The University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 14, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 5, 2008 Page: 4 of 12
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4 — February 5, 2008
News
The University News
Making a diference in one small part of the world
Student reflects on her experience at a Hondoran medical clinic
Irish Beutler
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While UD students
everywhere attempted
a variety of methods to
avoid the unusually cold winter,
Ben Brown, Vivek Patel, and I
managed to do so by spending the
month of January in the heat of
Central America, volunteering in
a medical clinic on the beautiful,
but destitute island of Roatan,
Honduras.
Our three weeks were spent
aiding the community in any
way possible. Through acquiring
Ben
Brown,
Trish Beut-
ler, and
Vivek Pa-
tel, shared
their break
volunteer-
ing at a
Hondoran
medica
clinic.
Photo
provided
by Trish
Beutler
much needed medical supplies,
performing health screenings
in the most bereft areas, filling
prescriptions, or delivering
mattresses we all gained an
experience that could only be
described by Ben Brown as "life
changing. It was something that
has changed my global outlook
and caused me to develop a
desire to act more selflessly. "
This invaluable opportunity
was made possible through
scholarships granted by the
Roatan Health Assistance
Project, a nonprofit organization
established in 2006 by UD senior
Theresa Tran, to provide medical
assistance
to the
underserved
community
of Roatan.
Over
65% of the
island's in-
habitants
live in pov-
erty, with
one in four
earning less
than one
U.S. dol-
lar per day.
Any day at
the clinic,
the prob-
lems that we
came across
included
severe mal-
nutrition,
parasitic
i nfections,
and a high
frequency of
AIDS cases.
Theresa, who volunteered
in Roatan last winter, wanted
■'students who participate in the
program to capture a glimpse of
what it's like to really care for
those i n desperate
need. The lessons
that Ben, Trish,
and Vivek have
gained will help
them become
true leaders in
the health care
industry and
to implement
personal legacies
of love and
selflessness."
Ben, Vivek,
and I are all pre-
med students,
intent on going to
medical school,
but the lessons that
we learned wete
not contained to
medicine. We
were struck by the
poignant need of
the islanders and
the inadequacy
of the government programs.
We discovered that the public
hospital did not have runnin
water and that only 55% of
children make it to sixth grade. La
Clinica Esperanza, the site of our
mission, was opened less than a
year ago by Peggy Stranges, and
is one of the only places on the
island to seek consistent medical
care.
It was touching to see how
grateful the people were towards
the volunteers. Droves of parents
and children waited patiently for
hours to see the doctor. Vivek
described going to Roatan as
"one of the best decisions of
my life. After so many years of
being a pre-med student, it was
quite liberating to work with the
UD student Ben Brown spends time with
the children who arrived at the clinic.
Photo provided by Trish Beutler
Km
•••••
medical community to make a
difference in one small part of
the world."
Though Peggy has
constructed a miracle, and
donors to RHAP have made it
possible for university students to
contribute, an immense amount
of assistance is still needed. The
clinic exists only by donation
and volunteers.
Vivek, Ben, and I are intend
to return to Roatan as physicians
in the future and while I know
that this experience changed
the direction of our lives, I am
also confident that we were able
to make a profound difference
in the lives of others. I would
encourage any students to apply
to the program, and make an
appeal to anyone capable of
donating.
In Roatan, a little bit of money
goes an unimaginable distance.
Please visit roatanheaith.
org to see pictures, find out
more information, or make a
donation.
• •
•••
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Crotty, Sarah. The University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 14, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 5, 2008, newspaper, February 5, 2008; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201467/m1/4/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Dallas.