One week from tomorrow I will officially be finished with my year of service at NPH Honduras. Even though it is quickly approaching, it still feels very surreal. I do not feel like I am leaving! I am sure that it will hit me at different points through out the coming week, but right now I feel like I am still in the thick of life at the Ranch.
The most recent new from the Ranch, and from Honduras, is that there has been a Dengue epidemic. Dengue Fever is an illness spread via mosquitoes, similar to malaria except there is no medication to prevent it. The public hospitals are full of people with Dengue, so much that they have set up special units just for patients with the disease. Dengue usually presents with an extremely high fever, pain in joints, neck, and intense pain in the lower back. It can actually be very very dangerous, especially if it is Hemorrhagic Dengue. Up until last Thursday the Ranch has been very lucky and we have had no cases of Dengue. Unfortunately, the first case was one of my fellow volunteers contracted Hemorrhagic Dengue. She had a fever of over 103, and was in intense pain. On Saturday she started to have abnormal bleeding so I immediately took her to a private hospital in Tegucigalpa. Hemmorhagic Dengue is so dangerous because the patients can have abnormal bleeding, and or internal bleeding. If not monitored correctly they can easily go into shock and suffer from further organ damage or even death. The volunteers platelets and white blood cells dropped so low that she had to be hospitalized. Her platelets dropped below 20,000 (They should normally be above 145,000). She could have easily begun to bleed externally or internally. Luckily, we caught it fairly early and she was admitted to a private hospital where they took very good care of her. She is still sick, but is definately on the mend. Unfortunately since last Thursday we have had at least 4 more kids come down with symptoms that indicate Dengue. None of them have been hemmorhagic, but we are still keeping a close watch on everyone.
Other than vector-born diseases, everything at the Ranch has been going very well. I still cannot believe that in one week I will have to say goodbye to all of the friends and people I have known after the last year. At this point, I cannot even imagine what it will be like to say goodbye to Casa Suyapa. My little kids do not really understand that I am leaving. They know that I will leave on the 31st of July, but they do not really understand what the date means. They keep asking me if I will be here for certain events like Christmas, their birthdays, quinceñeras, ect and it breaks my heart to tell them no! I am definitely going to try to savor my last few days with my kids and enjoy the moment.
peace,
Anna
Friday, July 23, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Paola
I have less than three weeks left in Honduras, but there is still never a dull moment in the clinic. For the most part, the past few weeks have been fairly low key. We have had a few exciting or scary moments in the external clinic, but everything has been going very well with the kids. However, on Sunday afternoon, a little girl, Paola, was injured pretty badly while helping cook. There was a party to celebrate the final match of the world cup, and Paola was helping prepare a snack of Tajaditas, fried plantains, when another boy stepped backwards, knocking over a pot of oil that was heating on the stove. The oil covered her face, chest, and abdomen. She was immediately rushed to the clinic, and then went by ambulance to the pediatric ER at Hospital Escuela. I was not working this weekend and returned to the Ranch just in time to see the ambulance pulling out. Annie, an ex-volunteer nurse at the Ranch who is now the regional medical coordinator, went with here in the ambulance, along with Tia Pilin, the director of the girls house.
Paola and Pilin stayed overnight in the ER at Hospital Escuela. Even though Hospital Escuela is far from perfect, it is always best to go to the public hospital first. Most private hospitals do not take emergencies. Paola underwent surgery to clean the burns and then returned to the ER. Pilin and Stefan, the national director of NPH Honduras, were not satesfied with the care that Paola was recieving at Hospital Escuela. The nurses were not very attentive, and the doctors were invisible. This 11 year old has serious injures and needs intensive care. Yesterday while working at the External Clinic, I recieved a call telling me that transport would pick me up from the clinic and take me to Tegucigalpa. We were going to move Paola to a private hospital.
As usual, when it rains it poors. Manuel, the driver of the ambulance, and I were almost to Tegucigalpa when the doctor called from the Ranch. A man working on installing solar panels on the roof had fallen and needed to be taken to the hospital immediately. We back tracked to pick him up. He had a fractured wrist, and most likely fractured vertebrae, sacrum, and possibly pelvis. We took him to the Hospital and then procedeed to break Paola free from the public hospital. It felt kind of like a jail break. At first they told us that we did not have permission to move her because the doctor needed to sign off on her and he wouldnt be back for two days! There was no way we were going to leave her in Hospital Escuela for that long, not getting the proper care that she needed! So we worked a little gringo magic and finally sprug her free. Wrapped in steril sheets, we took her by ambulance to the private hospital.
Paola is one of the more spunky, sassy girls from her age group. Some might say shes quite badly behaved. She is usually getting into trouble, jumping in ponds with her school uniform on, and doing other equally devious things. Personally, I love Paola. Her wit and sass cracks me up. She has got attitude but she also has character. I spent a good two weeks with her in the clinic earlier this year when she had the chicken pox, running after her trying to prevent disaster. I stayed with her yesterday and through the night, last night in the hospital. It is obvious that her spunk and character will pull her through this. Despite the burns and the pain, she is showing amazing strength, patience, and optimism. Even though I am obviously not happy that Paola was injured, I am thankful that I had the opportunity to take care of her last night in the hospital. Holding her hand, reading stories, and sleeping next her bed is truly a privlige. I am so impressed and touched by her courage and amazingly positive attitude.
