Day 3 & 4 March 10 & March 11

Wow. I truly don’t know how this work would be possible without our Spanish‑speaking students—and Olivia, RN, a Carle Health ER nurse who are absolutely the MVPs of this trip. Seriously. Watching them move effortlessly between patients, providers, and families made it very clear how essential they are to everything we’re doing.

Today we traveled to the Los Pilares region, which involved a very long, very winding drive.To give you an idea of what this ride is like, think Six Flags roller coaster meets manual‑transmission bus. I ended up taking Zofran on the way there and the way back, and I have zero regrets about that decision although it made me VERY tired.

The health disparities that stood out to me most today were related to oral care. We saw many children needing tooth extractions, and what struck me just as much as the clinical need was the resilience and calmness these kids showed during the process. Their composure was humbling in the heat sitting there with gauze in their mouth and only a few tears.

I will say, day two of clinic in Los Pilares  (March 11th) felt a bit smoother overall, but rotating patients through the clinic was still challenging with my limited Spanish. Honestly, I don’t know how previous trips managed without bringing along Spanish speakers the way we have this time. I cannot imagine doing this without them!

The highlight of the day for me was watching our team work. Everyone showed up willing to help, jump in, and do whatever was needed. Yes, there were discomforts the heat, the very primitive bathroom situation hence the alternate bano the banana trees. If you know you know! Anyway the heat didn't seemed to matter much to the kids, who were genuinely excited that we were there. The adults, too, were so very patient with us despite the language barriers.

One discouraging reality is knowing that there likely won’t be another brigade here for about a year. That’s especially hard when you’re seeing patients who need ongoing medications, like antihypertensives or anti‑diabetic meds. It puts things into perspective. I have a medicine cabinet at home full of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, while patients who had tooth extractions today were sent home with just enough pain medication for three to five days, along with an antibiotic.

One of the most fun and challenging parts of my day was working in Charla (health education) with my son, Cameron, a Carle Health nurse and Methodist College alumni. Neither of us speaks Spanish, but with the help of his Meta glasses and writing instructions down in Spanish, he delivered oral care education and demonstrations that would absolutely make our dental hygienist proud. 🙂

It was exhausting. Hot. Occasionally uncomfortable yet rewarding. Days like this remind me why global health work matters not just for the care provided, but for the connections made and the lessons learned along the way.


A beautiful thank you was expressed by the director of the Los Pilares school, translated by Carle Health ED Nurse, Olivia BSN RN : 







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