16 months at The Jungle Hospital
Donation protected
Hello there! My name is Alex Miller and I'm moving to the jungle.
I've just finished 4 years at Boston University studying Neuroscience and Human Physiology - it's been a doozy. After many sleepless nights mulling over my next step, I've realized I can't possibly pass up the opportunity I've been given to work with Healing Hands Global, Inc. at the incredible Jungle Hospital near La Ceiba, Honduras.
For 16 months I will be a round-the-clock volunteer with Healing Hands Global at the aptly named Jungle Hospital, located a bouncy 20km ride up a mountain in the middle of the jungle.
Throughout my time, I'll be wearing many hats. Here are some major components of the work I'll be participating in: (also feel free to check out my fun new website with much of the same information and a dandy blog).
Hospital Work
I will be working alongside the full-time doctor and nurse in the hospital as well as any U.S. medical residents serving on monthly rotations with us. It is normal for 40 patients to show up on a clinical day for anything from standard check-ups and prenatal care to wound cleaning and emergency procedures. I will assist in managing files, triaging patients, filling prescriptions, and essentially running wherever I am needed (and putting my EMT training to use!). A labor and delivery ward has recently been opened in the hospital so I'll be seeing many many babies born as well!
School Visits
A major component of the Jungle Hospital's mission is preventive care through education. Throughout the year, several visits are made to schools in villages all over the mountain to provide dietary and hygiene education (as well as basic supplies like toothbrushes and toothpaste). We sing along with the elementary kids and try to be as cool as the high schoolers (the hardest part of the job, to be honest).
Volunteer Teams
From February to August, teams of physicians, PAs, nurses, skilled builders, and more join us at the hospital for an intense 7-14 days of in-hospital clinical visits, brigades out in the villages (bringing the hospital to them), as well as school visits for health education and community development projects. I'll be helping facilitate each of these groups' experience and maximizing their impact as they help further the Jungle Hospital's mission.
Qualitative Public Health Research
One of the most exciting prospects of my experience in Honduras is the chance to apply what I've learned in college by conducting qualitative public health research at the Jungle Hospital. I've spent the past year working with one of my professors at BU, learning about the methods and tools necessary for studying the impact of the hospital's unique healthcare model when applied in a third-world setting, as well as the inclusion of faith in their model. I will also be working with two physicians/professors from Louisiana to follow the development of the hospital's labor and delivery ward and ascertain the best way to care for the women and their children who are served by the hospital.
Why Fundraising?
As the hospital is volunteer-run, this is not paid work, so here I am asking for you to partner with me to help accomplish this insane task. Based on advice from my staff, I'm setting a goal of $8000 to cover housing, food, water, and travel over the 16 months.
I hope that some of what I've written has spoken to you, because it would be an honor to have you partner with me to accomplish this work that I can't do alone. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and whatever financial/verbal support you are able to offer, it truly means the world to me!
If you have questions, concerns, or anything you wish to share with me please contact me and I will be more than happy to talk with you.
Thank you again and please share with whomever you think would be interested in learning about this journey!
Fun Financial Facts:
$8000/16months = $500/month = $125/wk = $17.86/day. That's like a week's worth of Starbucks.
(Or 17 cheeseburgers from McDonald's, but hopefully that's not a relateable metric for anyone...!)
I've just finished 4 years at Boston University studying Neuroscience and Human Physiology - it's been a doozy. After many sleepless nights mulling over my next step, I've realized I can't possibly pass up the opportunity I've been given to work with Healing Hands Global, Inc. at the incredible Jungle Hospital near La Ceiba, Honduras. For 16 months I will be a round-the-clock volunteer with Healing Hands Global at the aptly named Jungle Hospital, located a bouncy 20km ride up a mountain in the middle of the jungle. Throughout my time, I'll be wearing many hats. Here are some major components of the work I'll be participating in: (also feel free to check out my fun new website with much of the same information and a dandy blog).
Hospital Work
I will be working alongside the full-time doctor and nurse in the hospital as well as any U.S. medical residents serving on monthly rotations with us. It is normal for 40 patients to show up on a clinical day for anything from standard check-ups and prenatal care to wound cleaning and emergency procedures. I will assist in managing files, triaging patients, filling prescriptions, and essentially running wherever I am needed (and putting my EMT training to use!). A labor and delivery ward has recently been opened in the hospital so I'll be seeing many many babies born as well!School Visits
A major component of the Jungle Hospital's mission is preventive care through education. Throughout the year, several visits are made to schools in villages all over the mountain to provide dietary and hygiene education (as well as basic supplies like toothbrushes and toothpaste). We sing along with the elementary kids and try to be as cool as the high schoolers (the hardest part of the job, to be honest).
Volunteer Teams
From February to August, teams of physicians, PAs, nurses, skilled builders, and more join us at the hospital for an intense 7-14 days of in-hospital clinical visits, brigades out in the villages (bringing the hospital to them), as well as school visits for health education and community development projects. I'll be helping facilitate each of these groups' experience and maximizing their impact as they help further the Jungle Hospital's mission. Qualitative Public Health Research
One of the most exciting prospects of my experience in Honduras is the chance to apply what I've learned in college by conducting qualitative public health research at the Jungle Hospital. I've spent the past year working with one of my professors at BU, learning about the methods and tools necessary for studying the impact of the hospital's unique healthcare model when applied in a third-world setting, as well as the inclusion of faith in their model. I will also be working with two physicians/professors from Louisiana to follow the development of the hospital's labor and delivery ward and ascertain the best way to care for the women and their children who are served by the hospital.
Why Fundraising?
As the hospital is volunteer-run, this is not paid work, so here I am asking for you to partner with me to help accomplish this insane task. Based on advice from my staff, I'm setting a goal of $8000 to cover housing, food, water, and travel over the 16 months.
I hope that some of what I've written has spoken to you, because it would be an honor to have you partner with me to accomplish this work that I can't do alone. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and whatever financial/verbal support you are able to offer, it truly means the world to me!
If you have questions, concerns, or anything you wish to share with me please contact me and I will be more than happy to talk with you.
Thank you again and please share with whomever you think would be interested in learning about this journey!
Fun Financial Facts:
$8000/16months = $500/month = $125/wk = $17.86/day. That's like a week's worth of Starbucks.
(Or 17 cheeseburgers from McDonald's, but hopefully that's not a relateable metric for anyone...!)
Organizer
Alex Miller
Organizer
Boston, MA