Our first trip to the Dominican Republic was in 2007. I was an undergraduate at Boston University, with absolutely no medical skills, and I served as “crowd control” for the majority of the trip (crowd control = playing with dozens of kids in the hot sun while they waited in line for medical treatment). I played so many games of duck-duck-goose, the kids called me “Patito” for years.
For the next few summers, I served in the pharmacy. Looking back, I am able to see how God was preparing and shaping my heart for a life in healthcare. He was giving me a passion for the oppressed, the sick, and the broken. This passion eventually led me to my current career as a family nurse practitioner. I have never felt more sure that I am fulfilling His will for my life, and I feel so incredibly blessed and thankful to everyone who has made these trips possible for me over the past eight years.
Every year, our tiny pop-up clinic provides free medical care to anywhere from 600 to 800 people over the course of 3 days. We are able to provide medications for both chronic and acute disease. In addition, every patient receives 3 months’ worth of vitamins: children’s, adult, or prenatal. Since La Mosca is an active dump, our most common complaints involve skin/wound infections, parasites, and infestations. The ability to return year after year and see the same patients is an incredible gift - real relationships are built, and real improvements in health and wellness are seen with each trip.
The medications we provide are purchased with donor money. The equipment we bring with us is donated from hospitals, clinics, family and friends. Our travel expenses are paid for by the generosity of people like you. All of our work would be impossible without YOU.