SHI in Guatemala—A Journey of Commitment

Toting 45 trunks of medical supplies, SHI employees Angela Flores and Jackie Phillips traveled to Guatemala City where they volunteered their time and audiology expertise to help people along with the Faith in Practice organization. They set up camp at a hospital that also serves as an orphanage and church. People came from far and wide, some as many as 10-12 hours in the hopes they would be evaluated and treated.

The dedicated volunteers worked long hours to treat as many patients as possible. One patient they will never forget was 10-year old Maria, who had hearing loss in both ears. After fitting her with a Siemens hearing instrument, the girl’s eyes lit up as she could hear for the first time. Her excited babbling was music to everyone’s ears, including her own.

After an emotional week of seeing 50 patients in 80 hours, the women's charitable odyssey came to an end. Says Jackie, “While the work we did changed the lives of these patients, their humility, love, and sincere gratitude changed our lives and those of our team members. It’s a wonderful thing that can only be experienced first hand!” Adds Angela, “We very much enjoyed the experience. It was both rewarding and humbling.”