proud of his hammocks. I made sure our translator, Jonathon, told him how much I loved it! Some of the other men were selling some hand-woven bags, paintings, and some beautiful wooden crosses they had made. The crosses caught my eye. I wanted to buy something from everyone, but of course I couldn’t do that. The most beautiful thing about buying the things here at the Damien House rather than at the market we will go to later in the week is that the resident who makes that item gets all the money from what they sell. I would rather spend my money here and see them all with smiles beaming across their faces. They are so proud of their work, and with good reason – it is all so beautiful.

Shopping with Blanca

Fortunado with his hammocks

Afterwards, we had an exercise group with the women then we got to see a couple of my favorite residents from the Damien House. First, was Jacinto. Jacinto was one of those people who always has a smile on his face. He is so full of joy and is always so loving towards everyone. When I look at him, I truly see a reflection of God. Jacinto has lost part of a few of his fingers due to Hanson's disease. He wears gloves a lot while he works, so we sewed the gloves so the fingers would fit his hand just right. He absolutely loved them!

Jacinto

The next patient we saw was Trinidad. Trinidad did not want to come to therapy because she had a headache. We were all very excited to see her, so Sr. Annie went to talk her into coming to therapy since it was the first day. Let me explain a little bit about Trinidad... due to the amount of damage Hanson's has had on both of her lower extremities, she has had to have amputations below both of her knees. A doctor from Nebraska (I believe) helped her to get prosthetics for both legs. Before we came here, Trinidad thought she would never walk again. We had other plans for her! We set up the parallel bars in the hallway. Emily was on one side and I was on the other. Trinidad wheeled herself up to the parallel bars and we told her our plan. With the two of us at her side and holding onto her gait belt, Trinidad used the parallel bars to walk back and forth with her new prosthetics for the first time! It was beautiful to see. She sat down in her wheelchair because she was getting pretty tired and she started to get a little emotional. I also began to get emotional at this point.

Trinidad

Flashback 20 years to my Dad's accident. It was then that he was relearning to walk on those parallel bars with his new prosthetic. The memory was so vivid in my mind. It also is one of the main reasons I chose Occupational Therapy as my profession. It was inspiring to be there with Trinidad. I knew at that moment, the 17 of us that were there from Rockhurst were making a difference. We were cheering her on and giving her hope and confidence. This week is going to be one that will forever change my life, and for that I am grateful.

Damien House - Day 1

August 14, 2011

It is a beautiful morning in Guayaquil.Breakfast was served to us in this cute little room (labodega) at Tangara. We had eggs, rolls, watermelon, cheese and coffee with cocoa. Once again, they served us everything. We loaded up the supplies in the van and our driver took them to the foundation. We walked to the Damien House since it was so nice outside. We passed the Catholic school & church on the way. I love that we get to walk to the foundation every day :) When we got to the Damien House we met Cesario. He, as well as other patients watch the front gate and let people in and out. We also met Jonathon, our translator. We got to work immediately after that – organizing the medical supplies, hygiene products and shoes. We did a great job on the hygiene drive! I couldn’t believe how much stuff was donated. God always provides. As I was sorting through items I realized that not so long ago we were all perfect strangers. I looked around the room and it was so beautiful to see how well we were working together. It made my heart smile to see the effort that was going into making sure things were where they needed to be. We then began organizing and setting up the supply room and patient rooms. It is really great to see these ladies outside of the classroom setting. They all have so much love in their hearts and it is clear to me why they have chosen this profession.

After lunch we got to meet many of the residents. We made our way to the women’s wing and met Sonja. She was beaming with smiles. Then it was time to meet the men of the Damien House. Some of them were still eating lunch and watching the futbal game on TV. Other’s were outside relaxing in their chairs. They were so excited to see us. After that, Mercedes (one of the residents) wanted to sing for us. Her husband was with her. He comes to visit her almost every day I believe. He plays his accordion, while she sings. Mercedes cannot see anymore, and her husband cannot see well. It was absolutely beautiful. Their love for each other was unreal. Day one at the Damien House = Success. The residents are beautiful and filled with so much love.

