Stephanie Brown prepares to share her experiences volunteering in Guatemala with NERHP staff.

For Stephanie Brown, taking a year off from her physical therapy training at Duquesne University in Pittsburg, PA, to obtain a practical understanding of the profession as a rehab aide at New England Rehab Hospital, resulted in an experience that cannot be taught in books or in a hospital setting. Through her relationship with some clinicians at York Hospital, Stephanie was asked to join a group of 8 people who would travel to Guatemala and team up with Brian and Richelle Buchanan, founders of "Jungle Medic Missions". Brian and Richelle provide medical and dental care for Mayan Indians in remote villages located in the mountainous jungles of Guatemala. The missionaries depend on volunteer groups to assist them in getting supplies and administering treatment. The 8 person team consisted of a neurologist, podiatrist, 2 emergency room nurses, an herbalist, 2 high school students and Stephanie. They were in Guatemala from March 16th through the 24th.

Stephanie shared her experiences through storytelling and a visual slide presentation. Her emphasis was that through the donations of money and medical supplies contributed by New England Rehab, she saw first hand how they contributed to basic health care that is so desperately needed by the Mayan Indians. Vitamins, for example, were distributed as many of the health problems related to very poor diet. An albino man was badly sunburned and given sunglasses, a hat and sun screen. A malnourished baby was given formula, clothes, food and vitamins and the mother received supplies to care for the child.

As many as 200 people per village would come to their clinical camp, given a number and waited to be triaged to an appropriate area of the camp for care. One man and his wife traveled 12 hours seeking care. The wife had a central line implanted for the dialysis treatment she was receiving. Once the money was gone, her medical care discontinued immediately. No facility would treat her. She arrived in her husband's arms, nearing septic shock, was given surgery and antibiotics to survive. If there is no money, there is no medical care given to people in Guatemala.

Stephanie expressed gratitude to New England Rehab, on behalf of all the patients she saw, for the overwhelming support given to her and to her team.