Loomis Students Take Volunteer Efforts Abroad

It’s a scary experience for a very young child to undergo a surgical procedure, and being without your parents when you wake up is even scarier. But one young man in Guatemala woke up from surgery with a special friend by his side who calmed him through all the noise of loud machines and strange people hovering over him. The special friend was Loomis Chaffee senior Kevin Caba, from Ridgewood, NY, who had volunteered as an interpreter for Children of the Americas, commonly referred to as COTA, in Zacapa, Guatemala.
 
Since 1987, COTA has dedicated their efforts to providing medical, dental, surgical services, and specialists in prosthetics to children and their families in rural Guatemala. The not-for-profit, volunteer organization networks with Guatemalan healthcare providers to share medical/surgical knowledge.
 
Kevin and fellow senior Kelvin Gonzalez, from Pennsauken, NJ, were invited to accompany LC Spanish teacher Charlie Bour, of Windsor, as part of the COTA week in Guatemala, during which more than 100 American medical professionals travel to Guatemala to provide free care to the local residents. Both Kevin and Kelvin’s families originally hail from the Dominican Republic and both students are bilingual in English and Spanish. They were the only high school students invited to participate in the event.
 
COTA Coordinator Jennifer Christmann said that interpreters serve a critical role in facilitating the provider/patient communication in the clinic. “When our team arrives in Guatemala for the week, the number of people seeking care far outweigh the time we have. Having hardworking and skilled interpreters can have a measurable impact on the overall patient experience,” she noted in a letter following the LC group’s visit to Zacapa.
 
This was Bour’s fifth trip to a COTA facility in Guatemala. “The work involves 12 hours every day under some grueling conditions, but everyone is so flexible. All of the volunteers, from doctors to interpreters, end up working more hours every day than they would at home and the results are amazing.”
 
Kelvin said that he enjoyed the immersion in the culture and learning about the country, as well as befriending many of the children and other local people. He not only took in the local culture, but showed such an interest and talent in the medical field that he was repeatedly encouraged by several of the physicians to become a doctor himself, which he is now considering.
 
“The caliber of the students that accompanied you was impressive,” concluded Mr. Christmann. Both Kevin and Kelvin did a phenomenal job as interpreters. They willingly did what was asked of them and were very open to new experiences. We realize this is a new endeavor for your organization and sincerely hope that Loomis Chaffee School will continue to support your efforts to provide students with an experience in tandem with COTA’s mission trips,” stated Ms. Christmann.