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It has been just over 24 hours since I arrived in Jamaica. Though it seems so distant, it truly was just yesterday that I was rushing to JFK airport, struggling with my bags (how have I not realized the beauty of curbside check in until now?!).  After that, there was only the unending line to security, 3 gate changes and a 1 hour flight time delay before finally we were off.  It was only once I was suspended above NY on my way to Jamaica that I allowed myself to grasp what was happening.  And what was happening was the opportunity of a lifetime. 10 years after graduating high school and leaving Jamaica for college I was coming back as a doctor to hopefully in some small way be able to give back to the country that had given me so much. I am still in disbelief that an organization like the Issa Trust Foundation even exists and so humbled by the work they have been doing in my home country over the past several years. When I heard of the opportunity I immediately started thinking of ways to make it possible for me to be here.  And now I’m here. This month will be a curious mixture of the foreign and the familiar. The culture, as well as the actual communities I will be working in, are familiar.  In fact one of the hospitals I will work at (Port Antonio) is about a 5 minute walk from the house where I grew up and where my parents still live. So I will literally be in my own backyard.  At the same time I am acutely aware of my lack of involvement with the Jamaican medical system to date. My entire medical training has taken place in New York, and I have no doubt that the differences will be stark, and at times jarring. Despite the challenges that may arise in the work setting, the most important thing is that I am home. It feels like home, looks like home, tastes like home and there’s no place in the world like it. RH

My name is Kelsey Bayliss. I am a fourth year pharmacy student at the University of Iowa, College of Pharmacy. I am very fortunate for the opportunity to have participated as part of the 2013 medical mission team for the Issa Trust Foundation in Jamaica. I spent close to two weeks in Jamaica as part of my elective pharmacy rotation and it has been the most influential time spent on my journey to become a pharmacist. Not only did it strengthen my love for international healthcare and the pediatric population, but it really introduced me to a love of mission work and helping others that are less fortunate. Truly, it has been a life-changing experience. I was first introduced to the Issa Trust Foundation as a third year pharmacy student. My preceptor, on an experiential pharmacy rotation, was a pharmacist who has been a medical mission trip volunteer in Jamaica for many years. I helped package albendazole tablets for the 2012 mission and after learning about the Issa Trust Foundation and what they do for children in Jamaica, I knew I wanted to become more involved. A year later, I contacted the preceptor asking permission to join her as part of the 2013 medical mission team, and the rest is history. I was so excited to become part of the team and participate in my first mission, and now that it is over, I am even more excited for next year’s mission to be here! The experience I had while on the medical mission is very hard to express in words. I have never felt as empowered and fulfilled as what I did during my time with the children in Jamaica. They do not have the access to proper healthcare and medical resources and it was a very touching experience to be able to help provide that. Being able to counsel a parent on a medication, knowing that you giving them a chance to improve the life of their child is truly life-changing. The patients were always so grateful for our time spent and the resources we gave them. Children were just as grateful when you shared a smile, hug, or gave them a high-five. Just thinking of the time I was able to spend with the children brings a smile to my face. While on the mission, not every moment deserved a smile. Many of the children are in dire need of our help. Many of the children lack a safe and stable home-life and some children were reported to be eating only every other day due to lack of access to food. This is heart-shattering. My husband, Austin, had a little boy ask him if he could go home with us. After Austin sadly told him that he could not, he asked again with a serious, straight-face, “Are you sure I can’t go home with you?”  Hearing this, broke my heart. A request like this, from someone this young, showed us that he was one of those children that lacked a good home-life. Children like this, are the reason my husband and I have a strong desire to continue mission work with the Issa Trust Foundation in Jamaica. I saw examples everyday on how the Issa Trust Foundation has enriched the lives of children in Jamaica. Not only did this mission provide children with medical care that they needed and deserve, but the team was also able to provide eye glasses to those with need as well.  The children were very shy when approached about their new glasses, but after a well-deserved compliment, a heart-warming smile was generally the response the children gave. I will never forget my experience as part of the medical mission trip team in Jamaica. I had the opportunity to help change the lives of close to 900 children in five days on my pharmacy rotation. Keeping everything I have shared in mind, I would highly recommend fellow pharmacy students, health care professionals, or those with a love of children or international healthcare to strongly consider contributing and/or donating their time to the Issa Trust Foundation. I am for certain that I want to continue enriching the lives of children in Jamaica through the Issa Trust Foundation and I cannot wait for next year’s mission to arrive. What an amazing experience!    

So I have to make a correction/retraction for Dr. Ramos. We had the discussion during ward rounds at Annotto Bay regarding my post about peds patients being transferred to Bustamante being “very sick”. In fact many of the very sick patients stay at Annotto Bay (such as the 30 week premie on CPAP or the new-onset diabetic, among others that are currently there.) Usually the reason for transfer to Bustamante is because the patient requires Pediatric specialty care, such as surgery or oncology. And as I think on it – the care we give back home in our rural non-pediatric hospital is very similar. We are 5 hours away from pediatrics specialists and care for a very similar level of sick patients. I stand corrected! Dr. Jeff