Carl Fredrickson: No.
Russell: I could help you cross the street.
Carl Fredrickson: No.
Russell: I could help you cross the yard.
Carl Fredrickson: No.
Russell: I could help you cross your porch.
Carl Fredrickson: No.
[closes door on Russell's foot]
Russell: Ow.
It's been a little over two weeks since I started my Loewenstern Fellowship at Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying and the Destitute in Lima. The hospice is located in La Victoria, an inner-city district unlike any I have ever seen before. The contrast in socioeconomic standards is obvious as we ride from our home base to work every day. As we turn the corner towards Mother Teresa's, we are bombarded by vendors selling medicinal herbs, fruits, vegetables and an assortment of other food items. Rickshaws nearly crash into our van as they try to make their way through the narrow, filthy streets lined with even more people selling additional goods.
Much to our relief, the interior of the hospice provides quite a contrast to the environment outside. All the nuns, therapists and cleaning staff are incredibly kind and optimistic and have such positive dispositions despite the overwhelming, depressing and disappointing atmosphere that can often characterize end-of-life care. Each day, I work one-on-one with the same set of six patients on physical and occupational therapy exercises. While some of them are not very coherent, others are very eager to converse with me. I also help feed the same patient, Tony, a jolly patient who is perhaps the slowest eater in the entire center. Let's just say that I've gained a ton of patience during my time here!
I originally had reservations about working in a hospice, as I was not certain how I would deal with the emotional challenge associated with end-of-life care. Granted, when I take too much time to think about the situation, it is really difficult for me to grasp the fact that while I get to leave the hospice at the end of each work day, my patients are forced to remain in the same place. While I know that after my four week fellowship term, I will return home and go back to pursuing my longterm academic, professional and personal goals, the biggest goals that my patients can set for themselves is in being able to lift a slightly heavier weight or to work up to walking three instead of two laps during exercise sessions.
At the same time, it's not so bad living in the present instead of for the future. My patients are perhaps some of the happiest, hard-working people I have ever worked with. They relate to each other so well to the extent that the hospice now seems like a great family where some individuals have essentially adopted younger patients as their own children. The place is filled with an atmosphere of brotherhood, sharing and mutual support, an environment where volunteers like me can't help but feel the optimism and appreciation for life in general rub off on ourselves. I truly hope I've been able to make some type of positive contribution to my patients and to Mother Teresa's in return.
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No photos of my volunteer placement or the rest of Peru until I return home since I don't have my camera cable here. Sorry!