Paola will probably be in the Hospital for the next few weeks. Maybe even until after I leave the Ranch. The doctors think that the burns will heal, leaving scares, but no actually permanent deformites or damage. Thankfully the least burned of all things was her face. It will take some time, but the skin on her face should heal with minimal scaring.
If you all could pray for this brave little girl I would really appreciate it!
Paola and Pilin stayed overnight in the ER at Hospital Escuela. Even though Hospital Escuela is far from perfect, it is always best to go to the public hospital first. Most private hospitals do not take emergencies. Paola underwent surgery to clean the burns and then returned to the ER. Pilin and Stefan, the national director of NPH Honduras, were not satesfied with the care that Paola was recieving at Hospital Escuela. The nurses were not very attentive, and the doctors were invisible. This 11 year old has serious injures and needs intensive care. Yesterday while working at the External Clinic, I recieved a call telling me that transport would pick me up from the clinic and take me to Tegucigalpa. We were going to move Paola to a private hospital.
As usual, when it rains it poors. Manuel, the driver of the ambulance, and I were almost to Tegucigalpa when the doctor called from the Ranch. A man working on installing solar panels on the roof had fallen and needed to be taken to the hospital immediately. We back tracked to pick him up. He had a fractured wrist, and most likely fractured vertebrae, sacrum, and possibly pelvis. We took him to the Hospital and then procedeed to break Paola free from the public hospital. It felt kind of like a jail break. At first they told us that we did not have permission to move her because the doctor needed to sign off on her and he wouldnt be back for two days! There was no way we were going to leave her in Hospital Escuela for that long, not getting the proper care that she needed! So we worked a little gringo magic and finally sprug her free. Wrapped in steril sheets, we took her by ambulance to the private hospital.
Paola is one of the more spunky, sassy girls from her age group. Some might say shes quite badly behaved. She is usually getting into trouble, jumping in ponds with her school uniform on, and doing other equally devious things. Personally, I love Paola. Her wit and sass cracks me up. She has got attitude but she also has character. I spent a good two weeks with her in the clinic earlier this year when she had the chicken pox, running after her trying to prevent disaster. I stayed with her yesterday and through the night, last night in the hospital. It is obvious that her spunk and character will pull her through this. Despite the burns and the pain, she is showing amazing strength, patience, and optimism. Even though I am obviously not happy that Paola was injured, I am thankful that I had the opportunity to take care of her last night in the hospital. Holding her hand, reading stories, and sleeping next her bed is truly a privlige. I am so impressed and touched by her courage and amazingly positive attitude.
Paola will probably be in the Hospital for the next few weeks. Maybe even until after I leave the Ranch. The doctors think that the burns will heal, leaving scares, but no actually permanent deformites or damage. Thankfully the least burned of all things was her face. It will take some time, but the skin on her face should heal with minimal scaring.
If you all could pray for this brave little girl I would really appreciate it!
Monday, June 28, 2010
One year after the Coup d'Etat
Last year on June 28th, president Mel Zelaya was ousted from Honduras in his pajamas and dropped on the tarmac in Costa Rica. A year later, Honduras is calm and seemingly unaffected. After much turmoil and protesting, hardly any evidence of the past years struggles remain. Today was a normal day. There was some worry that the year anniversary would bring up unrest and angry sentiments, but nothing of the sort could be seen in Tegucigalpa. I woke up this morning at 4:30 am and made my way to the public hospital. In my morning commute I encountered no signs of unrest or protest.
June Highlights-
Allie and Andrews Wedding: The past three weeks have been a whirlwind. I spent a week in the States the second week of June and returned to Honduras on the 13th. My best friend Allie got married on June 11th and I stood up in the wedding. It was a strange kind of culture shock to be thrown from Honduras straight into a full week of wedding preparations, but none the less, I had a great time seeing family and friends. Although I was in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I managed to carry a bit of Honduras with me. Unfortunately I carried it in my bowel system. Honduran parasites plagued me from Tuesday night of my trip home and are unfortunely still making themselves known every so often. The worst of it was on Thursday when I nearly fainted twice during the wedding rehearsal. Late Thursday night my dear friend Rachel to whom I will forever be indebted, drove me to the ER. After a few bags of IV fluid and some high doses IV medication I was back on my feet and ready for the wedding. Despite my unwelcome friends, Allie and Andrew's wedding was absolutely beautiful and I was so happy to be apart of it! The good news is I didn't faint during the ceremony or soil my dress! Ask and you shall recieve!
The World Cup: This year Honduras made to the World Cup! Although we were all aware that our little developing nation didn't really stand a chance against the big guys like Spain, Germany, etc. the entire country was still overwhelmed with pride that we actually made it to the "Mundial." Government employees did not have to go to work on game days, businesses were closed, and the kids here at the Ranch got of school early to watch the matches. The entire country was covered in blue and white. In a country where soccer is virtually regligion, the World Cup might just be the best thing that has happened in years. Actually, I am not convinced that people did not act up today, on the anniversary of the coup, becasue they didn't want to inconvinience their viewing of the world cup. Even though Honduras is out the enthusiasm is still there. Regardless of how we played, it was so much fun to watch the matches with the kids. They painted their faces blue and white and sported Honduran jerseys. There was a good amount of trash talking which even the youngest of the kids participated in.
