INSPIRATIONAL – today’s word of the day.
The day was dotted with inspiring episodes, starting with the customary moment of reflection. Each morning we catch up with Pastor Jason, to gather our thoughts before diving into the frantic activity of the day to come.
The words we are called to reflect upon are inspiring: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Certain type A personality types can find this message difficult to interpret, particularly in their youth, especially when coupled with the subsequent part about the meek inheriting the earth.. However, the circumstances here at the clinic are helpful, as the message is all about humility, making oneself small in the presence of greatness, true greatness.
I started the day meeting Rody, he is 17 and was born with significant hearing deficiencies in both ears, yet when you see the photo of him and his mother smiling at each other one can only feel grateful to have witnessed such a moment. I don’t know many 17 year olds that would share such a smile with their mother. I expect to get a “feel good” fix at the Audiology clinic, but that is usually because of the obvious and spontaneous relief on patients’ faces when once of their senses is given back to them. Here Rody and his mom are just joking around, enjoying each other’s company, long before we even try a hearing aid on him.
They have a short hand and an undeniable special bond, because of his lack of hearing he is unable to articulate clearly, his mother is one of the few people who fully understands him, along with his little sister, who apparently has picked up his speech. Rody is an exuberant kid, with a big personality, though the people around him struggle to understand him he talks enthusiastically, he is the most active participant in the training session on use and care of the hearing aids. His mom noticed his problem 12 years ago and had given up hope, she worried about him taking on certain jobs because he would not be aware of approaching danger if he could not hear it. I can only imagine what he will be able to do with his now enhanced hearing, and how much bigger his personality can grow as he interacts with more and more of the world around him. However, before finding any of this out, before the hearing aid, the pair were already inspiring and humbling by the way they simply cherished each other’s presence.
There were more kids I was able to meet that day, I was either inspired by their good cheer and smile, despite the boring/worrying circumstances, or by their parents. I met a young mother, her eldest has a club foot and is visibly upset and not feeling well. The smile in her eyes as they struggled to keep him and his little sister in her lap, while still responding to medical questions was beautiful. What was also adorable was how the baby sister kept hugging her brother to soothe him. We are able to refer him for a consultation to determine if he can get surgery for his foot, safe in the assurance that his little sister will be there to comfort him through recovery.
Then came along Karla, a vision in pink. She is 11 and needs help to walk over to the triage table where I meet her, putting most of her weight on the care giver supporting her. As a lay person (non medical), looking at the shape of her feet I would have never guessed she could even take those few steps. However, once seated she immediately requests a toy/card, which she was obviously promised for dealing with the whole ordeal today. I wonder how many big personalities one can meet in a single day. I later find out she has cerebral palsy, she is not accompanied by her mother, the woman with her is married to her uncle and has started taking care of her two years ago. You wouldn’t guess her varied care givers when you meet her, she has easy smiles for anyone willing to try. It is the end of the day and her need for a wheel chair in unexpected, it takes extra coordination and investigation by multiple people but they find a way and make it work. As she grows even bigger (and harder to carry) the wheelchair will allow her a freedom of movement which would have otherwise been unattainable.
Finally, on the other end of the age spectrum, Vincente, 77. I met him in triage, he shook my hand and was clearly not going to be the first one to let go. I therefore follow him to Audiology (again, the “feel good” moments are quite a draw). His daughter Angela explains that he has had hearing loss at least since her pregnancy, and her son Samuel is now 9. We explain (the experts explain and I witness) the hearing test to the daughter, as we expect her to more easily be able to communicate it to her father, potentially through hand gestures given the loss of hearing, to our surprise she switches to a different language when explaining it to him. We find out they are speaking a Mayan language, more specifically, she is speaking Maya Mopan and he is providing a few muffled responses, with a stony dignified look on his face. As we are able to confirm he is a good candidate for a hearing aid I have the time to ask them some questions while this is set up. As Angela explains some aspects of Mayan culture to me I discover Vincente is not as reserved as he first seems, an occasional content expression crosses his face while his daughter speaks of their heritage. I have called over a proper Spanish speaker to help me understand, as I want to make sure I have not misinterpreted what she is saying. I am still not certain I fully understood but I will relay the story as best I can. There is an aldea in Guatemala named after her grandfather and there is a reason. Per the story described, one day he went out hunting before praying and asking for permission to the spirits (again apologies this is my attempt at translation), he paused to rest his eyes and animals stopped by to scold him, yes, they spoke to him. He then awoke and told his aldea about it and never again missed a prayer prior to hunting. They are happy to recount the story, though some aspects of their culture are lost to the new generations, they are proud that the son/grandson does speak the language, for a 9 year old who can only use it to speak to his grandfather, I find it inspiring.
Vincente is then fitted for his hearing aid, and his demeanor does not change much (he made me sweat to get the photo of him smiling), however there is an immediate and noticeable uptick to the amount of conversation he has with his daughter, and she is much more visibly relieved.
I am humbled and inspired to appreciate what I have, as our patients do, and to do more and better each day, as our volunteers do.
Cavila bahil (Maya Mopan for “may good things come to you”)
Celestina
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