As a part of the requirements for our study abroad seminar class here we each selected a volunteer site to visit regularly during our semester in Chile. I chose the Sanitorio Marítimo de San Juan de Dios. The Sanitorio is a live-in hospital for children and young adults (ages 2-27) with multi-deficit physical and mental disabilities. It is the only institution of it’s kind in all of Chile. It was established in Viña in 1929 and was booted out of its downtown location about 3 years ago to make room for some swanky hotel. It now sets up in the hills of outer Viña, the view is pretty spectacular out of the sala on the fourth floor, especially while the sun is setting.
My volunteer project for my senior seminar class at CDH was working with the Special Education class at an inner-city Minneapolis middle school. I really enjoyed my time at Anwatin and learned an incredible amount about different mental and physical disabilities as well as developing a greater comfort in interacting with people who were different than me. The teacher I worked with at Anwatin would often remind me that even if the students couldn’t verbally communicate with me and even if I had never been in a wheelchair or experienced the unimaginable frustration of not being able to tell people exactly how I feel I could still relate to the disabled students. They needed companionship just as much as any other student.
So walking into my first day at the Sanitorio it made me feel better that I had had a similar (or at lease I thought) experience in the past but as with any new experience it’s never what you expect or exactly like a previous experience. The psychologist, Veronica, showed us around, introduced us to a few patients and staff members and then brought us down to the Occupational Therapy room. We met Paulina, one of the occupational therapists, and a handful of patients and we attempted to jump right in. As with everything here in Chile, experiences are further enriched but sometimes complicated by the language. I was sitting with Rosita who was coloring in a magazine. She kept asking for something in broken Spanish and I felt bad that I couldn’t understand what she wanted. Luckily, Paulina is incredible and knows the patients so well that she was quick to assist all of us when we would get stuck or confused. Her connection with the patients is truly awe-inspiring. There were quite a few non-verbal patients in the room with us and she would ask them a question and be able to understand their answer through their grunts and head movements. She is so kind and patient. I am really looking forward to working with and learning from her.
Paulina explained to us that some patients at the Sanitorio are there because their families could not provide for their medical needs but a greater percentage were removed from their homes by the courts because they were being neglected or maltreated. She also said that of the parents that could visit only about 15% of them ever do. Some parents will drop off their young children and never be seen again. For these reasons (as well as their affiliation with the order of San Juan de Dios) there is a great emphasis on the dignity of every person. Benedictine Values anyone? J When Paulina was teaching us the proper method of feeding the patients at dinner she also requested that we talk with the patients. She said mealtime is meant to be social for everyone. I’m a huge fan of family dinners at home so I this concept really struck a chord with me. I sat with Rosa as she gobbled down her somewhat unidentifiable dinner and talked to her about things I had done in Chile so far and about my family back home. I was sitting as close to her as I possible could but she just kept saying “Tía tía ven ven. Tía ven” meaning come here, come here. She was quite charming.
Rosa also pointed out the birthmark on my elbow, something I honestly forget I have sometimes because I don’t really see it unless I look in the mirror. She was so concerned that I was dirty and kept insisting that I go wash it off. It made me smile and I was eventually able to change the subject to the broken crayons on the table. Something else I sometimes forget I have is the VP shunt in my head. I’m reminded of it when I go to a new hair stylist and they get freaked out when they feel the dinosaur hump on the back of my head or when I turn my head just so and someone asks me if I have an over-active vein popping out of my neck--nope, it’s just my shunt. I had it placed when I was 15 months old to correct hydrocephalus, a neurological condition that leads to a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain. If left uncorrected it almost definitely leads to severe mental disability. I have gone 20 years without needing a single revision, which is basically unheard of. I count myself truly blessed to have been diagnosed as early as I was, to have had the incredible surgeon that I did and parents with the resources and faith to see me through the whole thing. I think on some level I have a passion to interact with disabled individuals because that very well could have been the hand I was dealt and I know I would’ve wanted that companionship.
I know that volunteering at the Sanitorio will be very challenging at times but I am really looking forward to building relationships with the patients and staff and learning as much as I can.
I have an exciting few days ahead of me here. On Monday we’re heading to Santiago, the capital, on a group excursion for a couple days during which I’ll get to see a couple girls I went to CDH with who are also studying abroad here which I’m really excited for! Then when we get back we have a 4-day weekend to celebrate Fiestas Patrias (Chile’s Independence Day); asados, Pisco, carretes, extended family and friends, can’t wait!
Cariñas,
Mackenzie
No comments:
Post a Comment