Scarlet: The newest and youngest child at the Ranch arrived two weeks ago. Her name is Scarlet and she is probably about 5 months old. She has no official birth certificate. She came to us because her mother was selling her in the street for 500 lempiras (roughly 25 USD) and the authorities picked her up. She officially became a ward of the State and then of NPH. She is a great baby, and absolutely adorable. When kids first come to the Ranch they spend their first week in the clinic so I had plenty of time to hang with her. I spent a few nights caring for her which definitely gave me an appreciation for mothers of infants everywhere. One night she woke up at 3 am covered in diarrhea from her neck to her toes. Regardless of delightful surprises such as this, Scarlet has been so fun to take care of.
Casa Suyapa: You may be tired of hearing about the Casa Suyapans, but everyday they do something that completely cracks me up. I know that I have become like one of those moms or aunts that continuously talks about their kids and sends too many photos that all look the same. But alas, I love them and I only have 5 weeks left to bore people with stories of my honduran orphans! The questions they ask, the things they get excited about, their innocence and/or their malevolence, never ceases to amaze me. My favorite questions that I have been asked in the past week are as follows (Translated into English of course):
" You are from the United? I thought you were Honduran!" - Its only been a year kids. Plus I am tall, white and speak Spanish with an accent!
"Ana Blauw, what was Casa Suyapa like when you lived here?" - Yasmin, the little girl who asked this was stunned and amazed when I informed her that I in fact, did not grow up on the ranch,
" Scarlet can't talk, but she's not stupid right. She is going to normal right? She'll talk next week right?" They were quite concerned when I told them that no, a 5 month old is not supposed talk.
Also, yesterday I spent a solid 45 minutes dancing to the same song, " Celos" by Fanny Lu, over and over with 9 children under the age of three. They've got moves you've never seen. Its simple and silly things like this that I will miss when I am back in the States for good!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Some days in Honduras are more action packed than others
Currently I am sitting at an internet cafe just outside the Tegucigalpa airport, killing time. I have three hours until my flight leaves, bound for Chicago and then to my best friend, Allie Markland´s wedding. My world here is so different that it is absolutely bizarre to think that in a few hours I will be in the land of the free and the brave. America : ) That is not what this blog is about though. Although America is fantastic, there is still so much to say about Honduras.
Yesterday began as a pretty typical day. I worked in the clinic and went to the primary school in La Venta to do some well child checks. This time we handed out antiparasite meds, multivitamins, and lice shampoo. For those that have read my previous blogs, you will know that I am a highly experienced lice shampooer! We saw 43 kids this time. Over all the morning was relaxed and smooth. Todo tranquilo.
Yesterday afternoon was a different story. It began as a typical afternoon. I started working in the clinic at 3, saw a few patients, patched up some scrapes, and then settled down to a lovely coffee break with the other nurses. It was at this time that the man at the front gate of the Ranch radioed the clinic to tell us that there had been an accident on the road right in front of the ranch. A car and a pick up collided, and at least 2 people had been thrown from the back of the truck. I had a few minutes to gather all necessary supplies and then they sent a car for Dr. Merlin and I to head down to the road. When we arrived, Manuel (a driver from the ranch) had already brought the ambulance. Overall there four people injured in the accient. Three of them were NPH employees that I know quite well. We checked everyones injuries, stabelized them an then took off in the ambulance to the hospital.
Two of the men, who work in the farm at NPH, had various cuts and scrapes, and also possible ankle and leg fractures. Another, the only one not employeed by NPH, had a dislocated shoulder and a few other minor injuries. The fourth man had the most serious injuries. He had been thrown from the truck and landed a good distance away right in the middle of the road. He had various deep cuts on his face, a possible fractured skill, possible fractured ribs, a fractured pelvis, and maybe a fractured femur. We did what we could with the medications we had with us to calm the pain and stablize him until we arrived at the hospital. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes, flying through the rain at top speed, to arrive at the nearest hospital in Tegucigalpa. We took the three ranch employees to Hospital Seguro, the hospital for the insured, and the other man to Hospital Escuela. When we arrived at the Seguro I was amazed. I hadn´t been there before and I was astounded at how much nicer and more modern it is than the public hospitals. Even so, it is not up to par with American standards. Basic supplies still sometimes are lacking, and you have to sign the patients in to prove they have the universal employement insurance before any doctors or nurses will even touch them. It doesn´t matter how gravely you are injured, you still have to wait. We got all of the men signed in and informed the doctors and nurse about what had happened. We waited to make sure everyone was indeed being taken care of and stable and then we took off to take the other man to the public hospital, Hospital Escuela.
