Sol y Luna

Today was the first day I got to be "in action" at my internship at Sol y Luna. It was a lot to take in! First of all my fellow co-workers are amazing people. They have HUGE hearts (that's an understatement) for the kids and their work, and they're very friendly to me. Additionally most of them go to a class on Saturdays to learn English so we can relate on that level! The kids. They are gems. I wish I could bring them all back to the States with me and watch them thrive, because I know spending times in programs there would change their lives. But Sol y Luna is incredibly creative in using the resources they do have to benefit their kids. Like I mentioned before, Sol y Luna is unique in that they have parent participation so that they can learn the skills to better their child. I was encouraged to see some of the moms and grandmas there today, who were beaming with love for their child and their success, despite their incredible limitations. One mom in particular who I talked with a bit really struck me. She is nineteen, she has a five year old daughter, and a 2 year old son, Jose, who attends Sol y Luna. What a life for someone younger than me, I can't imagine. I found myself feeling sad during my time today, it was hard to see some of the kids struggle, witness the parents' exhaustion, and realize how different care is here than in the US. I have so much hope for the kids though, and Sol y Luna as a whole - good things are happening. One of the biggest differences I noticed right off the bat between Mexican and American policies behind patient care, is confidentiality. First and last names are freely given on program information pamphlets, and one of the therapists quickly labeled the kids with their disabilities and diseases (some of which is also printed on their flyers, etc). Today I helped a boy named Óscar with fine motor skills and later some life skills (he insisted that he get 'guapo' for lunch, which consisted of gelling and brushing his hair, and putting on cologne!), then did muscle massages with a girl named Chaula, and finished the day by helping to feed another girl. This was the most challenging and trying part of my day. It took 3 of us (holding her down, calming her, and using the spoon) over 45 minutes to feed her a small bowl of finely chopped food as she threw her body around, swung her arms, vomited, and thrashed her head, making it nearly impossible for us to feed her. This also was pretty hard to watch and be apart of, because it's not a rare thing for her to do. The patience of everyone is admirable. In the end, we were in fact successful - a huge accomplishment! Check out Sol y Luna here (Sol y Luna) but unfortunately the page is in Spanish and the English version doesn't seem to work. I'll give more of a history later, but the Merida location was founded by a woman from the Netherlands who also has an office there!

The rest of my day was pretty low key - I picked up my laundry and had to smile as I made my way back home, with a bag full of fresh, folded, and warm laundry - and I paid less than what it would have cost me at Drake to do it myself!! I could get used to this :) I also picked up a picture order from Office Depot - and after 30 minutes in the store, my friend and I finally walked out with our pictures. This I don't care to get used to :) I miss the system at Sam's Club. The plumber came and fixed the problem with the water today, so we have light and in case of future problems they changed it so we can turn off the water without messing with the electricity! Score!