Each week we bring you the story and perspective of an outstanding volunteer. This week, meet Michelle Chen, a Medical Brigades volunteer from the College of William and Mary, who recently participated in a Brigade to Honduras.
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It’s amazing how a single week spent in a country I’ve never been to, with people who speak a language that I don’t understand, could change me for a lifetime. My medical brigade to Honduras this past March was the most inspiring, heart-warming, challenging, and humbling experience of my life.
When I started the Medical Brigades chapter at William & Mary, I didn’t know what to expect. I had never been on any kind of medical mission before, so every step of the planning process was new to me. But despite of all of the little bumps in the road, the endless phone calls, and the hours spent in frustration at the Atlanta airport at midnight when we thought we had lost a duffle bag, the brigade was SO worth it, and I would do it over and over again forever!
The great thing about a Medical Brigade is how incredibly holistic it is. Aside from triage, physician consultations, 
and the pharmacy, our brigade also included a dental station, a gynecology station, as well as public health charlas for children and adults. Health is affected by so many different factors, and I was really happy that, in addition to treating illnesses, we were also helping prevent them by teaching the children how to properly wash their hands and brush their teeth. This knowledge will follow them and prevent them from getting sick for the rest of their lives.
The brigade also forced me to re-evaluate my own life. Being so fortunate to have grown up in the United States, it’s easy to get caught up in the little things and not appreciate all that I have at home. Seeing how happy and grateful the people of Mata de Platano are despite how little they have, and seeing the children’s faces light up into the most beautiful smiles at the sight of a sticker…it’s indescribable.
I will never forget playing tag with the children, being chased for stickers by a little girl named Delmy, attempting to communicate to community members with my very limited Spanish (consisting mostly of “hola!” and “me llamo Michelle”), and rushing to fill prescriptions at the end of every brigade day. Thanks GMB Honduras for the most amazing week of my life! I was inspired and challenged like I have never been before, and I’m honored to have been a part of the Global Brigades movement in making a difference in people’s lives.
