MEDLIFE

We just recieved these photos from Ccaccaccollo, a community outside Cusco, Peru, where we constructed new bathroom facilities starting in August. The community has been putting the finishing touches on the project, and school director Maria Teresa Flores tells us, "The bathrooms look great, and the kids and I are very grateful to MEDLIFE for completing this project." 

Today we have some good news to share from Lima: after finally getting heart surgery on December 14th, Eloy Britto is back home with his family and on track to a full recovery.

Eloy is a quiet eight-year old boy who was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that causes low oxygen levels in the blood. Symptoms include blue skin color, poor development, and episodes of exhaustion and seizure. In most cases, children with Tetralogy of Fallot undergo heart surgery at a very young age and can go on to live normal lives. Without the surgery, most patients with the condition will die before they reach the age of 20. 

Until a year ago, Eloy's family lived in Pucallpa, in the jungle region of Peru, isolated from any sophisticated medical care. His mother, Betsy, says she knew that he had a problem from an early age and tired easily, especially in the jungle heat. She describes how Eloy, who loves to play soccer, could only take a few steps, kick the ball, and had to sit down and rest. Last year, Betsy came with Eloy and his younger siblings to stay with a relative in the community of Virgen de Cocharcas in Lima. He was doing well in school, but he stopped going in the second grade after he fainted at school one day.

MEDLIFE has been following his case since last summer, taking him to various doctors' appointments and tests to determine if he could receive the operation that would save his life. Cardiologists expressed concern that Eloy could be too old for the operation; as his heart grew, his system had become accustomed to working the wrong way. But Meri Lecaros, MEDLIFE's field nurse, was determined to find a way to help him. In the meantime, we worked to improve his living conditions, including building a staircase next to his house.

In November, Eloy went to the hospital for a checkup, and seeing his condition had worsened, the doctors checked him in for an extended stay. They would try to help him gain weight until he was healthy and strong enough for an operation. Having never been to the hospital before, he was resistant to medical intervention; Meri recalls with amazement how it took several nurses just to hold him down for an injection. But he began to improve, and when we visited him there, the MEDLIFE staff was surprised to see how well he was doing. He was in a room with other kids around his age, and happily played and shared toys with them, smiling and talking more than we had ever seen him do before.

Meri found out about a program coming to the children's hospital in Lima -- a group of surgeons arriving from Spain to perform specialized operations only on the most serious and difficult cases. They would be in town for just one week, and there was a long waiting list. At this hospital, the patients' family has to secure the necessary amount and type of donated blood before the child can be placed on the schedule to receive an operation. We frantically searched for O-positive blood donors; in the end, one of our own interns, Inge, donated blood. Meri managed to intercept the doctors as they made their rounds and get their assurance that Eloy would get his operation before the week was over.

When Friday came, we watched as Eloy entered pre-op around 9:00 in the morning, and waited until he came out about eight hours later. The surgeons told us from the beginning that this surgery would be a complicated and risky one; it required cutting open Eloy's heart to place patches and widen a vessel to reroute the blood. Any miscalculation could mean cutting an artery and stopping the heart.

The operation went as expected, doctors told us, but Eloy was losing a great deal of blood and would be in great danger for the next five days. Meri was in the hospital almost every day during this time. At one point, Eloy had a heart attack and his system shut down completely.

"He was dead," says Meri. "We thought that was it, and just when they were disconnecting the machines, he took a breath by himself."

In spite of these scary moments, as he continued to recuperate, the difference was clear; post-surgery, Eloy's skin no longer had the blue tint, and he could walk around the halls of the hospital without getting tired. When Betsy arrived to take him home from the hospital after his two-month stay, she says he was waiting for him in the doorway with his toys and impatiently told her, "Let's go home now!"
Eloy's health is still delicate, and he needs a safe environment to ensure that he can continue to improve. But he seems to have made it through the worst of the danger now -- he's eating, talking and happy to be home playing with his younger sister and brother.

MEDLIFE will continue to support Eloy and his family through the recovery process. 

In today’s issue of El Comercio, Peru’s main daily newspaper, this headline caught my eye. It reads, “Only 39.6% of the budget allocated to healthcare was used in 2012.” Though it doesn’t have the answers, the article may provide some insight into one of the questions students always ask when they first see the communities where Mobile Clinics take place.

