Brandon's Service Learning Trip to Cusco, Peru

Hi everyone! I’m beyond excited to announce that I will be going back to Perú on a MEDLIFE service learning trip! I would like to begin by thanking everyone who had donated to my campaign last year, making this opportunity possible. But, if you are new to my page, here is a little about me and my cause:

My name is Brandon Hale and I am a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Neuroscience on a pre-medical track. I am also minoring in both Chemistry and Hispanic Language & Culture, and obtaining a Conceptual Foundations of Medicine certificate. Here at Pitt, I am involved in various student service groups, one being MEDLIFE (Medicine, Education, and Development for Low-Income Families Everywhere). MEDLIFE is a "non-profit organization that partners with low-income communities in Latin America and Africa to improve their access to medicine, education, and community development projects." Specifically, the University of Pittsburgh's MEDLIFE chapter focuses on making an impact on communities in and outside of the city (i.e. Lima & Cusco, Peru). MEDLIFE hosts service learning trips (SLTs) for one week to locations in Peru, Nicaragua, Ecuador, or Tanzania, where volunteers are faced with the realities of poverty while improving communities and providing medical assistance in severely impoverished areas.

My fundraiser is designated to assist in sending me to this year's MEDLIFE SLT in Cusco, Peru. During this week-long trip, I will be stationed at medical clinics in surrounding communities facing extreme constraints of poverty. Work at these clinics may entail dental care, pharmacy assistance, health screening, and building specific infrastructure. This trip will allow me to obtain first-hand experience in patient-to-patient care, shadow medical professionals, and be immersed in the harsh realities some settlements face daily.

Last year, I went on an SLT to Lima, Peru. Upon arrival to Lima, we were given a historical tour of the area we stayed in - Miraflores. During the tour, we developed our cultural understanding of the area and some of its traditional art and celebrations. The following day we were exposed to the outer areas of Lima (Reality Tour), where the impoverished live (this is where we would work). The living conditions of those were extremely eye-opening. Using the bathroom, having a roof, and simply walking were all difficulties for them. The lack of water, food access, and infrastructure were all things that played a role in their health. I then had 3 clinic days where I took vitals, worked as a dental assistant, and pharmacist assistant, taught kids how to brush their teeth, and shadowed doctors. This especially helped me improve my Spanish-speaking skills. I saw a range of cases in patients: skavies, extreme early menstruation, cleft lip, fungal & bacterial infections, varicose veins, cerebral palsy, seizures, osteoporosis, hernias, arrhythmia, and more. This along with learning how to take vitals and specific dental procedures, heightened my medical knowledge and skills. My work at the clinics saved the lives of so many people, some wouldn’t have made it another month without our help. MEDLIFE provides all of this care along with medication at no cost to the communities. And following our clinic experiences was a project day. We built and painted staircases for communities to improve their mobility, and concluded with a ceremony; we were all in tears of their appreciation.

Thank you for taking the time to read my fundraiser and please consider donating. The funds will go directly into the travel and program expenses for this trip; anything helps! :)