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Health & Fitness

A high school senior's experience on Africa medical mission

Though she fled Ebola with most of the team, she would return to Africa to participate in another medical mission "in a heartbeat."

By Alejandra Albarran, a Nordhoff High School senior

After I had pranked friends and family all day on April 1, I didn’t think Ventura Pediatrician Kevin White was serious about the Ebola threat to our Lighthouse Medical Mission in The Gambia. I thought it was an April Fool’s joke.

But when Pastor Mike Ashcraft called my parents (since he speaks fluent Spanish) to reassure them we would evacuate, the terror sunk in.

The Ebola virus broke out 200 miles to the southeast just days before 45 of us – doctors, nurses and us four Nordhoff High School students – flew to capital Banjul to give out free medical attention and medicine. I went to help people and to get hands-on experience in medicine.

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After a relaxing day of pool and beach, we started the clinic on March 31. I took blood pressure all day at the triage station, which sent patients to doctors. From there, the patients went to the nursing station and/or the pharmacy station, before they emerged from the building.

It was a tiring day, but we kept smiling because of the good we were serving humanity. I fell in love with the country and the people. As I talked to the people, I became inspired – to see people so happy despite having so little.

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At Tuesday’s clinic – on April 1 – we saw even more patients, as the team members improved efficiency. On Tuesday, I copied down statistics and prescriptions – called “scribing” -- for Diane Yoder, a registered nurse from Pennsylvania. This gave me first-hand exposure to medical treatment. She paused in her hurried work to explain cases to me.

I even got to translate into Spanish with one patient (Spanish is not a prominent language in Africa, but Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish colony. Also, Spanish is close to Portuguese, and there are Portuguese-speaking countries nearby.) It was a thrill for me to use my first language to help at the clinic.

Then at night, after singing happy birthday and giving a cake to a team member, Dr. White and Dr. Lawrence Czer, a cardiologist from Cedars Sinai Medical Center, broke the news to us with grim faces. Ebola, the deadliest virus known to man, wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.

From where it started in Guinea’s countryside, the hemorrhagic virus had invaded the capital, Conakry. There were cases in Liberia. More than 80 people were suddenly dead. 

And the scariest part, two suspected cases were being tested in The Gambia. The patients were at the hospital one block away from where we were being housed at the Shalom Retreat Center. I was frightened I would catch it because the day before I was hugging everyone and shaking hands and I wasn’t wearing gloves throughout the whole clinic.

Dr. White was the one who first got us Nordhoff students interested in going to Africa when he came to our anatomy class last year in Ojai and spoke about his career and the medical missions in Africa. Now he wanted to evacuate. He arranged for tickets to fly out the next day, and we stayed on the compound to not expose ourselves.

As we flew out April 2 at night, I was worried about one-third of the team, that chose to stay behind and keep the original travel itinerary. I worried they would be stuck in The Gambia if borders and airports closed as governments moved to contain Ebola.

Later I found out the cases in The Gambia came back negative from testing. After the burst of Ebola spreading on April 1, it pretty much slowed down everywhere.

I met so many amazing people with such unique stories. The last night, I went to church to say my good byes to all my church friends and all the kids. It was a very painful good bye because I knew the Gambians couldn't escape the dangers of Ebola.

The people from the Lighthouse Church in Santa Monica were very sweet and all so friendly. Their service was beautiful. Church had good energies and was full of people praising the Lord. As I was in Gambia I felt like my faith grew, and I felt the love for others grow as well.

Even though our trip was cut short, I would return to Africa in a heart beat! It was such a rewarding feeling to have made a change in many lives. Even though I was just taking blood pressures and scribing I feel fortunate to have lived this experience with the Lighthouse Medical Mission's team.

Last year, I reported on Hannah Wicklund, now a Nordhoff senior, in the campus newspaper. This year, Nordhoff friends senior Yesenia Diaz, junior Makenna Mays and I accompanied her.

I learned to grateful for everything I have. I feel more love for others. And my faith in God grew.

If you would like to participate in a medical mission or donate for medicines or infrastructure projects (water or schools), please visit www.lighthousemedicalmissions.com . Also they are planning an 8-mile walkathon in Santa Monica on May 17 to raise the $50,000 spent on medicines alone each trip. Visit www.walktoafrica.com .

This is entry #12 in my chronicles of an African medical mission. To read #13, click here.

Or if you would like to read from entry #1, go here.


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