This week's Mobile Clinic in Lima is one of our biggest to date, with almost 100 volunteers from schools all over the United States. That means we can serve twice as many people with double Mobile Clinics and community development projects! The project this week is two more staircases in Laderas Nueva Esperanza, and as the student volunteers learned yesterday, building a staircase in a week is not easy.

This week's Mobile Clinic, made up of students from Florida International University, got off to an early start Sunday with a special holiday event in Unión Santa Fe. As you may know, Unión Santa Fe is an asentamiento humano (settlement) in Pamplona where MEDLIFE has been working for the past few years. MEDLIFE has aided Unión Santa Fe by bringing Mobile Clinics and completing staircase projects; we're also currently in the process of constructing a new day care center and water system. Over the course of many visits, we've gotten to know the kids of Unión Santa Fe and the surrounding communities. We wanted to do something to make their Christmas special, and what better time than with the arrival of 25 MEDLIFE student volunteers?

Chocolatadas are a holiday tradition in Peru where families get together, often with hot chocolate and panetón (fruitcake), and the children receive gifts. For poor communities, these events take on a special significance, since they often provide one of the few or only occasions all year where children receive toys. This week, we teamed up with the local Rotary club, who held a toy drive, and distributed presents to about 300 children in the region.

The students arrived to the muddy soccer field in Unión Santa Fe on a morning covered in typical Lima fog. Despite the gloomy weather, the kids there were thrilled to see them and immediately started playing both American and Peruvian games together. The bus carrying all the presents broke down on the way, but luckily the students managed to distract the children while they waited.

Even with the unexpected setbacks, the chocolatada was a successful start as our student volunteers prepare to jump in to a week of nonstop Mobile Clinics. And the kids' smiles as they opened their presents were the ultimate reward.

This holiday season, you can help us help communities like this one by donating to the MEDLIFE Fund!

Remember the story of Gisela Neyra, the young woman from Pamplona who came to us for help with her hearing loss? MEDLIFE helped Gisela with various tests and doctors' appointments, but her hearing impairment was getting progressively worse, to the point that she lost her job and was struggling to keep up in pharmacy school. The only solution was to get hearing aids that cost thousands of dollars, which she could not afford. But a surprise gift from a MEDLIFE intern, Noemie Baudry, turned out to be just what she needed.

With her new hearing aids, Gisela was able to finish school, and this week she's joining MEDLIFE staff members to help out in the pharmacy station at our first Mobile Clinic of the season! "I'm very happy to be here, because for as long as I've known MEDLIFE, it's been an organization that helps people in need," she told us. "And just as MEDLIFE helped me, now I can lend a hand myself."

Practical experience in the pharmacy field is one of the requirements to finish her degree, and Gisela says she always had the idea of volunteering with MEDLIFE in mind. "I was just waiting to finish my studies so that I could help out," she says.

Gisela tears up as she thinks back on the events of six months ago, when she first came into contact with MEDLIFE. "I knew my hearing was getting worse fast. I was studying but I couldn't hear anymore; I listened, but I couldn't understand." She tried going to several different doctors, but they couldn't help her, and the expense of the doctors' appointments became too much for her to bear. Back then, her dream of finishing school and having a career seemed far off. With scant economic resources, she's had to struggle to achieve her goals, little by little. Along the way, MEDLIFE became like a second family for her, and she says she's proud to be a part of an organization that is doing so much good in her community.

This week, she's working together with MEDLIFE staff and student volunteers from California to dispense medications prescribed by doctors at the Mobile Clinic. "I feel like my dreams are coming true," she says.

We are slowly but surely making progress on our very first Wawa Wasi daycare center in Lima, Peru, thanks to the help of MEDLIFE chapters and supporters around the world! So far, the project is about 30% complete, but the environmental hazards of the area make this project a complicated one.

Working together, community members have dug 7 meters deep at the project site in order to reach solid ground and give the Wawa Wasi a safe foundation. They've also installed an iron framework in order to keep the ground from sliding and bringing down nearby houses with it. Rainy conditions this time of year can mean delays in construction, when it's not safe to traverse the muddy hills.

As planned in previous meetings between MEDLIFE and community leaders, local residents are doing their part by providing manual labor free of charge. Because they work during the week, these men and women take time each weekend to organize work days devoted to building the Wawa Wasi for their children. A portion of the funds raised for the Wawa Wasi will go to safety gear like helmets, glasses and gloves, so that they can continue to work without fear of injury.

