Photos of Volunteers at Work

It's been a long day walking the dark, stifling hot corridors of the JFK Hospital, trying to keep up with Project HOPE's busy volunteers. Conditions at the JFK Hospital seem impossible to work in to a non-medical person like myself. It's not just the lack of resources that make the hospital setting difficult. I find it hard to listen to the moans of patients in pain, witness wailing grieving family members leaving the hospital, or breath in the smells that permeate the unlit hallways. But the volunteers continue to amaze and inspire me with their positiveness, enthusiasm and willingness to do whatever needs to be done.

Today I shadowed Marina Rivera, our radiographer, as she helped perform dozens of x-rays using antiquated machinery. I was able to participate in the excitement of Nabil Messiah our ultrasound professional and David Meador, our biomedical fix-it guy now nick-named "Scotty" as they discovered and repaired a modern ultrasound machine. I visited Earl Rogers, our pharmacist in the JFK pharmacy and witnessed the improvements being made in pharmacy procedures, and made a quick stop into the infant Intensive Care Unit where Cheryl Dobson, our neonatal ICU Nurse, continues to asses and care for premature babies. Check back for more detailed stories on each of these volunteers and others...but in the meantime, enjoy some photos of Project HOPE volunteers at work today.

--Melanie Mullinax