First week in the Clinic!

We have come to the conclusion of our first week of treatment in Peru! The first 3 days were spent at Shalom, a clinic housed in an Anglican Church. Shalom regularly offers physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Thursday and Friday, we treated at an orphanage for children with special needs. The group of students who were here for just one week are beginning their journey home now and Kaitlin is making her way to Peru.
-Jessica

Pictures from our first few days in Peru!

Exploring Peru!

We have come to the end of our exploring of Peru and are preparing for our time treating the people of Lima, Peru! We are soaking up the very limited wifi that we have in the nunnery that we are blessed to stay at! Please forgive us for the lack of blog posts, wifi has been hard to come by. Over the past couple of days, we have done quite a bit of traveling!

We spent our first official day in Peru exploring Cusco. Not only did some of us indulge in Peruvian cuisine, but we also did some shopping in the local markets.

Our second day was spent exploring Southern Valley. We were on a 4-hour bus tour, stopping at 3 different sites throughout the tour, exploring Incan ruins. It was intriguing to learn of the history; it was also difficult to fathom the length of time that the walls and structures built by the Incans have been standing tall.

On our third day, we made our way to Machu Picchu!! We caught an early morning train (this being most of our first experiences on a train) from Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. After arriving, we had to wait in an extremely long line to catch a bus that took us to the starting point of our hike. The line was so long that we were afraid we would not make it in time for our hike...but we are so thankful we did!! We hiked Huayna Picchu, which was a challenging yet a beyond rewarding experience. It took approximately an hour and a half to climb 2,667.58 meters above sea level (m.s.n.m).  We took countless pictures that even though beautiful, could never do the views justice. After our descent, we had a quick lunch and then began a 2-hour tour of the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. We learned that the ruins were discovered accidentally and were abandoned when the Incan people caught word that the Spaniards were approaching their land. We also witnessed 2 proposals while there!

Saturday morning we had the opportunity to explore the markets in Cusco before being driven back to the airport to fly to Lima. We were thrilled to have witnessed a parade that filled the streets celebrating Santa Rosa. The costumes were colorful and elaborate; the music was loud and joyful. When we arrived in Lima, we were picked up at the airport by Erin, a PT who has lived in Lima for 4 years working for MMI. When we arrived at the nunnery that we will be staying at for the first week, we were taken to our bungalows. Shortly after, we were served a delicious dinner.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast and met the 4 students from Arcadia University that we will be working with for the 2 weeks. We then traveled to Shalom for a church service and to later set up the facility for our first 3 days of treatment. It was a long day filled with organizing donated equipment and toys, but it helped build our excitement for our first day of treatment.

Throughout this week, different students will be posting on the blog about their experiences in the clinic. We are blessed to be serving God and the people of Peru. Our mentors are thoughtful, helpful, and admirable. We are grateful to have the opportunity to grow spiritually, personally, and professionally.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Alyssa Cirillo

Our journey has begun!

Hello friends & family!!

We are currently waiting in the Chicacgo-O'Hare International Airport for our next flight to Houston-Bush Intercontinental Airport. We have a 5-hour layover in Chicago and will have a 3-hour layover in Houston before leaving the states for Peru!! We will arrive in Peru at 11:05 PM! Upon arrival, we will make our way to a hotel where we will sleep for approximately 3 hours (we are & will be running on very little sleep) before taking a flight from Lima to Cusco. Once we arrive in Cusco on Wednesday, we have the entire day to explore our beautiful surroundings! Thursday, we will spend time in Sacred Valley and Friday we will embark on a 3-hour hike of the breathtaking Machu Picchu. Saturday, we will fly back to Lima and prepare the clinic for our first week of treatment.

It is hard to believe that the time has finally come to make our way to Peru! We are thrilled to arrive and to then have a few days to sightsee and experience new things in Peru, prior to working in the clinic.

Thank you, as always, for your thoughts and prayers!

Alyssa Cirillo

Greetings from the 2016 Peru Team!

Hello all!

It is with great excitement that I introduce the 11 Slippery Rock DPT students who will be traveling to Peru this August! The students include:

Carolyn Britton
Nicole Cargill
Jessica Ceremuga
Alyssa Cirillo
Katy Decker
Emily Horst
Kyle LeBarron
Ellie Massey
Rachel Novakovich
Kaitlin Wiegmann
Kelsey Weimer

We will be working under Medical Ministry International, Canada (MMI Canada) beginning August 6th until August 20th in Lima, Peru. There will be five students in Lima for the entire 2 weeks, including Carolyn, Nicole, Alyssa, Katy, and Emily. During the first week, Jessica, Kyle, Ellie, Rachel, and Kelsey will be in Lima, and when they travel home, Kaitlin will join the team for the second week.

Our group is beyond excited to work with such an inspiring organization, MMI Canada, and to apply all that we have learned in the classroom to care and treat the people of Lima, Peru.

We cannot thank our family, friends, and loved ones enough for their continued support in our fundraising and preparations for our trip! Thank you to the physical therapy program at Slippery Rock University for their support in our journey as well.

As our departure date soon approaches, we are preparing our luggage and organizing the donated equipment we have received for our travels. We are both excited and nervous for this journey. It is a strange feeling to know that we will be in an unfamiliar area, with people speaking a different language and presenting with needs that we cannot necessarily prepare for; however, with this uncertainty and nervous feeling comes great excitement. We feel blessed to meet the people of Peru; to have meaningful conversations and build relationships throughout our journey. We also find comfort in knowing that this trip is part of God's plan and that He will be with each of us every step of the way.

