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Delia’s Food Cart

There is a custom in Peru to keep a human skull in the home as a way of protecting the family and warding off evil.  On Wednesday 28th September, MEDLIFE patient Delia Martín brought out the skull which had been protecting her home and presented it to a group of MEDLIFE staff and interns.  She told us that she wanted us to take it as she felt she had reached a stage where she no longer needed the protection.  

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Delia has been suffering from Caroli syndrome since she was a young girl.  This is a rare congenital disorder of the intrahepatic bile ducts that can lead to high blood pressure and, in severe cases, liver failure.  Delia is a mother of five and her symptoms have left her unable to hold down a stable job.  Her husband works long hours running a workshop from the house.  However, this means Delia is left to care for the children alone and has no way to get money in to support her family.  

Over the past few years, MEDLIFE have been supporting Delia though her treatment and helping to make sure she has access to all the medication she needs.  Recently, the MED Programs department started a project to fundraise to bring a sandwich cart to Delia to help her to have a more stable employment.  Thanks to the money raised by North Oconee High School we were able to go to Delia’s house to deliver the cart on Wednesday 28th September. 

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A group of MEDLIFE staff and interns got in a truck with the cart decorated in balloons and drove it up to Delia’s house.  Delia was so grateful for the cart and explained to us how it felt.  â€œFirst (MEDLIFE nurse) Ruth arrived telling me to come outside, saying ‘we have a surprise for you’.  So I went outside and suddenly out in the street I saw the car with everyone in it and the sandwich cart.  In that moment I was so excited, I don’t know how to describe it.  It was a very strong feeling.”

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Delia welcomed us all into her house and started using her new cart immediately.  We were lucky enough to be her first ever customers, receiving delicious hamburgers stuffed with lettuce, cheese and chips!  Before we all left, Delia addressed us as a group, she said “I don’t know how to thank you all for what you have done for me.  I want to thank everyone from the NGO MEDLIFE from the bottom of my heart for helping me through every stage of my illness.  I have no other words except that I am so grateful to everyone that has helped me and I hope that you all continue to help people like me.”

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Reya Seby
Western University

This trip motivated me more to pursue a career in the healthcare field so that I can use my resources to help those who need it the most, similar to MEDLIFE’s mission.

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Victoria DiCanio
University of Connecticut

It was most enjoyable to finish the hard work and see how big a difference a group of individuals can make. It was such an amazing experience.

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Anita Woo
University of Toronto

I enjoyed the mobile clinics the most, especially the dental and triage portions. I would definitely recommend a MEDLIFE trip, it was a great experience.

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David Saff
Maclay High School

The most enjoyable part of my trip was hanging out with the amazing group of kids I was with. I would highly recommend a MEDLIFE volunteer trip to others.

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Sydney Sansone
Nova Southeastern University

This trip made everything that I was learning in my public health courses come to life and immersed me in a new culture while also learning about medicine.

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Abygail Youmans
College of Charleston

Being involved with MEDLIFE is not like joining another club - its bigger than that. It is about joining a movement that seeks to help change people’s quality of life for forever.

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Emi Hofmann
University of Central Florida

Not only was I able to participate in a week long Mobile Clinic, shadowing doctors of all types of specialties including pharmacy, dentistry, gynecology, and more, but I was also able to learn about the culture and visit incredible places.

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Julian Takagi-Stewart
University of Toronto

One thing that I really loved about this trip was that MEDLIFE made sure that the volunteers got an understanding of the complexity of issues that lead to underprivileged people in communities outside of the main city

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Hannah Van Hofwegen
University of Ottawa

Whether it was basketball with the local kids, assisting the doctors, talking with families, building washrooms, holding babies, or spending time with the people who were on the SLT with me, this was an amazing opportunity that I would do over and over again.

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Isabelle Holt
Cornell University

I loved learning about the patients MEDLIFE has followed and how they offer real help to people with chronic/urgent conditions. It is amazing how the organization formed real connections with the communities.

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Valerie Lindeborg
Parent

Our family had the privilege of participating in multiple trips with Nick [founder] and his amazing staff. Their expertise made the trips unforgettable while instilling in my boys the fundamentals of good character: selflessness, compassion, and empathy.

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Harry Vildibill
University of Georgia

As an aspiring physician, MEDLIFE motivated me to further continue my goal of becoming a doctor. In fact, I enjoyed the Tanzania Service Learning Trip so much that I decided to go on another trip to Cusco, Peru.