The Wawa Wasi will be fully equipped to serve about 30 preschool-age children, with sanitary bathrooms, a classroom, and a nap area. It will provide a safe place for parents to leave their children while they work during the day, and create jobs for local women. Once construction is complete, the Wawa Wasi will operate in accordance with a program created by UNICEF and the Peruvian government, with a curriculum that includes important basic hygiene and nutrition education for both children and their families.

Your donations to the MEDLIFE Project Fund will help us obtain the materials we need to finish the Wawa Wasi! Stay tuned for updates about both the Wawa Wasi and MEDLIFE's potable water project happening now in Unión Santa Fé.

Sean White came to intern with us at MEDLIFE Peru fresh out of MIchigan State University as a result of his unforgettable experience serving as part of a Mobile Clinic in Lima last year. Here's what he told us about his motivation to help out with our mission:

How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
I became involved with MEDLIFE over two years ago. I enjoyed my courses at Michigan State about contemporary issues in the global political economy which covered topics including: the critical shortage in health care worldwide; social forces and competing ideologies in a world context; global resource distribution; international development strategies; and first and third world dichotomies. I saw on Facebook that an old friend was involved with MEDLIFE and began researching the organization to find out more about it. MEDLIFE's commitment to listening to the poor, providing culturally sensitive care, attacking the root cause of disease and suffering, and finding sustainable development solutions was different than most other aid organizations, and meshed perfectly with the theoretical knowledge that I had just gained in the classroom. That winter, I attended a Mobile Clinic in Lima, Peru and when I returned, started the Michigan State University MEDLIFE Chapter.

Where are you from?

I was born in Flint, Michigan and grew up in Flint and Grand Blanc, Michigan. I studied business management at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan and graduated in May 2012.

Tell us an anecdote from your experience with MEDLIFE thus far:

A few nights ago, I had the chance to go to a community meeting in Union Santa Fé in Pamplona with Carlos, our Director of Peru. The meeting lasted over two hours and it was both heart-warming and inspiring to see firsthand how the community organizes with Carlos to raise health, hygiene, and living standards, and how grateful they are for MEDLIFE's presence in their community. The next day, Carlos told me that the community continued their meeting for another two hours, staying until 1:00 A.M., sorting out which members of the community would be responsible for working on each of the projects and on which days.

What was your first impression of Peru? What has surprised you about Peru?

My first impression of Peru was just simply how different it is from Michigan. When friends and family at home ask me, "What is Peru like?" I tell them to imagine Michigan, but the exact opposite.

For me, the people of Peru are the best part. Everyone I have met here has been so kind, welcoming, and genuine. This holds especially true in the communities in which we work. The people there form amazing communities that they take great pride in claiming as their own, and rightly so because they've put considerable effort into building and maintaining these communities. It is refreshing to see the pride Peruvians have in their community and fellow man.

Why did you decide to become an intern?

I decided to become an intern with MEDLIFE because the internship provides a unique blend of a number of my interests regarding health care education and awareness, community development through infrastructure projects that advance health and hygiene, and economic progress. Each day is fast-paced, interesting, and different. I'm constantly learning while also having the opportunity to experience another culture.

What do you look forward to most this year?

What I am looking forward to most this year is joining Nick, Carlos, Meri, and the rest of the staff in the field and being able to experience MEDLIFE's patient follow-up care, as well as the preparation and designation of community development projects. Also, being a part of all the hard work and effort that goes into these year-round projects. Prior to becoming an intern, I went on two MEDLIFE Mobile Clinics, which are very well organized and carefully orchestrated, so most students (myself included) don't see or realize how much hard work and effort goes into making sure the clinics go smoothly or how many other things MEDLIFE is doing simultaneously and throughout the year.

Recent UVA graduate, Rachel Goldberg, is our newest intern here at the Lima offices of MEDLIFE Peru. Read about what motivated her to join the team and what drew her to Peru: 

Why did you decide to become an intern? 

I spent last summer studying in Lima and loved it, so this was the perfect chance for me to come back and see my old friends and explore more of Peru. I also studied media studies and was hoping to get a job in film or television production, so this internship is a great way for me to use those skills for a good cause. I just started, but so far MEDLIFE seems like a great place to work, because everyone is so passionate about what they do.