Tonight's agenda involved climbing the steps to the top of Cerro del Carmen. At the top is this beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The entire way up there are these beautiful stone images of the Stations of the Cross. All the while, the sun was setting and I could not think of another place on earth I would rather be at that moment in time. It was perfect for reflecting on the day and thanking God for bringing me here.

"O present moment, you belong to me whole and entire. I desire to use you as best I can."

St. Faustina Kowalska

OT/PT Trip to Ecuador

I wasn't really able to blog while I was in Ecuador, so instead I am going to post some excerpts from my journal from my time spent there. What a beautiful experience for me!

August 13, 2011

Atlanta airport – en route to Guayaquil, Ecuador.

As I prepare myself for this experience, I am filled with joy that God has opened these doors for me. Our group consists of 8 OT students, 6 PT students, and 3 faculty; some of us who barely knew each other just 10 weeks ago. Yet in the first leg of our trip, I feel like we have already formed a bond that will never be broken. We are all on this trip for the same reason ultimately. Our purpose is to serve those at the Damien House, help them to have a better quality of life and to simply love, serve, and spend time with them. How beautiful :) I can already see how great this group of women is and how well we are going to work together. I’m excited to see what this group has to offer to the people of Ecuador and what this week has in store! Prayers for safe travel and for all those we will come into contact with this week.

Sidenote: God has truly blessed me with a beautiful life, and for that I am very thankful. There are so many people who have helped provide so that I could come here. God provided a means and I pray that I will continue to open my heart daily to follow his will for me. I am blessed!

My happy list.

The start of my list of 101 things that make me happy. (In no particular order, except for number one of course!)

1. My Creator

2. oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

3. Haiti – the country

4. Haiti – my puppy

5. Rob Muzyka’s party mix CD

6. My nieces and nephews… now: Aaron, David, Olivia, Anamaria & Macy… and those to come!

7. My Godchildren: Brock, and also Olivia and Anamaria

8. Starbucks study dates with Michaela

9. learning about and falling in love with the Catholic Church, the saints, and everything that it entails

10. my roommates

11. Alexandra Pintus. I knew from the first time I saw you I was going to love you.

12. hot tea with milk and sugar

13. snail mail

14. my siblings (Matthew and Marcus...I will have to say, while I am very thankful for your service in the military, I hate that sometimes we have to wait a year or more to see each other! However, it makes me appreciate the time we spend together even more and it makes the reunion that much sweeter. I long for the day when the five of us kids will be together again!)

15. early morning emails from my Mom and Pops

Some words from a very wise woman...

"I do not know whose thirst is greater, His or mine for Him."

"Vocation means Jesus has called us by name."

"Suffering in itself is nothing, but suffering shared with the passion of Christ is a wonderful gift... because suffering was how He paid for sin."

and one of my all time favorites...

"Fall more in love with Jesus every day."

I began to watch the documentary on Mother Teresa again (for probably the 20th time) as I prepare for my trip to Ecuador... She truly is an inspiration. Lord, help me to love & serve everyone I come into contact with so that they may feel Your presence through me.

Summer Shenanigans

Before our summer got completely crazy with homework, lab practicals, observations, and consumer sims... we decided to make the trip to Van Buren, MO to float on the Current River for a weekend. Matt's parents were great and let us stay at their house on the river for a weekend. It was absolutely beautiful and the time we got to spend catching up with each other was priceless. We spent our day's on the river and exploring the parks. We'd enjoy our evenings playing cards or listening to Matt play his guitar and singing along.

Big Spring = Beautiful. Mindy "Shoeless" Messmer, Jessica "Seabands" Palmer & Stefanie "Brakes" Brightman. Love all of you!

