A Year Spent at NPH Mexico

Below is a reflection written by volunteer Leslie Ford after serving at NPH Mexico about how the NPH family impacted her life  

Words fall short of describing an entire year of life, especially one which so profoundly touched my heart, opened my eyes, molded my perspectives, changed my values and lifestyle, and left me with hundreds of new brothers and sisters and a new place to call ¨home.¨

NPH Mexico has over 700 children and 200 employees, and we were a team of 10 international volunteers working as teachers, caregivers, and clinic staff. I experienced some of the hardest moments of my life there, but every single one of those moments was quickly and completely overshadowed by the opposite: some of the most extreme, pure, genuine moments of happiness I have ever felt. I spent my mornings working as a nurse in our on-site clinic, which mainly involved giving health education chats and providing primary nursing care to children who came as "walk-ins" for minor injuries and sicknesses. In the evenings, I worked as a caregiver for 21 amazing, bright, joyful, absolutely wonderful kindergartners, which is where I learned about unconditional love and the importance of patience, laughter, and the small things. Being able to share love and happiness with those kindergartners (as well as with all the other children, employees, and volunteers in the home) is something I will forever be thankful for and will never, ever forget.

Although it´s time for me to continue on a new path, my actions, perspectives and heart will now always reflect the lessons I learned and the love that was shared together as a part of the NPH family.