When we arrived at Hospital Escuela it was like a smack in the face back to reality. I knew that the Seguro hospital was too good to be true. The majority of Hondurans do not have the benefit of recieving the government insurance and therefor must use Hospital Escuela. The ER was packed with people laying on gurnees and stretchers, many on the floor. People were everywhere bleeding and vomiting with terrible terrible injuries. It was truly disgusting. I have spent quite a bit of time in the public hospitals here, but last night seemed particularly crowded and bad. I felt so badly that this man coming from the exact same town, circumstances, and accident did not have the right to recieve the same quality of care that the others did. One of the residents working in the ER recognized me from all of my previous visits to the hospital. A tall white girl tends to stick out in a sea of injured Hondurans. The resident came over and immediately attended to my patient. It was a great stroke of luck. If he hadn´t recognized me and been kind enough to help, the man could have easily spent over 8 hours waiting in the ER. As it was, the resident signed him in an sent him immediately back to orthopeadics.
It was about 8:30 pm when everyone was properly admitted to there respective hospitals and Merlin, Manuel, and I were ready to head back to the Ranch with the ambulance. We were all so relieved that everyone seemed to be doing well and no one was in a life threatening situation. We made a quick swing through the drive through at Pollo Campero (we were too dirty and bloody to make an enterance in a restaurant) and made our way back to the Ranch.
Yesterday began as a pretty typical day. I worked in the clinic and went to the primary school in La Venta to do some well child checks. This time we handed out antiparasite meds, multivitamins, and lice shampoo. For those that have read my previous blogs, you will know that I am a highly experienced lice shampooer! We saw 43 kids this time. Over all the morning was relaxed and smooth. Todo tranquilo.
Yesterday afternoon was a different story. It began as a typical afternoon. I started working in the clinic at 3, saw a few patients, patched up some scrapes, and then settled down to a lovely coffee break with the other nurses. It was at this time that the man at the front gate of the Ranch radioed the clinic to tell us that there had been an accident on the road right in front of the ranch. A car and a pick up collided, and at least 2 people had been thrown from the back of the truck. I had a few minutes to gather all necessary supplies and then they sent a car for Dr. Merlin and I to head down to the road. When we arrived, Manuel (a driver from the ranch) had already brought the ambulance. Overall there four people injured in the accient. Three of them were NPH employees that I know quite well. We checked everyones injuries, stabelized them an then took off in the ambulance to the hospital.
Two of the men, who work in the farm at NPH, had various cuts and scrapes, and also possible ankle and leg fractures. Another, the only one not employeed by NPH, had a dislocated shoulder and a few other minor injuries. The fourth man had the most serious injuries. He had been thrown from the truck and landed a good distance away right in the middle of the road. He had various deep cuts on his face, a possible fractured skill, possible fractured ribs, a fractured pelvis, and maybe a fractured femur. We did what we could with the medications we had with us to calm the pain and stablize him until we arrived at the hospital. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes, flying through the rain at top speed, to arrive at the nearest hospital in Tegucigalpa. We took the three ranch employees to Hospital Seguro, the hospital for the insured, and the other man to Hospital Escuela. When we arrived at the Seguro I was amazed. I hadn´t been there before and I was astounded at how much nicer and more modern it is than the public hospitals. Even so, it is not up to par with American standards. Basic supplies still sometimes are lacking, and you have to sign the patients in to prove they have the universal employement insurance before any doctors or nurses will even touch them. It doesn´t matter how gravely you are injured, you still have to wait. We got all of the men signed in and informed the doctors and nurse about what had happened. We waited to make sure everyone was indeed being taken care of and stable and then we took off to take the other man to the public hospital, Hospital Escuela.
When we arrived at Hospital Escuela it was like a smack in the face back to reality. I knew that the Seguro hospital was too good to be true. The majority of Hondurans do not have the benefit of recieving the government insurance and therefor must use Hospital Escuela. The ER was packed with people laying on gurnees and stretchers, many on the floor. People were everywhere bleeding and vomiting with terrible terrible injuries. It was truly disgusting. I have spent quite a bit of time in the public hospitals here, but last night seemed particularly crowded and bad. I felt so badly that this man coming from the exact same town, circumstances, and accident did not have the right to recieve the same quality of care that the others did. One of the residents working in the ER recognized me from all of my previous visits to the hospital. A tall white girl tends to stick out in a sea of injured Hondurans. The resident came over and immediately attended to my patient. It was a great stroke of luck. If he hadn´t recognized me and been kind enough to help, the man could have easily spent over 8 hours waiting in the ER. As it was, the resident signed him in an sent him immediately back to orthopeadics.
It was about 8:30 pm when everyone was properly admitted to there respective hospitals and Merlin, Manuel, and I were ready to head back to the Ranch with the ambulance. We were all so relieved that everyone seemed to be doing well and no one was in a life threatening situation. We made a quick swing through the drive through at Pollo Campero (we were too dirty and bloody to make an enterance in a restaurant) and made our way back to the Ranch.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Last week a woman from a nearby village came for a consult at the external clinic. While I was triaging the patients I asked her why she came for a consult that day. She responded by telling me that she was pregnant and she came for prenatal care. I asked her how far along she was and she did not know, but she thought she was quite far, like 7 or 8 months. Hopefully I did a fairly good job at hiding the shock and skepticism on my face because I did not in anyway believe that this woman was 8 months pregnant. I wouldn't have even guessed she was pregnant if I saw her on the street. She left her appointment that day with a referral for an ultrasound so we could try to assess how far along she really was. She was planning to come back the next week with the ultrasound results. She didn't quite last that long...
