Submitted by Catherine Gehringer on the 2017 summer session program in Peru sponsored by the School of Nursing…
Surrounded by panoramic mountain views 10,000 feet above sea level, my first week in Peru has been breathtaking. Along with other UD nursing and medical diagnostic students, I spent the first few days adjusting to the change in altitude and volunteering at Centro de Salud which is a hospital in Calca. I offered my helping hands in pediatrics where I helped to weigh and measure babies and children up to four years old. The pediatric nurse was very overwhelmed with documenting patient records since there was a lack of electronic, medical and sanitation resources. It became evident that we were experiencing first hand a hospital in the developing world, much different from any hospital in the United States. Using my limited Spanish speaking skills, I offered to help the nurse document the heights and weights of the children and she was very grateful for our help.
Three days later, we traveled 3,000 more feet up into the mountains to the town of Chaypa where we visited a school and made friends with several Peruvian children. We brought along a colorful parachute and played with a ball. It was amazing to see how something as simple as a ball and a parachute illuminated the smiling faces of the children. The day concluded with us listening to their hearts and lungs with our stethoscopes and showing them how to do so on their own. For most of the children, it was the first time that they heard their own heartbeats. The hike back up the mountain from their valley was tiring, but highly worth it to see la sonrisas (the smiles) on their faces.