We welcome you to follow us in our travels and experiences through this blog! Thank you all for your continued support. We greatly appreciate your prayers in preparation for and throughout our journey! Many, many thanks!!



Alyssa Cirillo

Planes, Trains, and a Whole Lot of Mountains

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. The past four days have been very exciting. Thursday and Friday started out much differently compared to the previous days of our trip. Just as we started getting used to our one hour bus naps and asking for directions on dirt roads, we started to prepare for our last clinic destination; a 10 minute drive from Casa de Retros Betana, the retreat we had been staying all week. Previously we had volunteered at orphanages, Shalom church, and Peru Children’s Charity. When we arrived at Escuela de Talentos on Thursday, we were greeted by Mesa De Reino, a non-profit organization. We were scheduled to evaluate 24 patients for the day. All of the workers at Escuela de Talentos were very helpful with organizing the patient schedule and translating for those who were unable to speak Spanish. Nick (AKA “the trouble-maker”) and Ben (AKA “the spy”) worked together, with their main focus on patients with wheelchairs. Altogether, we were able to see 17 patients before lunch. During our lunch break on Thursday, we played soccer with Peruvian students who attended the school in which we were working. We enjoyed a tasty lunch with the chef himself and managed to see seven more patients before heading back. On Thursday night we enjoyed our last night out and walked along the peninsula, Municipalidad Distrital de la Punta.

The girls and two brothers with muscular dystrophy

Patient at Escuela de Talentos

  Friday came quickly and we could not believe that it was our last day working as student physical therapists in Peru. While waiting to get started for the morning, we were entertained by a sassy girl with down-syndrome. She was kind of like a sour patch kid, first she was sour and would tell us where we were allowed to sit, and then she was sweet, showering us with hugs.

While treating patients with various diagnoses from muscular dystrophy to cerebral palsy, we could hear students playing guitar, singing, and dancing to celebrate the anniversary of Callao. At the same time, the celebration felt like it was for all of us: for all of our long bus rides, language barriers, sore throats, runny noses, and all that we had accomplished the past two weeks. Every moment has truly been an eye-opening and rewarding experience. To give parents hope, to see the children smile, and to know that our actions did and will continue to make a difference in the lives of others, made all of the hard work worthwhile. Thank you for all of you prayers and support, we could not have done all of this without you! The next four days will be spent relaxing, touring, and getting ready to head back home to good old Pennsylvania.

All of us at the center of Cusco

On Friday night we spent our time packing and preparing for our flight to Cusco in the morning. The view of the Andes Mountains from our plane ride, hostel, and travels to Cusco were breath-taking.

We were able to get our first taste of Alpaca meat, browse the markets, navigate the narrow cobblestone roads, and enjoy the architecture at the center of Cusco.

Cusco

So far, it has been a great experience to see another part of Peru outside of Lima. On Sunday morning, we finished some last minute souvenir shopping before hopping on a bus ride that would take us to our train to Machu Picchu. Our bus driver let us make a pit-stop to take pictures of the Andes Mountains and to take selfies with the llamas. It was impossible to nap on the bus when a new view popped up with every turn on the steep roads. The train ride to our hotel in Machu Picchu was just as beautiful, with sky lights and windows all around for viewing the mountains, river, and farmland. Once we settled into our hotel, we explored the markets and ate our last Peruvian dinner. Ben decided to order a Peruvian delicacy: Guinea Pig. The guinea pig was smiling on his plate, confirming that my choice to get a dish that didn’t look me in the eyes was perfect. Later, we put on our swim suits, walked over bridges between the giant mountains, and hopped into the hot springs at Agua Calientes with the night sky above us. Tomorrow will be an early start so that we can see as much of Machu Picchu as possible before heading back to our hostel in Cusco. It’s crazy to think that tomorrow is our last full day in Peru. These past 16 days have truly flown by.

Erin 

Gratefulness

Hola amigos!

Again, I apologize for the delay in communication. The stories below are from our time in Pachacutec on Wednesday.

We traveled to a private PT clinic where the current therapists were there to keep the day running smoothly as well as learn as much as they could. The SRU PT students were again paired with a PT for the day. We were able to see a total of 24 patients so that made for a busy day. 

Children came with mothers or fathers or siblings and some waited in line all day to be seen. Each day, children come with a variety of conditions. Cerebral palsy and spina bifida seemed to be the the top diagnoses today. Cerebral palsy is a result of incorrect development or damage to the brain before or after birth. Spina bifida is a result of a folic acid deficiency of the mother during pregnancy that results in defects to the embryo. Both pathologies can present in a variety of ways making each child unique, but also making each experience an exceptional memory.

Erin, Estephanie and I

The first girl we saw was 11 years old. She had spina bifida, leaving her with an incomplete ability to use her legs to walk (ie: incomplete spinal cord lesion at L2/3). She used a wheel chair as her primary mode of transportation, but it did not fit her well and it was simply a transport chair, meaning someone else had to push her.
Although this girl could stand and walk with assistance for exercise, she really needed the assistance of a wheel chair to be independent at home and interacting with friends. I wish i could have captured the smile on her face when we sat her in this new chair. It was priceless. Not only did it fit her and make her exceptionally more comfortable, but she could push herself. It was incredible and such a blessing to be a part of.

It was also in that moment that I realized more of what it means to be grateful. A wheel chair for this girl seems so simple, but it actually changed her life. There are times throughout my day that God is teaching me. He is teaching me to be patient or be kind or be grateful and it is times like these that I need to stop and realize who He is and what He has given us. We serve a God that is worthy of all of our praise.

This week certainly has been wonderful. God is here and He is good.

Kristin Eberhart