Personal Testimonial by Hannah Reid RN (Ward Nurse)
Getting prepared to come on the mission, people are always asking if we get paid to come, and when I say no, they then ask if I have to use vacation so that I am able to take time off. They then say, “Oh, I could never,” or “I have too many things going on this year.”
Time is just one piece of ourselves that we give to make the mission possible. This week* I have experienced people giving more of themselves than I think they knew possible. From the support of family and friends at home, to the team, and the family members of the patients who are endlessly supportive, and who you know will continue to be their cheerleaders long after we’ve flown home.
This was shown to me today with our patient Anita, who had undergone a bilateral hip replacement. Anita had quite a bit of excitement from the get go, she experienced a very low blood pressure when she was on the unit and had to go back up to visit our recovery room nurses, she just hadn’t seen enough of their smiling faces! When we arrived the next day Anita was all smiles and ready to go, but when we tried to roll her in the bed she was stiff as a board. We knew mobilizing might be tricky. As Shirley, a first timer physiotherapist on our mission, was working with Anita to get her up and walking that day, Nurse Brittney and I walked past and Anita was looking a tad pale and sweaty, we all agreed she should sit down, step number one to avoid a fainting patient. When we tried to get Anita to sit down in the chair, the first step is to bend at the hips, and as stiff as a board she is not bending at all. Lots of positive encouragement is being given but she is not following directions what so ever. Now keep in mind all our directions are in English being translated into Spanish, so we’re all doing the best we can, and all of this needs to be done in the next 20 seconds or so. Once she’s finally sitting the glazed look in her eyes becomes even more pronounced. Our goal now is to get her back into bed without her becoming fully unresponsive. We’re encouraging her to open her eyes and take deep breaths. Now, we are speaking loudly and firmly, the translator (we are so thankful for every single person who takes time throughout the week to come and help us) repeats quietly and calmly ‘respiracion fuerte’, we are getting more urgent with some sternal rubbing , for Anita ‘to breathe and open your eyes’, again repeated calmly and quietly by our translator. We all managed to keep our cool but after we had gotten her into bed it was smiles and head shakes that didn’t necessarily go to plan.
Later Shirley approached me to ask if we had any extra running shoes that we could give to Anita. Her shoes were worn through and were not setting her up for success. Unfortunately there was none to give away and off Shirley went to mobilize Anita for a second time. Which fortunately was much more successful. A little while later I’d been informed Anita had passed rehab and would be ready to go home. I looked in the room and Shirley and Anita were walking around the room. I looked down and Anita had new shoes on. I looked up to Shirley and when I asked, she told me she gave Anita her own shoes, ‘because she needs them’. I asked if Anita knew they were her shoes and Shirley just shrugged, repeating she needed them.
Later on, I was sharing with the other ward nurses about how Shirley gave her own shoes. Shirley overheard and was saying ‘no, it’s nothing’. But it’s not nothing, it’s kindness and the willingness to give a little more of yourself when you think you’ve given it all. That is what this mission is all about, whatever you give is returned tenfold through the smiles of people walking for the first time in years without pain. Watching husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers look on in pride as their loved one gets a new lease on life. Seeing your friends get the spark back in their eyes, as their joy for their profession is replenished.
Coming down to Ecuador requires immense amounts of planning and logistics, but what’s returned in kindness, joy, and a faith in humanity makes it more than worthwhile.
*The Operation Esperanza team served in April 2024.