Volunteering on Surgicorps trips has always been a way for me to explore my profession in a manner that I cannot do here in the States. I yearn for ways to give my hands and heart to people that cultivate growth and that teach me lessons that I can only gain from truly human experiences. One of my favorite authors, Sylvia Plath, wrote “I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in my life,” and Bolivia is this place of lushness, vividity, and familial reciprocity. From the physical presence of color and lush aromas to mental challenges after seeing profoundly injured children, Plath seemed to have been writing about our time there.
The patients that we served were joyful and compassionate, peaceful and vivacious. The children had lived their lives with a curiousness only a child can have despite their injuries and despite uncertainty. Their stories imbued our team with a vigorous energy to help shape their experiences for the better.
Norma was a girl who personified Plath’s idea of living. She was inquisitive about our team and was outgoing despite the burns that required uncomfortable surgery and splinting. She and I developed a friendship, and she taught me some Spanish, and I taught her some English. But, more importantly, she reminded me to take a moment, to observe what was around me, and to remember how impactful she is on reshaping the tone and variation of my time in the country.
Each member of the Bolivia team was instrumental in giving our patients a branch of lived experience. Anne’s fortitude and organization in a new environment and country and her kindness towards patients; Jack’s wisdom and attentiveness to exploration and generosity; Dr. Mark’s quiet certainty and fluidity; Ramon’s humor and theoretical approaches; Sam’s keen desire to both provide and learn; Amanda’s magnetic energy and conscientiousness; and the in-country volunteers’ compassionate care of our team. This team and group of patients on this trip truly embody what it means to live and to serve in a compelling and beautiful country – this trip has added much needed color to my own experiences, and I was honored to be a part of an exploratory trip for Surgicorps.
