Rick

Noel Going Above and Beyond

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Noel with Abuelo, Abuela, and Tio Bob

-This post is written by Rick Lania

Something I have had a hard time articulating when describing my experiences with the children in Honduras is how the kids pay you back so much more than the work and effort that goes into providing them with medical treatments. Statements like, “they can always put a smile on my face” do not mean nearly as much to the person I am speaking with when they are out of context. This is why I thought I would share an example of one of the many ways Noel has gone well beyond “paying back” my family.

Recently, my Grandfather has been in the hospital, which hasn’t been easy on anyone in my family. In Honduras, Noel learned this information from Ana and decided he was going to check how “Abuelo” was doing on his own. Throughout this week he has tried to call each night. One night I spoke with him, others he couldn’t reach anyone, and last night he spoke with my mom. For a 10 year old, he was very persistent and extremely caring, with each phone call asking “How is Grandpa doing?” It definitely meant a lot to me and showed just how much he cares about the 2nd family he has become a part of. I can’t wait to see him in a few weeks!

Update on Emily’s Trip

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This post was written by Rick Lania

Last night I spoke with Emily and got to hear about some of the things she has been doing in Flores since arriving in Honduras almost a week ago. She has a bunch of new cases that she has began working on, including a 26 year old in need of a neurosurgeon. Noel, Wesly, Daniella, and Astrid all have exams this coming week so she has been helping them study.

As with all trips to Honduras unexpected events come up and there is a need react to them. This weeks event was a mentally disabled man walking down the middle of a highway. Ana feared not only for this man’s safety but the on coming traffic’s safety who might need to swerve out of the way to avoid him. A few people from Flores were able to secure this man and take him to a mental hospital. However, when they arrived at the hospital they learned there was a fee to admit him. Not having the resources to get help is a common issue for Hondurans but the people that took him there knew Emily would cover the expenses.

Being able to adapt is a major lesson I’ve learned during my trips to Honduras. As much as you want to set schedules and have a plan, that is not always possible. Unexpected events come out of no where, offices and stores will randomly be closed, people will be on strike, there are lots of power outages, and 100 other things you can’t plan for. You can plan for an end goal that you want to achieve but you have to be ready and willing to change the path to get there.