Early Friday morning the ranch doctor (The amazing Dr. Merlin!) got a call from a patient saying that she had terrible back pain. He told her to come to the external clinic and that he would assess her when she arrived. She failed to mention the fact that she had just been to the clinic on Tuesday or that she was pregnant. Unfortunately it was my morning off from the clinic, but Laura, another volunteer nurse was working. When the woman arrived at the clinic Merlin examined her and could already see the baby crowning. There was no way that this laboring mother was going to make it to the hospital in Tegucigalpa before the baby arrived. Things happened fast and the external clinic quickly turned into a labor and delivery unit.
All and all, things went very smoothly. The poor mother was extremely tired because she had walked from her village and then taken a public bus to get to the clinic, all while in very active labor! In the end, mom and baby boy both did great and a new life came into the world at exactly 1:30pm on May 21st. The baby weighed around 7 pounds and was clearly full term. He needed oxygen for the first few hours, but soon turned a very healthy pink and did just wonderfully. They brought mom and baby up to the internal clinic where I spent two days and nights with them.
Even though it was a very joyful situation to see this new little guy come into world, it was very bitter sweet. The mother was very young and came from a very poor background. She made it very clear in the first few hours that she did not want to keep the baby. She did not want hold the baby and refused to breastfeed. Also, she did not name him. She was very adamant that she wanted to leave the clinic immediately and leave the baby at NPH. We convinced her that it was important for her health and safety to stay the night. I stayed over night in the clinic with her and the baby boy. I tried to sensitively talk to her and make her as comfortable as possible. I woke up every two to three hours to feed my little friend and make sure that the mother was doing well after the delivery.
Don't judge the hat! I know its ridiculous looking but it was all we had!I spent the next two days at the clinic as well, caring for mom and baby. It finally came out the the mother had not told anyone that she was pregnant. She was planning to go home and never tell her family that she had had a child. She still lived at home with her mother, father, and sister. It was incredible to me that no one had known she was pregnant. Finally around 9 pm on Saturday she called her father. It was very emotional, but turned out very well in the end. Her family had been extremely worried about her. She had told them she was going to the clinic for a stomach ache on Friday and had never returned. They had even contacted the police and reported her missing. After she hung up the phone her mood was visibly changed. She showed much more interest in her new baby and even held him for a good portion of the evening. She was still wary about taking care of him and feeding him, but I helped her and taught her as much as I could about newborn care. During this time it also came out that she already had another child, a two year old daughter. Her sister, whom she lives with, helps her take care of her daughter. The next morning, her mother, father and sister came to the clinic. They were very happy to see their daughter and even more excited about having a new baby in the family. It was clear that the child was going to a family that would love him and want him very much. The mother's sister, who was currently caring for her other daughter, was more than willing and capable of caring for the child.
Watching my little guy leave was harder than I expected. Even though he had only been here for two days, I had still grown attached. I cared for him, fed him, bathed him, and cuddled him almost from the moment he was born until he left two days later. It was so incredible to see this new little life come into the world. It broke my heart to see that he was unwanted! He is such a beautiful little boy! I wanted to pack him in a carry on and head straight to the US. Also, when I found out that there was a possibility that he would stay at NPH I grew even more attached! I pictured him in Casa Suyapa and having the opportunity to see him grow for his first few months of life. Even though I was a little sad and apprehensive to watch the baby leave, I was glad that he would be supported and loved.
Although I was sad to see my unnamed baby go, my kids in Casa Suyapa soon cheered me up. They continuously make me laugh every day. The chiquitos, the group of the littlest kids, were extremely confused about this child. They saw me with him in the clinic and are still convinced that it was my baby. Every time I encounter them they ask "y tu bebe Ana?" "and your baby Anna?" One little girl was extremely concerned that I had left him alone in the clinic. Were still working on understanding that even though I take care of them, I do not actually have my own children. After 10 months its still a confusing subject for two yearolds.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Update: Rancho Santa Fe
Time continues to fly by, and I get closer and closer to finishing my year of service here. Even so, each day still holds adventure and new opportunities to learn and grow. I have been incredibly grateful for the past few weeks, both in the clinic and in Casa Suyapa. I have just been genuinely enjoying my time here and my relationships with the kids. I would love to update by blog more often and share all that is happening down here but I can hardly remember all of the things that happen on a daily basis, much less everything that has happened in the last few weeks. Here are a few highlights that have stuck with me.
Casa Suyapa: Every night I spend in Casa Suyapa is just hilarious. The kids are always saying and doing ridiculous things and each day I get more attached to them. I love them so much! I cannot imagine what it will be like when they are not a part of my daily life any more. Most recently, the children have taken to calling me by by full name. Usually its just Ana Blauw, with an excentuaded auwww at the the end of Blauw. That noise does not really exist in Spanish words so they think it is really fun to say! Sometimes they even go for the Ana Ruth Blauw. It continuously cracks me up. At any time I may here my name being called from all corners of the Ranch. They other day I was walking by the office and out of the window I heard a little voice yelling Ana Blauw, Ana Blauw, Ana Ruth Blauw. It was a Dulce Milagros, a very vocal two year old from Casa Suyapa.
