1-844-633-5433

Ecuador Intern Journal: Pedro

MEDLIFE Ecuador Intern Pedro Gonzalez writes about his relationship with a special patient in Riobamba:

journalPedro header

I have experienced a lot of meaningful events during my stay here in Ecuador. I have helped follow-up with a lot of patients and worked on multiple community development projects. None of them has had a bigger impact on me than the day I met Leslie Salambay.

Leslie is a one-year-old girl who lives in the community of Calancha in Ecuador. She had the misfortune of being born with her right ear completely sealed and is currently at risk of losing her sense of hearing if it goes untreated. I met this adorable girl one day at the MEDLIFE Ecuador office in Riobamba. I heard her laughing from the other room and had to came out to meet her. She is a ball full of joy — as soon as she saw me, she wanted to play with me and I ended up taking many pictures with her.

journalPedro 1

I asked Martha, our director in Ecuador, if I could be present during her whole treatment processs and she gave me the OK. Since then, I have been with Leslie during all of her appointments. It has not been an easy ride. Some of the tests needed for Leslie’s treatment have been postponed because the staff in the hospital have not been careful enough to schedule a correct time for her; mistakes like this happen at public hospitals all the time. It’s frustrating when you want to help someone but it’s made difficult by poor administration of practices. As always, I am a positive person and try to get the best from each experience. I have used this time to bond more with Leslie and her family, and enjoy her laugh.

Leslie is always accompanied by her mother on these visits. One thing that I value about Leslie’s mother is how caring she is for her child. She is always there and really attentive towards her daughter. It reminds me a little bit of my mother. I don’t want the smile of this little girl to ever disappear. I know that I will keep working hard to make sure Leslie receives all of her treatments so she can live a normal and happy life.

Archives

Hear it From MEDLIFErs

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.

Testimonial Quote

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.