“It was the most amazing and most fulfilling experience of my life… A lot of what we learned cannot be written down on paper. [The Guatemalan People we met] lead completely different lives than we do. It takes you down to what healthcare should be, which is one person helping another.”

– Rebecca Neiduski, PhD, OTR/L, CHT, President, Wartburg College, 2005-2022 Volunteer
 

“I think the moment that personally touched me most was when I made a small hand-based splint for a quadriplegic who wanted something to help him write. He tried it out and said in an awestruck voice. “I just wrote my name”. It was the 1st time he’d done so since his accident 4 years ago.”

– Lisa Cyr, OTR/L CHT, Center for Orthopedics, New Haven, CT and 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, & 2018 Volunteer

“The people of Guatemala, many of whom live in dire poverty, depend on missions like ours to receive medical care. GHHF goes back year after year not only to provide medical care but also to educate the local caregivers. We provide aftercare through a terrific Guatemalan doctor…Many patients come back to see us each year, either for additional treatment or to show us their improvements.”

– Carol Page, PT, DPT, CHT, Hospital for Special Surgery NYC and 2009, 2011, 2012 Volunteer

“Large duffle bags full of mostly new and some donated shoes for the children were then unloaded and every child in Chichoy Alto was given a new pair [of shoes]. As the day was winding down, a spontaneous soccer game broke out between volunteers and local teens and it was obvious that though our groups come from different places and have drastically different means, we were all able to help each other in some way. The town received financial help, but we were given such strong reminders to stay grounded and appreciate what we have.”

– Excerpt from American Society for Surgery of the Hand blog written by 2016 & 2018 volunteer residents, Andrew Sobel, MD and Noor Alolabi, MD