Today was a rollercoaster of emotions for the group of us visiting Clas TTIO. We arrived in the morning at the clinic as per usual and awaited our assignments. We then found out that all of us would be visiting an orphanage.
There are three orphanages in town, two of which are co-ed and the one we were going to is all-girls called Centro de Atención Residencial San Judas Chico
The dentist from the CLAS TTIO clinic walked us from the clinic to the orphanage. When we arrived we were broken up into small groups. 4 students accompanied the dentist to help teach teeth-brushing, flossing, and check-ups. 3 students assessed the girls at a station that measures the girls’ heights, weights, and waist circumferences. 6 students performed eye-testing using the Snellen eye chart at two different stations.
Meanwhile, a healthcare worker from the clinic was checking the girls’ blood glucose levels; a practice that is done every 2 months.
The six students at the eye-testing stations were generally shocked at the amount of girls with extremely poor vision, without glasses. Fortunately, some of us brought old glasses and asked if we would be able to donate them to the orphanage. Angela and Miguel (the translator) discussed donations with the director of the orphanage and we will arrange to bring them on Friday.
After the girls cycled through all of the stations, we had the opportunity to hang out with them for a little bit before ending our visit. We danced, we laughed, we hugged, we played outside, some girls were braiding our hair, and overall everyone enjoyed themselves.
The girls told us that the doors to the orphanage are always open for us. One girl thanked us for giving her attention. It was a heartwarming and heartbreaking experience all in one.
We won’t be sharing photos of the orphanage to respect the girls’ privacy as it is their home.
However, a few notable characteristics were quotes on the walls that translate to, “Opportunities don’t come back,” “Don’t leave for tomorrow the things you can do today,” and “Time is like gold, don’t waste time,” a garden in the courtyard where they learn about agriculture, and a couple of recreational rooms.
The girls are not allowed to leave the orphanage unless they are given special permission, however, they do leave the orphanage to attend school with all of the other children in the community.
A lot of the girls also get jobs around age 14-15. We learned that they have a celebration for the girls’ 18th birthdays, then at that time they leave the orphanage.
Most of the girls have places to go as they have connections and friends from public school. Unfortunately, some girls are not as lucky and are unprepared. Hearing about this directly from the source of where it occurs was a harsh smack in the face of reality, and we all had to reflect on how grateful we are for our lives at home.
At the end of the day, there wasn’t a dry eye on the bus ride back to the hostel. Typically we have a post-conference on the bus ride back, but this time it was rather silent as we all reflected internally.
On the other hand, the group at San Jeronimo visited their clinic and spent the day there.
Kelsey Brown accompanied a general medicine physician for the day. She got to witness the physician assessing for kidney pain via CVA tenderness, and assessing unknown abdominal pain through auscultation and palpating then sending the patient for further testing.
Another patient came into the clinic with a sore shoulder. Kelsey did not understand what had happened to her shoulder due to the language barrier. Moreover, the patient had a rather large tumour on her back that both Kelsey and Brianna LaRusic got to see.
Shown in the picture above is blood that was activated with a purple solution. The developing agent was then looked at by the lab technicians and doctors.
Hannah Gartland was also with a general medicine physician today. The most interesting case that occurred today involved a jaundiced child.
The child had a kidney infection that the mother was unaware of. She just knew that her child was complaining of pain. She kept giving her child acetaminophen (Tylenol) in an attempt to ease the pain but it was unsuccessful.
She accidentally administered more than the daily recommended dose everyday for a week straight, resulting in liver damage. The physician assessed for CVA tenderness which led him to the diagnosis of a kidney infection.
He also showed Hannah the child’s hands where she noticed the yellowish-colour in between his fingers. He also pointed out the yellow patches along the child’s jawline which further indicated liver damage.
In the poorer areas of Peru, the physicians, nurses and other health care workers must rely heavily on their physical assessment skills. They do not necessarily have the advanced technology that we have, therefore, they must make do with what is available. Assessment techniques are key to a healthy population.
After our time in the orphanage and the clinic, we all met back up for more Spanish lessons.
In Spanish lessons we were broken into 3 groups of 6-8 students. We learned the alphabet, numbers, pleasantries, and some medical jargon that we thought might be useful in the clinics. Throughout the Spanish school you could hear everyone’s laughter as we tried our best to speak Spanish and the instructors kept correcting us.
Time to get some rest for another day of clinical tomorrow. Buenos noches!
Permission was given for all photos
Written by Morgan Edwards
Edited by Austin Chapman
Austin Chapman Blogs 
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