News : The medical mission trip in Mexico continues

Dr. Maggie Mangold and her son aren’t the only ones with connections to Virginia Gay on the mission trip to Mexico. The trips are organized by Physician Assistant Katie Iverson, PA-C, who can often be found in Virginia Gay’s emergency department where she works part time. Also on the trip is Eric Haas, a University of Iowa PA student who spent last month with Dr. Meeker in Vinton – part of Virginia Gay’s longstanding tradition of providing valuable experience to PA students.

“I am so thankful the Iversons invited Hugh and me along on this trip", wrote Maggie in a recent email, “what an amazing opportunity for both he and I to see service in action. The patients have been so grateful for the care they have received and we have been paid more richly in return with smiles, hugs, and playful moments with the children. Taking care of those in need is an honor, and I feel doubly blessed to get to share that passion with our son.”

Hugh shared that he learned this is Katie and her husband Bill’s 25th trip to Mexico. They visit the same area twice a year, staying two weeks at a time to provide medical care and dispensing medicines they bring from the U.S. Katie’s husband is an internist at the Veteran’s Administration hospital in Iowa City.

Maggie also noted that for the Iverson’s it’s a family affair. Her parents watch Katie and Bill’s son Lucas while Katie and Bill are at clinic. Lucas continues with his homework while in Mexico, using Skype to get lessons from his violin teacher back home. According to Maggie the hotel staff knows Lucas quite well and works at teaching him Spanish.

“I’d like to give kudos to Hugh for being the ‘staff’ photographer,” Maggie said, “we’re busy seeing patients so he’s the one doing the photography. Along the way he accumulated a local fan, a little girl who seems to be a bit smitten. No matter how many times he tells her, in Spanish, that he doesn’t speak Spanish she just keeps right on talking to him and giggling.”

Speaking of Hugh, here are some of his dispatches from the past couple of days.

Day 3, Monday April 5, 2016

Today was our first day at the clinic. Morning was breakfast with the team at the church then we drove to another church to set up the clinic. I helped out in the pharmacy and I helped Bill count pills. My mom and the students and resident saw patients with the help of translators. It was very interesting seeing all the people. Katie said today was a slow day: we saw about 50 people.

We ate lunch at the clinic site. The church brought us the food. They also help organize the clinics in each neighborhood.

I learned this is Bill and Katie's 25th trip to Mazatlán; they come twice a year and stay for 2 weeks. They collect all the medicine in the United States and then bring it here to Mexico.

The people here seemed really nice. There were little kids who were running around playing. Kids in school uniforms and soccer uniforms. Moms. Older people. It was a lot like home.

I will always remember today as the first day I've really socialized with people in a different country who speak a different language. All in all I thought it was a very good experience and I'm thankful to be able to help and come along.

Day 4, Tuesday April 6, 2016

Today was our second day in clinic. We saw more than double the patients in clinic than yesterday, which meant more pills for me to count. I feel very fortunate to be able to come on this trip to help people who need help.

I think that Mazatlán is very similar to American cities and very different. Similar in that they are both loud, have reckless drivers and lots of people. Different in that they speak a different language and here is a lot more dusty. People are the same both places: they want to be healthy and they are kind.

I thought it was interesting today that out of the 119 people we saw several were in wheelchairs. At first I wondered why they had to have a wheelchair, but then I started to hope they were healthy and happy and it didn't matter how or why it happened. It must be hard to live here in a wheelchair because the roads are uneven and there are often steps to get to the bathroom.

I'm thankful that I have met some very nice people on this trip and that I can help other people feel better. I'm thankful for scales to quickly count medicine, for sunshine, and for the people I've met.

Hugh