Student volunteers in Guatemala, meets an unlikely professor

I consider myself extremely lucky; with the help of my parents, the fruits of my own labor, grants, loans, and a fine academic adviser, I obtained an excellent education at Whitworth University. Now I am looking forward to a graduate education so that I can become a nurse practitioner.

But my graduate education has already begun, and my first graduate professor was a severely handicapped young Guatemalan who lives in a wheelchair, communicates in a basic manner, but taught me more than I can ever acknowledge or repay. With apologies in advance to what I hope will be my next set of "graduate professors," this time in an academic program, let me tell you about this remarkable "professor of medicine" who under the guise of being helped and taught was actually my true helper and teacher.

After graduation, my Whitworth adviser, who has a remarkable worldview, suggested that I devote some time to serving others in a foreign country. After some research, I took his advice by saving some money and heading to Guatemala. I was almost totally unprepared for what I would encounter there but, as we say, fools rush in where angels fear to tread and I am certainly no angel.

The plan was that I would spend my free time at San Pedro's hospital and San Lucas hospital in the ER. But first, I took an intensive Spanish class. San Pedro's hospital houses many elderly people and others suffering from mental illnesses; I spent the majority of my time there. One could see immediately upon arrival that San Pedro's was not a traditional hospital that any American would recognize as such. Paint was falling off the walls and each room housed 30-40 people, some in cages and others in straitjackets. Guatemalan families often abandon the mentally disabled which was hard for me not to judge. Offsetting that realization was a hospital that brings these people in and makes them their own. I was assigned to a certain age group of mentally disabled who displayed more joy than anyone I have ever met. I helped transport, clean, and feed the mentally disabled. Let me simply say that I would not have believed that caring for this group would turn out to be one of the peak experiences of my life.

I have many stories to tell but Maties had the greatest impact on me. At first, he was very distant; it was nothing personal toward me. He was selective to whom he spoke with. His chair squeaked with every turn of the wheels so you knew when he was coming. After two weeks, I broke through and we started to build our relationship. We went on daily walks, played games, and did many other activities that were on our schedule. Before dinner one day he kept pointing at one of the bracelets I had bought earlier that day from a vendor so I gave it to him. He was overjoyed. I didn't think much of it. It was only later that I realized he had given me a wonderful gift in return for a bracelet that cost me only a few pennies.

I often fed Maties dinner, but one evening he insisted on going into the changing room where he began pointing at various items of clothing. He would nod his head when he approved of what I selected and shake his head when I fell short of his expectations. When he liked a piece of clothing I would hand it to him and he would add it to a pile on his lap. With my help we got him changed into the clothes of his liking, no small feat for a man who cannot talk and is paralyzed from the waist down.

After changing into his new clothes he started pointing, as though he wanted me to take him down the hallway. I began wheeling him wherever he directed. Finally, we arrived at an office where a nice young lady named Karla was working. Maties' face lit up. He started laughing and giggling and turned red as a tomato. Karla approached Maties and asked if he wanted to go on a walk. He understood her perfectly, nodding his head. As we continued to walk down the hallway with Maties and Karla holding hands, we saw some paintings hanging on the walls. Maties made us stop at one of them, at which he kept pointing and would then point to Karla. I looked at the back of the painting and written in all caps was, "MATIES to KARLA." Maties had planned this entire scenario, and it almost made me cry. As though the emotions were not already high enough, he took out the bracelet that I had given him earlier and gave it to Karla. I have never been so surprised in my life.

This has been one of the best learning experiences in my life and is one important reason I have decided to practice medicine. Maties has only confirmed what I already knew, that medicine is the perfect career path for me. Helping someone live to their full potential is the exact gratification that I am looking for in a career and my ambition to provide care only continues to grow. I look at my life differently now due to this experience. I enjoy the little things in life more than ever and try to live every day just like my friend, Maties.

Izzy Morgan is from Coeur d'Alene.