Medical Mission Trip to Peru

Hello everyone! 

   Thank you for visiting my donation page and please know that you have my sincerest gratitude and thanks for even the smallest donation made! I am excited to make a trip to Huancayo Peru in December to volunteer with the Foundation for International Medical Relief for Children (FIMRC), a  non-profit organization on a mission to bring improved healthcare to communities in the developing world.

Here are a few facts about my trip: 

When: In December if I raise enough funds by that time; hoping to go for two weeks but if I don't raise enough money I will be happy to go for one week

Cost of the trip: About 4000$, so every dollar counts!  

Cost includes plane ticket, transportation, meals (which will be provided by a host family), and a donation to the FIMRC for supplies, medication, etc. It's a great cause for people in desperate need. 

The website is perfectly safe to transfer money, I promise! 

Where: Huancayo, Peru and La Merced, Peru

Information about the locations from the FIMRC website: 
Huancayo is located in Peru’s central highland nearly eight hours from Lima. Huancayo is a culturally vibrant city, known for the many festivals in the surrounding towns and lively markets. It is rich in Andean culture and has a more heavily native population than the more pan-Latino coast. Unfortunately, the urban population suffers from issues seen in developing countries; an over-saturation of people in urban areas and shortcomings in infrastructure and basic needs in their rural counterparts.

La Merced, located in the province of Chanchamayo, is a small town in the jungle surrounded by mountains. The community is known as the gateway to the indigenous populations of the Ashaninka, Yanesha, and Amuesha, communities rich in native languages and culture. Many of the most common health issues are related to the rural, Amazonian location of La Merced.

Why:  As an aspring physician assistant, I want to expand my medical knowledge not only domestically, but worldwide. In order to provide the best care within my community, I want to try to make a difference in communities that are not as priveledged as we are in the United States. I want to learn and provide compassionate care to the children and adults in the regions of Huancayo and La Merced, Peru. Peru’s medical facilities are severely understaffed and underfunded, and many medical establishments struggle to provide even basic medical care to the people they serve. Hospitals are filled with patients who suffer from communicable diseases which could be easily prevented with proper sanitation practices. The populations of Huancayo and La Merced are in desperate need of help, and although I know I cannot change the world, I want to do my best to contribute in the fight to improve the quality of life for the local population. This trip provides me with an array of experiences that I know will prove invaluable during my education as a physician assistant and my future practice. It will not only allow me to travel abroad and learn about a different country, immersing myself into the culture and the community, but it will allow me to make a difference with an organization that is sustainable and locally controlled while gaining experience in the medical field that I will hopefully be able to give back to my patients in the future. I know that this experience will be a once in a lifetime experience, and one I will surely remember and cherish forever.



What:  Here is a list of possible activities from the organization's website that I will be participating in during my stay there. I will be placed with local families for housing, allowing me to eat, breathe, and live the culture of the Peruvians, gaining insight into their daily struggles and triumphs.

HOSPITAL ACTIVITIES

Huancayo

Go on rounds with hospital staff and medical students
Observe surgeries
Work in hospital laboratory (Fellows only)
Participate in waiting room education


La Merced

Work in the tropical medicine department
Observe surgeries
Participate in rural medical campaigns
Participate in waiting room education



HEALTH EDUCATION

Huancayo

School based health education with staff and students
Health education in local orphanage
Dental education and treatment
Health education in rural clinic waiting rooms


La Merced

Work with mothers in native communities
Broadcast health program on local radio
School based health talks
Patient waiting room education



SPECIAL INITIATIVES

Huancayo

Organ donation compatibility testing
First aid education and kit distribution
Postpartum education in the hospital
School based parasitic testing and treatment


La Merced

Complete needs assessment for native communities
Rural outreach campaigns with local hospital
Tropical medicine education
Develop scripts for radio program



I sincerely and whole heartedly thank you for visitng my page and becoming interested in my cause. Please feel free to make a donation on this webpage, or if you are interested in making the trip with me, please let me know, as I would LOVE  to share this experience with other people.