Friends,
Today we’re entering our third week of patient appointments thanks to our amazing local team of doctors, dentists, assistants and clinic staff! We wanted to take this moment to recognize the incredible efforts of our Dominican team, without whom the past year of tremendous change would have been impossible. Muchisimas gracias to our physicians, Dra. Livia and Dra. Rachelli; our dentists Dr. Abel and Dr. Cesar and their assistants Indiana and Franchesca; and to our clinic staff Euclides, Ritchelle, Alix, Claribel, Daritza, Manuel, and Odalis!
In April 2020, we rapidly pivoted to medication deliveries after travel restrictions prevented us from hosting a volunteer group as planned. Odalis, Daritza, Manuel, and Juderkis all staffed the clinic to prepare prescriptions while Odalis and Alix delivered those meds to 235 people via motorcycle!
By the time for our July and October trips, we had a better idea of what our patients needed and how we could host appointments with in-person physicians. Dra. Livia and Dra. Rachelli joined our local team to see patients in-clinic, and Odalis, Euclides, Claribel, Ritchelle, Romane, Manuel, and Alix all kept the clinic up and running smoothly.
In the absence of a volunteering trip to the clinic, some of our volunteers have been sharing messages reflecting on past clinic trips, special connections, and delicious food at Lourdes’ with hope that we can all be together again in Naranjito.
“8 years ago I convinced a guy I had been dating for less than 2 months to come with me to the Dominican Republic for a healthcare mission. It was…rustic. At the end of the week my mom said “you are gonna marry that guy.” I said “oh mom! 🙄” but I knew it in my heart too. I hope we get to make another trip with Somos Amigos again one day!”
Katie Donohue McMillan,
Somos Amigos Volunteer
“On a Sunday like this, me and the rest of volunteers from Somos Amigos Medical Mission would be having dinner at Lourdes’s house after spending the whole day organizing and preparing to start serving the community of El Naranjito… Hopefully soon, very soon, we can continue our journey together making the world better one day, one person at a time.”
Dra. Chantal Tavarez,
Dentist, Somos Amigos Volunteer
As always, no thanks would be complete without giving gratitude to our amazing donors and supporters. It’s thanks to your generosity that Somos Amgigos has fulfilled our promise to provide reliable healthcare, even in the midst of a global pandemic.
Once again, gracias to our Dominican Team, gracias to our volunteers, and gracias to our donors and supporters. You all are truly what makess Somos Amigos remarkable!