Healing Honduras

As Castleton students trudged through campus in the early spring snow and slush, itching for their impending spring break, a group of 13 nursing students got a head start on the journey to warmer climates.

Through the Global Brigades Holistic Development Program the volunteer group, along with Nursing Professor Margaret Young, carried out a medical mission in which they provided medical and dental care to over 700 Honduran Villagers.

“The experience gave me insight into an entirely different way of life, an appreciation for the health care system and amenities we have in America,” said senior Katie Holden.

Over the course of a week, the group held three clinic days in the villages of La Cienga and Juanquillos where they worked directly with villagers, holding dental, pharmacy, education, and gynecological stations.

Student trip leader Kylah Livingston said they were able to provide a month’s worth of medical supplies to each patient, as well as hygiene packs containing soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.

A majority of their first day was spent with pharmacists sorting the suitcases full of medications they brought with them.

“We had to re-label everything in Spanish,” said senior Josh Levandowski. “It was a long day of sorting but at the end we had the treat of going to the orphanage and seeing the children there.”

The following day the group set up their first clinic where they were swarmed with locals in need of medical attention.

Although a few students studied Spanish to prepare for the experience, they unanimously agreed the language barrier was one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome.

Senior Ethan Klauzenberg recalled his encounter with an elderly woman whose triage information he gathered.

“I don't speak Spanish very well and she didn't speak any English so we really had to work together to get all the information I needed,” he said. “She laughed at me a lot during the whole process and at the end she smiled, gave me a hug, kissed me on the cheek and thanked me. There was something really familiar about her sense of humor and it made me appreciate how laughter transcends culture and language. I don't think I'll ever forget that.”

The group also held a Children’s Charla, where senior Sarah Alexander said the group focused on teaching children proper dental hygiene.

“In the day I was there we saw over 100 kids in an hour,” she said.

The group accepted the challenge in stride and taught the children brushing techniques, entertained them while they waited in lines for programs, and provided them with additional dental supplies.

“Kids would get in line and get their supplies and get right back in line. Either they were stocking up or they had brothers and sisters they were getting things for,” Alexander said.

Not every day was as lighthearted and entertaining as the Children’s Charla, however. Castleton’s Peruvian nursing major, Marilyn Nulsen doubled as a translator and a nurse in the gynecology clinic.

Nulsen said they saw not only women who had been exposed to harmful bacteria, but also those suffering from conditions like cervical cancer.

“We had one patient who was 16-years-old. She was pregnant and she had HIV,” she said.

Upon returning from their trip the group shared a presentation of their experience on April 24 in the Alumni Room of Huden Dining Hall.  The group unanimously agreed they would undoubtedly accept another opportunity like this in their futures.

Livingston said she hopes to one day return as an alum and guide other Castleton students through the experience.

“Now after this experience I feel more motivated to keep helping people,” Nulsen said.