Mission to Cambodia 2012
from Elizabeth Vorholt

Today we got the opportunity to step outside the hospital and into the homes of some patients of Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope. Cassie, Becca, Emily, and I tagged along with two members of the Home Based Care team, who regularly visit patients living with HIV and AIDS to check in on their progress. This morning, we visited three families within walking distance of the hospital in Phnom Penh. We ventured down alleyways and up pitched black concrete spiral staircases to enter the homes, and got a real glimpse into life in the city. These families live together in one room, which they rent for $25 per month. The second visit we made was to a young mother with HIV. She used to work as a waitress in a pub and was addicted to drugs. She wanted to end her pregnancy after the father left because she thought she couldn’t care for a baby. The Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope has helped her to stop doing drugs and to get the care she needs to live with her HIV. The hospital has helped her make connections to find a new job away from the pub, and her future is looking so bright. Thanks to the medication the hospital provided before, during, and after her pregnancy, she has not infected her baby with HIV.

After lunch we traveled about 40 minutes outside the city on tuk tuks to a village for more home visits. We were greeted by so many children, their voices in a high-pitched chorus of “hello!” as we walked by. We gave them hugs and high fives as we checked in with their parents about the status of supplies that were delivered to them a few days ago.  The families receive a bag of porridge, rich with nutrients to feed their families, laundry detergent, and soap. The families were extremely grateful and welcomed us into their homes. As we left, the kids ran behind our tuk tuk waving goodbye.

Leaving the village was tough on us, knowing that we only made a very small difference in the lives of a few people. But tonight at dinner, we talked with Dr. Cornelia, a brilliant surgeon from Switzerland who has been working with the Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope for almost 13 years. When we asked her what brought her to Cambodia, she simply replied “when I was a teenager, I wanted to change the world.” This teenage dream has been fulfilled, as Cornelia has saved the lives of many.  Walking around Phnom Penh, Cornelia is stopped regularly by patients who lift up their shirts to proudly display scars expertly placed by Dr. Cornelia. Hearing her share her stories showed that touching the life of one person can truly make a difference. Helping one individual can change one family, that can change one village, that can change a nation, that can change the world. That motivation keeps us going as we try to help as many people as we can during our last week in Cambodia.