Perspectives Winter/Spring 2019

22 | DR. PALLAVI PATEL COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES STUDENT Perspectives In September 2017, I had the privilege of attending a medical outreach trip to Hon- duras to help the under- served population of San Francisco de Orica, about three hours from the capital of Teguci- galpa. A group of 20 health care profession- als and volunteers from the Tampa Bay area participated, pro- viding much-needed services to patients at the New Hope Clinic and the surrounding communities. The Foundation for International Missions built the New Hope Clinic to provide sustaining medical services to the people in this region. The team, under the leadership of Martha Price, M.D., included physicians, dentists, physical therapists, and physical therapy students. The two physical thera- pists were alumni from NSU’s Tampa Bay D.P.T. class of 2016—Michelle Sierra, D.P.T., PT, and Tatiana Barrett, D.P.T., PT, OCS. These outstanding clinicians; my classmate, David Andino-Salgado; and I experienced the joy of provid- ing much-needed physical therapy (PT) services. Most of the residents we assisted had never had, or even heard of, physical therapy. We also helped distribute basic hygiene packs containing soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and bandages. In addition, we used our bilingual skills to translate for the other health care providers. When we arrived, I was overwhelmed by the large number of people who had untreated medical conditions because of the pervasive poverty in the region. I also never realized that, because of such poverty, most children and adults walk barefoot, or with shoes inadequate for the rough mountainous terrain. In fact, many people in developing countries do not have proper shoes, if any at all, to protect them from any soil-transmitted diseases and the rough terrains they are required to walk on for miles every day. Upon returning home, I brainstormed ways to help the children who needed shoes. After doing some research, I came across The Shoe That Grows. I reached out to this organization and requested a sample of its product. After receiving the STUDENT PERSPECTIVES An NSU Tampa Bay D.P.T. student adjusts the shoe for a child during the Jamaica medical outreach trip in June 2018. Footprints of Hope Helping Children Two Soles at a Time BY BEATRIZ GALINDO, B.S.