Where are you from?

I'm from Silver Spring, Maryland, and I studied media studies and Spanish at the University of Virginia.

How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?

I saw the job posting for a communications intern and emailed MEDLIFE to say I was interested, and now a few months later I'm here in Lima starting my year-long internship!

What was your first impression of Peru?

When I was here a year ago, I lived in a very different part of Lima, so when I got here everything was strangely familiar but new and different at the same time. I have been really surprised by how huge Lima is and the contrast between different regions of Peru. Trying to find my way around Lima can be pretty overwhelming, but I've been lucky to find that Peruvians are really friendly and welcoming, and happy to help out.

Tell us an anecdote from your experience in Peru thus far:

Last year when I was here for just less than three months, I stayed with a Peruvian host family, which was a great way to experience Lima. I got to know my host mom, Estrella, as well as her children and grandchildren, and they always treated me like family. I stayed in touch with them even after I left, though I didn't know if I would ever see them again. Now that I'm back in Lima, I'm living in an apartment with other MEDLIFE interns, but I went to see my "familia peruana" soon after I arrived, and they welcomed me back as if I never left. I spent the day eating delicious homemade Peruvian food and playing with the kids. It's nice to know that I'll always have a second home and family here in Lima even though I'm so far from home.

What do you look forward to most this year?

I'm really looking forward to going out in the field and meeting the people who benefit from MEDLIFE's work and sharing their stories. I'm also excited to get to know everyone here in the office, and explore more of Lima and the rest of Peru.

How did you get involved with MEDLIFE?

Towards the end of my freshman year, two of my friends started the process of starting a chapter at UGA. I applied to be on our chapter's executive board at the beginning of my sophomore year and served as the local service chair, a position we created, for the past two years. As the service chair, I planned MEDLIFE awareness events on campus and coordinated local service projects for our chapter. Last spring, I went on a Mobile Clinic and officially fell in love with MEDLIFE and all the amazing people I met through my trip.

Where are you from?

I'm from Alpharetta, Georgia, north of Atlanta. I go to UGA in Athens, GA.

Why did you decide to become an intern?

I decided to apply to become an intern because I wanted the chance to come back to Lima for a longer period of time. I knew a lot about what it means to help run a MEDLIFE chapter, but I didn't know anything about how MEDLIFE worked outside of the student Mobile Clinic experience, so I am excited to get more insight this summer!

What was your first impression of Lima?

The first time I visited Lima was last spring break, for a Mobile Clinic. When I came, the weather was beautiful, the people were amazing, and I loved getting to eat potatoes everyday -- so I was obviously really sad to leave. Now, the people are still great, the potatoes are plentiful as ever, but the weather is surprisingly cold sometimes. I knew it would be chillier during the winter, but I guess it was a shock for me to go from the sunny, upper 80's weather we had towards the end of the semester in Georgia to Lima's winter.

What do you look forward to most this summer?

This summer, I'm really excited to see the progress on the Wawa-Wasi (a UNICEF daycare program) MEDLIFE is currently constructing. We went to see the first stone laid a few weekends ago, and I'm excited to see MEDLIFE take on a development project of this scale.

Tell us an anecdote from your experience with MEDLIFE thus far:

A couple of weeks ago, a few of the interns and I accompanied MEDVIDA Director of Peru, Carlos Benavides, to a night community assembly in Pamplona (one of the communities MEDLIFE works with often). Pamplona is basically set in dirt hillsides, so mobility can be an issue even when stairs are in place, and especially when it's dark and there's a foggy mist all around you. I remember reaching the top of a huge hill and feeling pretty proud of myself as a looked around the hillside and all I could see was fog and a few specks of light in the distance, when Carlos asked us to try to pick up a full water jug sitting on the steps next to us. I could barely pick up the jug, let alone carry it up a flight of stairs, or worse, a muddy hillside. I knew that people in some of the communities we work in in this area have to carry water from where trucks drop it off (there is no running water) to their houses, leading to many lost labor hours as well as opportunities for water contamination. Yet, I hadn't considered how physically exhausting this can be, especially when families need to carry water to their homes multiple times a day! I have enormous respect for the members of the communities we're involved with, and can't wait to see what we accomplish together this summer.