Clinica: One of the best parts of my job in the clinic is that when new children come to the ranch they first spend a week in the clinic. They do this so that they can be checked out medically, but also so they can ease into life at the Ranch slowly. Through out their week in the clinic they slowly integrate into the home they will be living in, and then on Friday night they move to their permanent house. Recently we had a little two year old girl named Evelyn come to the Ranch. She actually stayed in the clinic for two weeks because it was suspected that she had Tuberculosis. Luckily this did not turn out to be true, and she was negative for TB, but she still remained in the clinic until she was healthy enough to move to Casa Suyapa. It is so amazing to see the transformation of kids when they come to the Ranch! Some are incredibly malnourished or sick, and within a few months you can begin to see a real change in them. Some have been terribly abused or abandoned and are incredibly timid or angry. The change in this children is also evident as they spend more time in a loving and supportive environment. Evelyn, the most recent addition to our large family, came to the Ranch because her mother is in the end sages of AIDS and will most likely pass away soon. Evelyn herself is also HIV positive, but is very healthy and taking a full load of antiretroviral medications. Her story is quite sad because not only was her mother very sick, but she also suffered from a variety of mental illnesses as well. As a result Evelyn was abused by her mother, and even left in the bottom of a latrine. When she first came to the clinic, she was incredibly shy and did not speak a word for an entire week! In here three short weeks at the Ranch she has changed immensly and is such a beautiful, loving little girl. She still does not speak often but smiles all the time.
NPH Honduras sponsers four children who do not live at the Ranch, but who live in the village nearby and attend the local public primary school. Recently our national director went to visit the school and noticed that so many of the children appear to be malnourished and suffering from a variety of health problems. He asked our doctor, Merlin, and a few nurse to visit the school and screen the kids. Yesterday we walked to the school and screend 40 of the 84 children there. We are planning to go back next Thursday to see the rest. This experience was quite possibley one of my favorite that I have had so far in Honduras. It was incredibly interesting to see how different life is just outside of the Ranch. Our neighbors are suffering, and the kids are not getting enough to eat. Many walk miles and miles to school eachday without shoes and without eating anything for breakfast. This lifestyle is typical in most parts of Honduras. Children and families are in need of health care, better nutrition, and health education. Merlin, another nurse, and I weighed and measured all the children, gave out mulitvitamins and anti-parasite medication. We talked about basic things life safe drinking water, hand washing, and the importance of brushing your teeth. We identified quite a few kids who need further treatment and they will be coming to our clinic at the Ranch on a regular basis to recieve further care and medications for free. It was a wonderful experience, and I am looking forward to doing more health teaching at this little public school.
I wish I could add more pictures to my blog, but alas, without my own computer its a struggle to upload photos. I will try to add photos soon!
Peace,
Anna
Casa Suyapa: Every night I spend in Casa Suyapa is just hilarious. The kids are always saying and doing ridiculous things and each day I get more attached to them. I love them so much! I cannot imagine what it will be like when they are not a part of my daily life any more. Most recently, the children have taken to calling me by by full name. Usually its just Ana Blauw, with an excentuaded auwww at the the end of Blauw. That noise does not really exist in Spanish words so they think it is really fun to say! Sometimes they even go for the Ana Ruth Blauw. It continuously cracks me up. At any time I may here my name being called from all corners of the Ranch. They other day I was walking by the office and out of the window I heard a little voice yelling Ana Blauw, Ana Blauw, Ana Ruth Blauw. It was a Dulce Milagros, a very vocal two year old from Casa Suyapa.
Clinica: One of the best parts of my job in the clinic is that when new children come to the ranch they first spend a week in the clinic. They do this so that they can be checked out medically, but also so they can ease into life at the Ranch slowly. Through out their week in the clinic they slowly integrate into the home they will be living in, and then on Friday night they move to their permanent house. Recently we had a little two year old girl named Evelyn come to the Ranch. She actually stayed in the clinic for two weeks because it was suspected that she had Tuberculosis. Luckily this did not turn out to be true, and she was negative for TB, but she still remained in the clinic until she was healthy enough to move to Casa Suyapa. It is so amazing to see the transformation of kids when they come to the Ranch! Some are incredibly malnourished or sick, and within a few months you can begin to see a real change in them. Some have been terribly abused or abandoned and are incredibly timid or angry. The change in this children is also evident as they spend more time in a loving and supportive environment. Evelyn, the most recent addition to our large family, came to the Ranch because her mother is in the end sages of AIDS and will most likely pass away soon. Evelyn herself is also HIV positive, but is very healthy and taking a full load of antiretroviral medications. Her story is quite sad because not only was her mother very sick, but she also suffered from a variety of mental illnesses as well. As a result Evelyn was abused by her mother, and even left in the bottom of a latrine. When she first came to the clinic, she was incredibly shy and did not speak a word for an entire week! In here three short weeks at the Ranch she has changed immensly and is such a beautiful, loving little girl. She still does not speak often but smiles all the time.
