by Leigh Campbell

What did you do on your mission trip?

Basically, it was a ENAT (ear, nose and throat) mission trip. So the doctors and nurses did tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies. I got to play with the children before and after they went into surgery. I also helped get the operating room ready and scheduled every day. The team performed 165 tonsillectomies, which is is more than they do in a whole year in Santiago.

What was your daily routine?

We woke up at 6 a.m. and surgeries started at 7 a.m.. We did 30 surgeries a day. Basically, we did that starting around 7 a.m. and ending around 5 p.m.. And then we had dinner. Some nights we went out to the villages. We stayed at the ILAC center; someone through Creighton started it. It is really nice.

What was your favorite part about the trip?

My favorite part was seeing the children and playing with them because they were all really scared for surgery. I played with them and got their mind off of [the surgery.] And so it was fun getting to know the children before they went in for surgery.

Did the mission trip affect you in any way at all?

It is cool seeing how [the children] are so happy and thankful for everything they have even though they don’t have all the material items we have. And the families are all so close to each other. So it’s just really cool seeing that. It just made me realize how fortunate I am.

Can you recall a specific moment that impacted you the most?

There was not any specific moment that stood out because the whole time we were there was amazing and all the kids were so cute. I would just say that being there with the kids before they went into surgery was really cool because although they were all scared I was able to calm them down by playing with them and just being there with them. This experience was so amazing and I can’t wait to go back in the future.

Was it difficult missing school?

St. Teresa’s and my teachers were very accommodating. I was able to get most of my assignments turned in the week before the trip and then some after. They helped me make it work so that I could miss the week without coming back to school loaded with homework I had to make up.

Are you planning on going on any future mission trips?

Yes. I have already been to Peru twice. This was my third mission trip. Hopefully, I will definitely go back to the Dominican next year with my dad.