At the beginning of the year, one of my goals was to volunteer more while continuing to travel. I had already applied to participate in Doxers Without Borders, but as someone who spends most of the week working in IT, I wasn’t sure if I had anything of value to contribute. Fast forward to April, and there I was, on a 12-hour flight from New York to Kenya, still asking myself the same question.
My goal was to make a difference in the world and contribute to the reduction of fetal mortality, something that is affecting many women in Africa and the U.S., especially Black women. I was connected with Saving Mothers, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating preventable maternal deaths in healthcare. I understood my role would be to help provide birthing information to expecting mothers, help with quick check-ups, and supply the hospital with essential surgical and post-op tools. This only scratched the surface of my full experience!
Our volunteer team included two surgeons, two surgical techs, one nurse, several medical students and resident physicians—and then there was me, the IT person!
After resting from our long flight from New York to Kenya, we flew from Nairobi to Kitale, where we would spend the week working at Kapenguria Hospital. Our volunteer team included two surgeons, two surgical techs, one nurse, several medical students and resident physicians—and then there was me, the IT person! We started the week by organizing medical supplies and setting up the operating room (OR).
As I was learning about sterilization and how to assist with surgical gowns, one of the volunteer surgical techs pulled me into another OR. It was there that I witnessed my first C-section—actually, my first surgery of any kind! (I was the type who always fast-forwarded through surgery scenes on TV.) It was amazing to see how quick and smooth the surgeons were during this procedure. Everyone, including the nurses and surgical techs, was completely in sync.
Throughout the week, the team simultaneously performed two surgeries at a time, primarily hysterectomies for women who had been waiting years due to the high cost and long distances they had to travel to reach the hospital. These are surgeries that would be regularly scheduled in the U.S., but here, they may be delayed for years. I spoke to a woman who had been waiting five years for her surgery, and during the operation, I watched Dr. Taraneh Shirazian, the president and founder of Saving Mothers, remove over 20 fibroids from her uterus. I even witnessed fibroids, the size of a melon being removed from another woman’s uterus. I could only imagine how much discomfort that was causing her. I assisted in preparing the beds, sterilizing and setting up the equipment trays, and providing sterile gloves and gowns for the surgeons. Periodically we would need to restock the shelves in the OR and organize for the next day. By the end of the week, I had assisted in around 30 operations.
Saving Mothers didn’t just perform surgeries; we also went out into the community to meet with Traditional Birth Assistants (TBAs). TBAs are members of the community who help local women during pregnancy and are trained by Saving Mothers to provide check-ups and assist in getting them to a hospital when necessary. This helps ensure that women don’t miss appointments due to the cost or time it takes to travel. During one visit, we learned that the only ambulance in the area had broken down, forcing women in labor to ride on the back of a motorcycle for 40 minutes to reach the hospital. Once Dr. Shirazian heard this, she immediately started inquiring about getting a new ambulance for the community. This showed how much care Dr. Shirazian had for the community she was helping. No one asked her to check on a new ambulance – she heard the need, took note then went into action.
Seeing firsthand the obstacles women in Kitale face deeply moved me. It’s one thing to hear about the disparities in medical care around the world, but it’s entirely different to experience them up close. Saving Mothers is making a huge impact in the area; one woman who had surgery through the organization previously even returned, bringing others from her village to receive the same care. Unfortunately, in most cases, when it comes to a woman’s medical needs, the husband believes it is her responsibility to pay. This significantly delays the time it takes for women to receive necessary surgeries. For this reason, support from other women in the community is incredibly important. When I tagged along during medical rounds for patients in surgical recovery, most of the women had multiple family members or community members staying with them overnight. They supported them emotionally, brought food, and even washed their clothes. It was a beautiful thing to witness!
Watching the doctors, surgical techs, nurses, and students work with such dedication gave me a newfound respect for those in the medical field. The people I met—patients, local doctors, and nurses—were warm and welcoming, and they will stay with me forever.
I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity through Doximity and highly recommend this experience to anyone who is curious and eager to help. There’s always a way to contribute, grow, and learn!