Sanford Health employee takes mission trip to Ecuador

After her mission trip to Ecuador, Sanford Health employee hopes to return with a team of medical professionals.

Sanford Health employee takes mission trip to Ecuador

Sanford Health AirMed nurse Marcy Dawson, R.N., recently went on her first mission trip to Ecuador with her church. On this trip, Dawson taught first aid to those who lived in remote areas of Ecuador. These Ecuadorians live hours away from the nearest clinic and didn’t know much about first aid.

FEDICE

Because they did not speak English, Dawson worked closely with Ecumenical Foundation for Integral Development, Training and Education (FEDICE), an organization their church group was in contact with for this mission trip, who had to interpret for her and translate her presentation.

Limited supplies

Dawson took the time to practice bandaging, splinting, how to stop a bleeding wound and how to use tourniquets. Because supplies are not always readily available in Ecuador, Dawson showed those in attendance how to use items in their environment to create splints, slings and swathes.

“The people who attended my sessions were very willing to learn — it was very rewarding,” said Dawson. “In addition to teaching them first aid, I also taught them about heart disease, stroke and diabetes — some of the top health concerns for people in this area.”

Learning about the Ecuador community

In addition to Dawson teaching classes, she helped to build a house and learned about their health care system. Ecuadorians who have a job get a type of health insurance where health care is free. However, they need to get and pay for the supplies needed to provide the care. For example, if someone needs an injection, they need to go to the pharmacy to get the syringe, medication and any other needed supplies which can be quite expensive.

Possible medical mission trip to Ecuador

Dawson hopes to return to Ecuador in the future with a team of medical professionals to help those in need. Dawson also hopes to continue working closely with FEDICE for future projects and recently had leaders from their organization visit Sanford to learn more about our health care system.

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