NPH Honduras sponsers four children who do not live at the Ranch, but who live in the village nearby and attend the local public primary school. Recently our national director went to visit the school and noticed that so many of the children appear to be malnourished and suffering from a variety of health problems. He asked our doctor, Merlin, and a few nurse to visit the school and screen the kids. Yesterday we walked to the school and screend 40 of the 84 children there. We are planning to go back next Thursday to see the rest. This experience was quite possibley one of my favorite that I have had so far in Honduras. It was incredibly interesting to see how different life is just outside of the Ranch. Our neighbors are suffering, and the kids are not getting enough to eat. Many walk miles and miles to school eachday without shoes and without eating anything for breakfast. This lifestyle is typical in most parts of Honduras. Children and families are in need of health care, better nutrition, and health education. Merlin, another nurse, and I weighed and measured all the children, gave out mulitvitamins and anti-parasite medication. We talked about basic things life safe drinking water, hand washing, and the importance of brushing your teeth. We identified quite a few kids who need further treatment and they will be coming to our clinic at the Ranch on a regular basis to recieve further care and medications for free. It was a wonderful experience, and I am looking forward to doing more health teaching at this little public school.
I wish I could add more pictures to my blog, but alas, without my own computer its a struggle to upload photos. I will try to add photos soon!
Peace,
Anna
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Oh How Time Flies!
Here I am, still in Honduras, nine months and five days after my journey began last July. Somehow I have survived thousands of communication errors, a military coup, weeks of country wide, curfew, three medical brigades, working in Haiti after the earthquake, and multiple Ranch kid emergencies. I may be prematurely aging, but I think I will come out no worse for the ware in the end.
The past two weeks have been quite a whirlwind. Between returning from the beach, a crazy week at work, and having two visitors, time has flown. First, my visitors came last Saturday. My dear cousin, Mary, and friend, Austin, came to the Ranch. It was really good to see familiar faces from home, and have the opportunity to introduce them to my life here. It was slightly odd to have my two worlds intersect, but it was really great. I am so glad they got to see my kids, the clinics, and Honduras.
Because Honduras has become my home, it is sometimes hard for me to remember the harsh realities and enormous poverty that surrounds me here. It becomes common place and I forget how much inequality and suffering there can be. Last week, a large reminder of these things was carried into the clinic. On Tuesday a two month old baby was brought to the clinic by his parents. He was extremely malnourished, dehydrated, and very sick. He had, had a twin but the twin died the day before becasue of the same ailments. The poor little thing only weigh 7 pounds at two months. He looked like a premature newborn. His fontanels, or soft spots, on his head were extremely sunken in because of the dehydration, and he was two week to even cry. I spent a good portion of the day hold him and feeding him oral rehydration solution through a syringe. His parents did not want to stay at the clinic with him, but we finally convinced the mother to stay so we could try to teach her how to take care of her baby. The mother and father were both very young. They came from a very poor village nearby, and niether one could read or write. They had little to no education and no idea how to take care of their baby. The baby and his mother stayed in the clinic for 6 days. We rehydrated the baby and made sure that he is getting adequate nutrition. The nurses and Dr. Merlin worked with the mother each day, teaching her what her baby needs and how to take care of him. By the time he was ready to leave he was looking much better. Still very small, but healthier! He and his mom will continue to come for weekly check ups for the next few months.
Last Friday brought another harsh reminder of the realities of life. The Ranch is so often such a happy place that I forget where my children came from. I forget that most of them have been abused or abandoned, and all of them have been through some sort of insufferable loss before they arrived here. Usually I just see them as children, happy and easy going, but last Friday I was reminded again of all the things they still have to overcome. Just after my visitors left I was working alone in the clinic. The rest of the staff were at a seminar at a hospital in Tegucigalpa. A 15 year old girl from the Ranch came into the clinic acting very strangely. I knew this girl fairly well from previous visits to the clinic and I knew that she had some severe psychological issues. She was severly abused as a child, lived in almost unlivible conditions, and her mother just passed away 5 months ago. In the past she has swallowed 3 needles and threatend suicide in other ways. After about 15 minutes she eventually confided in me her plans to try to committ suicide again. I really think that most of this was just a cry for attention, but even so it was a serious cry, signifying that things were not ok. I talked and listened to her for a few hours, trying my best to be as encouraging and therapeutic as possible. Eventually she calmed town and went to rest in her bed. After locking all sharp or dangerous objects in the pharmacy, I checked on her 10 minutes later and she was gone. She snuck out of the back of the clinic in attempt to run away from the Ranch. This girl had tried to run away before and I had no doubt that she was serious about her getaway. Thankfully she was intercepted and willingly came back to the clinic. This experience brought to light the terrible places where some of my kids come from. Sometimes they cannot escape them, even though they are at the Ranch. We have a large social work and psychological department working with so many kids, but sometimes it just is not enough to undo terrible pasts. This teenage girl was so desperate for love and consolation that it broke my heart. She stayed at the clinic through the weekend and has been seeing the psycholgoist daily. She is really doing much better. Even so, it is still so sad and sobering to see the lasting effects that her past has on her.