Rocky Falls. I'm convinced I've been blessed with some of the greatest friends on earth. I've also seen some of the most beautiful places on this earth. Missouri has some hidden treasures :)

Jess & Casey's wedding

Memorial weekend was the weekend of weddings for people in my OT class. I made the trip to Omaha/Blair, Nebraska with a couple of girls in my class to celebrate Jess & Casey's special day. Jess was a beautiful bride and I pray that they will be blessed with many years together.

Jess & Casey 5-28-2011

OT girls :)

The start of the photo booth pictures!

Kayla, Jess & Claire - I love you girls! So happy to spend this weekend with you :)

Peanut's first birthday

This summer has absolutely flown by… Please excuse my lack of blogging!

To make up for it, I am going to use the next few blogs to highlight some of my favorite memories.

I got home from school just in time to celebrate my niece/Goddaughter’s first birthday. She was a ham. I cannot believe how fast the past year has gone. My life has been changed in so many ways with her in it. Here are a couple of pictures taken around the time of her birthday. Notice the romper? Birthday gift from her favorite Auntie :)

Pre-Ecuador

My trip to Ecuador is less than a week away and I can’t help but praise God for this wonderful opportunity that has been given to me. I am truly blessed to have such a strong support system in my life and this trip could not have been made a reality without them.

As I prepare for my trip I am very thankful for every single monetary gift that was given to me… I don’t want to discount any of them! However, there was one gift that seemed to take hold of my emotions a little more than the rest. I mentioned Greg Vollrath in my previous post and the significance he plays in my Godson and Godson’s family’s life. Brock’s parents were some of many who donated for my trip. I opened up the envelope in the mail from them and the amount on the check immediately caught my attention. It was written out for $33. As I saw the amount and read the letter that came with it, I began to get a little emotional. I come from a very small town where everyone knows each other. (If you are from MC and you are reading this, you know how significant the number 33 is to the Benson family.) I also know how important Greg was to Brock’s dad and how important it is to keep Greg’s memory alive.

I truly am blessed beyond measure to be able to travel to another country with my fellow OT and PT students to treat patients at the Damien House. I hope to someday be able to pay it forward to others as a thank you to all of those who have been so generous in helping me to answer the call by providing a means for me to be able to do this.

Godson/Godmother bonding time :)

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to sneak away from the realities and demands of OT school and spend some quality time with my Godson, Brock and his family. It was everything I could ask for and more.

Let me just start by giving you a few fun facts about Brock Gregory.

1. He was named after St. Louis Cardinal Baseball legend, Lou Brock.

2. He was also named after Greg Vollrath. (Greg was my Brock’s dad’s cousin on the other side of the family.) Greg died in a car accident many years ago, but his memory lives on through his family.

3. Brock’s patron saint is Gregory the VII. Why Gregory the VII out of all the St. Gregorys?! Greg (whom Brock was named after) was a huge Larry Bird fan. Larry Bird’s number when he played for the USA was #7.

4. Brock is an almost 5-year-old spitfire that soaks up everything he hears.

I made the three hour drive to Springfield on a Friday afternoon and couldn’t wait to see the little man. I rang the doorbell and was welcomed by a little boy running to the door with a smile and energy that I can’t even begin to explain in words. Brock’s first words to me as I made my way through the door were, “Did you bring your St. Louis Cardinals swimsuit?” Much to his disappointment, I left that one at home. But I did bring my Cardinals beach towel : ).

We spent the weekend hanging out and making up for lost time. We played Pac Man, went to the pool, played Memory, went to Mass together, went to Nakato (my first time at a Japanese Hibachi Grill), made smoothies and ordered pizza… all the things you should get to enjoy doing with your Godson!

My weekend came to an end all too soon. As we said our Goodbye’s and our I Love You’s it made me realize, yet again how truly blessed (and thankful) I am to have been chosen to be his Godmother.

Celie: “You look so handsome, Brock.”

Brock: “Do I smell handsome, too? I put on some of Daddy’s cologne.”

Pool time :)