Antigua 2023 – Blog 2

Since I’m a minor without Medical eperience, I volunteered with entertaining children in the waiting room. We brought lots of toys like pop-it’s, fidget spinners, and play dough, along with activities like coloring books and bracelet making kits. While my brother Johnny blew bubbles, I helped some kids tie their bracelets into their wrists.

They were so respectful, and completely understanding and unbothered when I would accidentally drop their beads. While the language barrier was sometimes difficult to navigate, I was still able to connect and communicate with multiple kids. Nathalie, an 8 year old girl, knew a few English words and would tell me “Thank you” every chance she got. We also discussed an array of topics, from favorite colors to tv shows.

Many kids spelled their names out in beads, but when the vowels ran out, bracelets were adorned with random letters. It showed me that aesthetics were not important to these kids, and that they were grateful to be involved in any activity that would distract them from the long wait time. The next day, another little girl who made bracelets the day prior was going into surgery and said hi to me while being wheeled into the OR. Her acknowledgment demonstrated the impact that even a small act of kindness and giving can have on these kids and how it can be personally rewarding as well.