Dispatch: Spring Break in the Dominican Republic

Photos: Jill and Dr. John Cox/Steve and Dell Scott A child at the Rose of Sharon Orphanage in the Dominican Republic becomes entangled in a kite string.

University Park, Pa. -- In March 2007, during Penn State's annual spring break, 27 people traveled to a remote corner of the Dominican Republic on a service mission. Included in the group were three Penn State faculty members, two College of Medicine physicians, one graduate student, three undergraduates and a newly accepted Schreyer Honors College student. Also contributing to the team were several State College business people, a newly retired biophysicist and a handful of State College Area High School and middle school students. Among the total were five different family groups, including parents with one or more children. In short, it was a diverse group with a wide range of backgrounds. Nevertheless, the trip brought these individuals together in a way unlike any previous spring break experience.

Michael Flanagan M.D., associate professor of family and community medicine in the College of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, chronicles his experiences during this service mission trip.

This is a four-part series of dispatches from the Rose of Sharon Orphanage in the Dominican Republic.

Dispatch: Penn Staters arrive in Dominican Republic to help orphans
March 2007

Day One

The cool morning air gave no indication of the dust and heat that would follow. The locals had already begun to stir, punctuating the early calm with their rumbling motorbikes. Spanish phrases were caught without understanding, as we made our way down the chipped tile steps of the small hotel where we had slept. The town of San Juan de la Maguana, in the western mountains of the Dominican Republic, was a three-hour bumpy bus ride from the capital city of Santo Domingo. We had arrived late the previous night; hauling suitcases filled with medical supplies, bicycle parts and computers for the boys at a rural orphanage beyond the town.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/23408 online.
View photos at http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/871 online.


Dispatch: Work begins at the Dominican Republic orphanage
March 2007

Day Three

Like all of our days, today started early. At sunrise, we made our way out to the hotel lobby for a shared group breakfast. Cold cereal, local oranges or bananas, and sweet black Dominican coffee would fortify us for the day ahead. Our ride out to the orphanage each morning was always exhilarating. Purple mountains in the distance framed an arid land of gnarled trees and brush-covered hills. As we traveled the dusty road, an occasional green field or cluster of palm trees near an adjacent stream dotted the scenery. Passing through a number of barrios on the way, like El Rosario and Pueblo Nuevo, provided a glimpse of the extreme poverty that still exists on this island of contrasts.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/23479 online.
View photos at http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/871 online.


Dispatch: Penn State Day comes to the Dominican Republic
March 2007

Day Four

We dubbed our fourth day at the orphanage, "Penn State Day" and we all wore our PSU T-shirts. I've heard that Penn State fans are found everywhere, and we certainly helped to make that true. This day also was important because we held our much-anticipated medical clinic at the orphanage. Our goal was to screen all 60 boys for vision, followed by an evaluation with our nutritionists, and finally a full medical exam by a physician. In the end, each boy would have a medical record modeled after the Penn State Hershey Medical Center outpatient chart, and donated by the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/23539 online.
View photos at http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/871 online.

Dispatch: Penn Staters say goodbyes at orphanage
March 2007

Day Six

The last day at the orphanage is always bitter-sweet. The boys know that many on our team may never return, and for most of the others it will be at least a year or two before they are back. We know that it is our last chance to complete the list of projects started four weeks ago. There is a surge of energy in the group, and a sense of wanting to finish well, not unlike a Penn State football team returning to the field after halftime. And like the last game of the season, our final efforts on this concluding day will have to last until next year.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/23651 online.
View photos at http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/871 online.