El Salvador Mission

April 11, 2001 -- Update by Jorge DeLuna, RN, Progressive Cardiac Unit, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Eugene, OR

(Jorge was born in Mexico and speaks fluent Spanish. He will give a slide show presentation of his mission on Monday, April 30, at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the Sacred Heart auditorium. For those interested in a future mission or in making a donation to the mission effort, please contact Kathy Garcia, El Salvador Program Coordinator, at (541) 686-7324. Payroll deduction is available for those interested in making a one-time or ongoing donation to the mission.)

PeaceHealth volunteers Angelee Allen (Ketchikan), Jorge and Laura Hamilton-Gordon (Eugene) are welcomed by the citizens of Santa Elena.

Jorge spends a day at the surgery center in San Salvador.

Even before I entered nursing school at Indiana University, I always had the dream of serving on a medical mission. Finally the opportunity arose when the e-mail for El Salvador earthquake relief volunteers was sent to all PeaceHealth employees. I was very excited to have the opportunity to fulfill this dream.

I was interviewed by Kathy Garcia, Program Coordinator for the El Salvador Mission, and almost immediately she asked when could I depart. "In two weeks," I responded. "I need to let my manager know about this and give her some time to work on the schedule." I talked to Jorja Farnsworth, RN, Progressive Cardiac Unit Manager, but there was a little problem: I had two weeks to find cover for 75 percent of my eight days of work. In other words, I had to have six nurses work for me in two weeks. This was not impossible. Right away I started asking and those shifts were covered. It seemed like everyone wanted me to go: doctors, nurses, housekeepers, dietitians, and people in Volunteer Services gave me donations to take with me to El Salvador. I was overwhelmed by the response and the kindness. After many hours of getting stuff together and packing, I was on my way to El Salvador on March 3.

Jorge and Angelee with the Commandos de Salvamento team (two doctors, two pharmacy techs and the driver).

More than 250 patients lining up to see the medical team.

I flew all night and got to El Salvador on March 4. At 6 a.m. Sister Eleanor Gilmore, Director of the El Salvador Mission, met me at the airport. After almost an hour of waiting, my luggage did not show up. Sister Eleanor took me to the guesthouse where I was going to stay for the duration of my mission. Later on she took me to buy some clothes at a local mall. My luggage was not going to be at the airport for two or three days. But all was well. "With or without clothes," I said to myself, "I came to work.".

I stayed at International Guest House in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. First thing in the morning I was picked up in an ambulance by a rescue medical group call Comandos de Salvamento. We drove to their headquarters to fill up this little ambulance with medicines to take to the villages that were hardest hit by the earthquakes. Every day our team of two local doctors, two nurses, a driver and two pharmacy techs traveled at least three hours one-way in this crowded ambulance. The roads were bumpy and dusty, and needless to say it was very hot. Each day we saw an average of 250 to 515 people, from pediatrics to geriatrics, with various health problems including stress- and anxiety-related problems, ulcers, upset stomachs, allergies from dust, sore throats, headaches, coughs, scabies, fevers and, most of all, parasites.

The children are grateful recipients of donated clothing which Jorge brought with him.

We had the weekend off, so all the team got together and went to the beach. The other team members were so friendly. I had a great time with them and their families. I felt a part of them on many occasions.

GRATITUDE

Living in this country, we have so much to be thankful for. I highly recommend a mission like this to anyone who struggles with unhappiness or who is not happy with what they have. Especially those teenagers and young adults who have everything and take it for granted. I would like to thank PeaceHealth and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace for giving me the opportunity to participate in this mission. Thank you, Sister Eleanor (Grandma), for putting up with me while in El Salvador. Thank you, Kathy Garcia, for all your hard work and dedication. Thank you, Jorja Farnsworth, for letting me take time off even though we were having staffing problems. Thanks so much to nurses Terrie Smart, Pam Wallis, Esther Yamaoka, Lavonne Stewart, Anna Yates and Kim Jennings for covering my shifts. Thanks to all those who participated with donations and prayers so that I would be there and come back in safety. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, especially my mom, for supporting me in this decision. And of course, thank you, Heavenly Father, for this wonderful blessing. I have re-learned that "when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God".