Local Volunteers Provide Medical Care in Honduras
By Ryan Schlehuber

Arial Leeper holds a baby lamb, which she helped nurse back to health with veterinarian Dr. Steve Burns of Cheboygan. The group split up in four brigades: veterinarian, medical, dental, and construction. (Photograph courtesy of Arial Leeper)

During her visit to villages in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, Arial Leeper of Mackinac Island had difficulty breaking the language barrier with the local children, knowing only a little Spanish. So she laughed and smiled a lot.

Bringing smiles to people in Central America, thousands of miles away from Mackinac Island, was one of many things Miss Leeper's medical mission group from Ste. Anne's Church was able to accomplish during an eight-day stay.

Forty-three people journeyed there from March 24 through April 2. With Miss Leeper were 20 Island residents, six St. Ignace area residents, 17 other volunteers from northern Michigan and the Detroit and Grand Rapids area, and 90 suitcases of medicine and supplies that would help in treating 1,111 Honduran people who rarely receive health treatment.

Pat Leveille of St. Ignace gets ready to travel to the next village with many suitcases of medicine loaded in the back of a pickup truck. The Ste. Anne's Church medical mission made several stops at communities in Honduras, providing health and dental care. A veterinarian also provided care for local animals. (Photograph courtesy of Pat Leveille)

St. Ignace and Brevort Lake volunteers who went on the trip were Pat Leveille, Gale Becker, Gayle Lamoreaux, Joyce Gustafson, Pat Boynton, and former St. Ignace resident Sarah Howley.

The mission group received much support from the St. Ignace and Mackinac Island communities, Mrs. Boynton said. Scott Clement and Mark Mercer, both dentists from St. Ignace, donated medicine, equipment, and instruments for the mission. Many businesses and residents also donate money to support the group's cause.

"The local support," said Mrs. Boynton, "was great, very wonderful."

The mission encompassed five communities, Nuevo Paraiso, a village for single mothers and their children, Pedro Atala, a home for children who are orphaned or have mothers in prison, Nuevo Esperanza, a training center for girls, Montana de Luz, a hospice for children with AIDS and HIV, and Flor Azul, a farm for boys learning how to grow crops and run a business.

Volunteer nurse Sindy Karpathian (left) and volunteer Val Porter take a break from treating patients and show Honduran children how to dance. (Photograph courtesy of Rick Linn)

The group set up assistance brigades at schools around the area during its stay, drawing long waiting lines.

"People walked for miles to get to us," said Valerie Porter of Mackinac Island and Cheboygan, who served as an interpreter. She said 80 percent of the country is unemployed.

Brother Jim Boynton, who grew up in St. Ignace and spends summers at Ste. Anne's church on Mackinac Island, organized the group to provide assistance to the child aid group, Sociedad Amigo de los Ninos, based in the Honduran capital city.

Sociedad Amigo de los Ninos was founded by Sister Maria Rosa Leggol 40 years ago, and she established a chapel, day care center, a primary and secondary school, a health clinic, a vocational training center, the Montana de Luz hospice, and the Flor Azul farm.

The Ste. Anne's group included two doctors, a dentist, an oral surgeon, seven nurses, an emergency medical technician, a paramedic, seven interpreters, one veterinarian, one pharmacist, two electricians and carpenters, eight students, plus Ste. Anne's pastor, Father Rey Garcia, and Br. Boynton.

"Each day we had different people go out on different projects," said Br. Boynton.

Pat Leveille, a retired pharmacist from St. Ignace, was one of five people in charge of the suitcases of medicine.

"The work was physically demanding but it was really rewarding to help all those people," said Mrs. Leveille, who hauled the many suitcases from village to village by pickup truck.

"We all had worked hard," said Joyce Gustafson of Brevort Lake, who helped with dental care. A retired nurse's aide from Mackinac Straits Hospital, she said it was her first time overseas and she enjoyed the trip so much she looks forward to being part of another mission trip.

The students served as assistants, rotating from one brigade to another until they found one they liked, said Miss Leeper, who worked mostly with Steve Burns, a veterinarian from Cheboygan, treating village pets and livestock.

"I liked the veterinarian station because I got to help with the animals," she said. "We helped this newborn lamb who was sick and dehydrated. We gave it fluids and gave its mother antibiotics. I prayed for it all week and, by the time we left, it was healthy and walking around."

Miss Leeper's father, Tim, owner of the Big Store on Mackinac Island, was one of many who donated to the mission journey. He donated stuffed animals, which were handed out to the Honduran children after their medical or dental visit.

Dr. Burns carried his supplies up the road, stopping at homes along the way to ask if he could treat family pets.

"The people were so amazed and so delighted that a veterinarian from America would just show up and offer to treat their pets," she said.

Kyle Sweet, a Mackinac Island junior, helped workers expand a road through the village, digging eightfoot holes and placing eight new light posts.

"I've learned through this experience how much we can help others, that we can have a positive affect on a community if we try," said Mr. Sweet.

Island paramedic Rick Linn said he was impressed to see how happy the locals were, even with the many difficulties they face.

"They don't have a lot, but they are happy with what they do have," he said. "For all we have, I think we forget sometimes what we need, as opposed to what we want."

Mrs. Porter, who made the trip with her daughter, Lily, said the experience to interact, help, and connect with people of a different culture was enlightening.

One of the most impressive experiences for her was meeting the 80- year-old Sister Maria on the last day of the trip.

"You knew when you met her that she was someone of importance, a Honduran celebrity," she said. "She has done so much for that area. She was an orphan, herself, so she made the homes at the orphanage like real homes."

Mrs. Porter explained that each home at the orphanage was occupied by 10 children and one "aunt," or "tia."

"I met one tia, she was 18 years old, her father had died and she was working there to raise money for her mother and siblings," Mrs. Porter said.

Interacting with the children was perhaps the group's favorite experience.

"Everyone hugs and kisses you on the cheek," said Miss Leeper.

"The kids were my favorite thing about the trip," said Mr. Sweet. "They were really nice. They would climb all over you."

Mrs. Gustafson remembers one girl about five years old tugging at her to help her carry a bag of garbage.

"The kids, you wouldn't believe how great they were," she said. "Though they were orphans, they were very happy."

One group of school children showed their appreciation by singing to them as the group approached their school.

As the mission group was leaving to go back to the United States, one of the volunteers noticed a Honduran child wearing a Mackinac Island T-shirt.

"It just goes to show you how small of a world we live in," said Mr. Linn. "This trip was such a different experience than just your average tourist trip."

"It was an incredible trip," said Br. Boynton, "and all involved learned much about Honduran people and culture, and about themselves in what they could accomplish."