1. This past summer I was given the opportunity to spend a month in Ghana, Africa.
We spent the majority of our days hosting health screenings for communities and
volunteering in hospitals for the last two weeks of the trip. The trip allowed me to
gain experience in ways I did not think possible. The doctors and nurses were very
welcoming and taught us all throughout the duration of our trip. The children’s
hospital we observed had a physical therapy ward and I spent as much time there as
possible. The way they conduct sessions with the children is very different from that
of the US. The patients do not make appointments, but they come in and wait until a
doctor or therapists can tend to their needs. I was able to see how stressful this can
be on the parents because sometimes they were not seen and would have to come
back the next day in order for their child to receive care. I have never had to
experience anything like that but it was eye opening because I was able to see the
love and compassion these parents have their children by sitting all day in a
cramped waiting room. Another great experience that was memorable was helping
a midwife deliver a baby at the general hospital. The process was so beautiful and it
brought me to tears because of the joy that automatically fills the room after a new
life is brought into this world. The women of Ghana are so strong and an inspiration
to me because of what they have to endure right after they give birth to a precious
baby.