Serving the people of Bayaguana, Dominican Republic

On Nov. 6, I left for a humanitarian mission organized by the nonprofit Lift A Life with my brother Tyler and Sarah, a family friend. Lift A Life has brought groups of doctors, nurses and dentists to provide free health care for children in Bayaguana about 2-3 times per year for several years. Each trip lasts about 10 days; the volunteers set up a temporary medical clinic and work for five days, followed by a few days of relaxation at a beach resort.

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Last year, Lift a Life raised money to build a permanent medical clinic. It is spacious, with at least two rooms dedicated as classrooms and about 12 more rooms designated for medical exams and dental care. The clinic also includes a pharmacy and a few rooms for storage.

Nov. 8: Tyler and I stand outside Lift A Life's new medical clinic

When Tyler and I arrived with 50-plus other volunteers (including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and an optometrist), the outside of the building was done and beautiful. Inside, however, workers had to put in long hours to finish hooking up the plumbing and electricity. Each team also worked hard to prepare their rooms to serve the people from the village Nov. 9-12. Tyler and I worked as Spanish/English translators for the pharmacy and dental teams.

Nataly is from Bayaguana and studies English in school. She came to help me translate on the first day the clinic opened. She was a big help with crowd control!