Maria takes a brief time away from her tiny humans to enjoy the view

Last Friday, when I visited Heaven's Nest, I seemed to have brought a toddler to tears. Apparently, I look very similar to her mother. Therefore, holding her or interacting with her is exceptionally traumatic considering she only gets to see her mother once a week. Unfortunately, that's significantly more than most others. I cannot imagine how a child most feel, regardless of the situation. At twenty one, i struggle to understand my own father's choice not to interact with me just as I did in third grade. These children, under six, probably struggle even worse given what they've been exposed to at such a young age. Further more, the seven month old cannot crawl, walk or talk probably as a result of developmental delays from the neglect she experienced. Many of these children have insecure attachments, unable to cope with not being in someone's arms, fighting for our attention. 

On a brighter note, I finally climbed Table Mountain. By far, hiking is one of the most challenging things I've ever done. It's so hard to push past your own mental limitations, the ones you manage to build yourself. While I was physically capable of hiking, I struggled to accept and work through the pain. There were many times where I could only hear myself wheezing and my heart beating in my ear. However, the view was beyond worth the pain. 

Last week, when I was waiting with one of the girls before her surgery, she explained she was going to theatre for a new plaster. However, she was actually going in to have her leg straightened under anesthesia to help lengthen her muscles. Very often, the tiny humans at Maitland have no idea what's going on. While volunteering at Camp Sunshine last summer, I learned how a child life specialist helps children to understand and cope during their medical treatment. Throughout my time at Maitland, I have often been asked by the kids why they need operations and what happens during their operation. It's an overwhelming feeling because I don't really know myself. By listening during rounds and asking questions, I try to build some foundation of knowledge so that I can use their X-rays to explain. Last week, in theatre, I tried to picture myself as a child life specialist but somehow keep envisioning myself at Maitland. Since then, I've started to seriously consider acquiring my child life certification to work between finishing undergrad and starting medical school. 

The more time I spend at Maitland, the more I feel driven to help spread medical knowledge. Recently, I've also felt drawn to the peace corps, particularly its work in education on maternal and child health. While I've always wanted to work with Doctors Without Borders, I only saw myself work internationally after finishing residency until now. Unfortunately the preventive medicine utilized in the states is not universal as it should be. However, I hope to work towards narrowing the gap. I fear that many diseases and ailments in third world countries can be prevented if the right preventive precautions are taken.