September is a month of beginnings: of school, of test preparation, or the football season—and of a humanitarian aid mission?
Accompanying non-profit organization Operation Rainbow, junior Rachel Blevins-Boor traveled to Ecuador Sept. 21-30 to help provide medical aid to those suffering from orthopedic conditions like extreme scoliosis or club foot. The program focuses on impoverished countries with limited access to surgical medical care, like rural Guatemala or El Salvador.
“After treatment, [the patients] were so thankful and happy,” Blevins-Boor said. “They called us ‘miracle workers’ and kissed us. Seeing people live in such poor conditions, especially medically, was really eye-opening. It made me feel so blessed and appreciative of what I have, what I can do. We have a lot to be thankful for here.”
Blevins-Boor had no previous interest in the medical field, but chose to take the opportunity offered by her aunt and uncle, medics for Operation Rainbow. She worked an average of 15 hours each day, mainly with the children and their parents by playing and drawing with them, teaching English to their families, and aiding in physical therapy.
Although she had no previous interest in the medical field, Blevins-Boor took the opportunity her aunt and uncle, medics for Operation Rainbow, offered her. She says the experience sparked her interest in the fields of physical therapy and education.
“When helping the kids and parents with English, I felt like I had an impact on their lives,” Blevins-Boor said. “They were so excited and eager to learn it, even when they had a hard time pronouncing words.”
The medics on the mission had only praise for Blevins-Boor.
“Rachel was very calm under stressful conditions and was very hard working,” Rachel’s uncle, anesthesiologist Dr. Philip Bickler, said. “She had a positive attitude all the time and was an inspiration to everyone on the trip.”
Blevins-Boor would recommend such a volunteer trip to her classmates.
“If you have any opportunity to go on such a trip, whether it’s religious, mission, travel—just go for it,” Blevins-Boor said. “It’s really life-changing and gives you so much knowledge and perspective. I missed a week of school, but when I think about how many kids I helped and how much I learned, it was completely worth it.