And so, after a fairly emotionally draining week I had the amazing chance to relax in a truly beautiful place. Some friends and I went to La Tigra for the weekend. It is a national park not to far from The Ranch. It is way up in the mountains in a beautiful little village called San Juancito. La Tigra is technically a cloud forest and is home to all types of tropical plants and animals. There is a German couple who live there and own a bed and breakfast. They rent out one small cabin and sell home made wine, bread, and jam. The view from the front porch of the cabin over looks a beautiful valley and the mountains beyond. I am slightly convinced that it is a little piece of heaven on Earth. On Saturday my friend Danielle and I went on a 3 hour hike to a beautiful water fall high up in the cloud forest. It was an amazing way to relax and rejuvinate for another week of work at NPH.
Well, that is all from me for now. I am going to try to update often in my three short months left here in Honduras! Sorry for no photos this time. My lab top officially died its long awaited death and I am now confined to a few very old, very sketchy Ranch computers.
Peace,
Anna
The past two weeks have been quite a whirlwind. Between returning from the beach, a crazy week at work, and having two visitors, time has flown. First, my visitors came last Saturday. My dear cousin, Mary, and friend, Austin, came to the Ranch. It was really good to see familiar faces from home, and have the opportunity to introduce them to my life here. It was slightly odd to have my two worlds intersect, but it was really great. I am so glad they got to see my kids, the clinics, and Honduras.
Because Honduras has become my home, it is sometimes hard for me to remember the harsh realities and enormous poverty that surrounds me here. It becomes common place and I forget how much inequality and suffering there can be. Last week, a large reminder of these things was carried into the clinic. On Tuesday a two month old baby was brought to the clinic by his parents. He was extremely malnourished, dehydrated, and very sick. He had, had a twin but the twin died the day before becasue of the same ailments. The poor little thing only weigh 7 pounds at two months. He looked like a premature newborn. His fontanels, or soft spots, on his head were extremely sunken in because of the dehydration, and he was two week to even cry. I spent a good portion of the day hold him and feeding him oral rehydration solution through a syringe. His parents did not want to stay at the clinic with him, but we finally convinced the mother to stay so we could try to teach her how to take care of her baby. The mother and father were both very young. They came from a very poor village nearby, and niether one could read or write. They had little to no education and no idea how to take care of their baby. The baby and his mother stayed in the clinic for 6 days. We rehydrated the baby and made sure that he is getting adequate nutrition. The nurses and Dr. Merlin worked with the mother each day, teaching her what her baby needs and how to take care of him. By the time he was ready to leave he was looking much better. Still very small, but healthier! He and his mom will continue to come for weekly check ups for the next few months.
Last Friday brought another harsh reminder of the realities of life. The Ranch is so often such a happy place that I forget where my children came from. I forget that most of them have been abused or abandoned, and all of them have been through some sort of insufferable loss before they arrived here. Usually I just see them as children, happy and easy going, but last Friday I was reminded again of all the things they still have to overcome. Just after my visitors left I was working alone in the clinic. The rest of the staff were at a seminar at a hospital in Tegucigalpa. A 15 year old girl from the Ranch came into the clinic acting very strangely. I knew this girl fairly well from previous visits to the clinic and I knew that she had some severe psychological issues. She was severly abused as a child, lived in almost unlivible conditions, and her mother just passed away 5 months ago. In the past she has swallowed 3 needles and threatend suicide in other ways. After about 15 minutes she eventually confided in me her plans to try to committ suicide again. I really think that most of this was just a cry for attention, but even so it was a serious cry, signifying that things were not ok. I talked and listened to her for a few hours, trying my best to be as encouraging and therapeutic as possible. Eventually she calmed town and went to rest in her bed. After locking all sharp or dangerous objects in the pharmacy, I checked on her 10 minutes later and she was gone. She snuck out of the back of the clinic in attempt to run away from the Ranch. This girl had tried to run away before and I had no doubt that she was serious about her getaway. Thankfully she was intercepted and willingly came back to the clinic. This experience brought to light the terrible places where some of my kids come from. Sometimes they cannot escape them, even though they are at the Ranch. We have a large social work and psychological department working with so many kids, but sometimes it just is not enough to undo terrible pasts. This teenage girl was so desperate for love and consolation that it broke my heart. She stayed at the clinic through the weekend and has been seeing the psycholgoist daily. She is really doing much better. Even so, it is still so sad and sobering to see the lasting effects that her past has on her.
And so, after a fairly emotionally draining week I had the amazing chance to relax in a truly beautiful place. Some friends and I went to La Tigra for the weekend. It is a national park not to far from The Ranch. It is way up in the mountains in a beautiful little village called San Juancito. La Tigra is technically a cloud forest and is home to all types of tropical plants and animals. There is a German couple who live there and own a bed and breakfast. They rent out one small cabin and sell home made wine, bread, and jam. The view from the front porch of the cabin over looks a beautiful valley and the mountains beyond. I am slightly convinced that it is a little piece of heaven on Earth. On Saturday my friend Danielle and I went on a 3 hour hike to a beautiful water fall high up in the cloud forest. It was an amazing way to relax and rejuvinate for another week of work at NPH.
Well, that is all from me for now. I am going to try to update often in my three short months left here in Honduras! Sorry for no photos this time. My lab top officially died its long awaited death and I am now confined to a few very old, very sketchy Ranch computers.
Peace,
Anna
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