Tu Revista Latina Magazine

Journey to Quito

Our life is shaped by our personal experiences throughout the years. These experiences can be full of happiness and love while others can be challenging and reflective. It is these reflective and challenging experiences that have the biggest impact in building our character as human beings.

I was fortunate to have experienced a lot of love and happiness growing up in a household of nine siblings. My parents were hard working immigrants from Mexico and we lived in a rural farming community. I remember that relying on our family and strong relationships with friends and neighbors was what carried us thru the hard times. We didn’t realize that we didn’t have much in terms of resources and toys because we were not aware that they existed. It was my family and this community that shaped my life and allowed me to truly value the journey thirty-eight years later that changed my life. Along the way, my wife and children also played a major part in this journey.

The journey was a result of a great friendship I had established with a former Graduate Professor. It was a Friday afternoon in November, when my office phone rang. It was the Professor who, 13 years earlier, had given me the opportunity to work in Cuernavaca, Mexico at an orphanage for children with Down syndrome. This experience began molding my character and prepared me for the world as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Chief Executive Officer. During our phone conversation, I happily agreed to two humanitarian missions, as service work is something I had been setting my sights on for a while.

I not only wanted to assist with the project but one of my major goals was to establish a good relationship in Ecuador and Nicaragua. This would allow me to be able to take other staff members from Aprendamos and Esperanza Children’s Therapy Clinic with me. I knew this would be a good fit since Aprendamos was established with the vision of giving back to the community. I truly believe that we are a global community and we have so much to learn from others around the world. With this volunteer work, I expected not only to give back, but also to learn.

On April 30, 2011, I headed to La Fundación Hermano Miguel in Ecuador with my colleague, Lourdes, to train thirty-five staff members at the institution and work at several other foundations in the city of Quito. After a few days in Quito, we headed to an orphanage outside of the capital. I woke up to a beautiful view on the 6th floor on May 1st. It was a breath taking view of the city, situated amid several green mountains.

I found the people in Ecuador to be very friendly, caring and helpful. Our friends at La Fundación Hermano Miguel greeted us with open arms. While at the foundation, I had the opportunity to work with Sebastian and his mother. Sebastian’s mother reported that his life changed when he got meningitis at nine months of age. As a result, Sebastian’s receptive (understanding) and expressive (talking) language was affected. Today, Sebastian uses mostly gestures and vocalizations to communicate and loves music. His mother’s determination to help him against all odds was admirable.

In the next few days, I met several other caring individuals from two other foundations. Fundación Reina Quito is an organization that provides services to approximately one hundred and twenty-five children with Down syndrome. The organization begins by helping children with Down syndrome at a very young age (3-4 months of age). I was overjoyed to have found another group of individuals whose hearts were full of joy, love and passion for the children in their community.

“The children were in the perfect place. They are living a life of joy and love, as they have all become one big family.”

By Wednesday, Lourdes and I headed to a small town, outside of Quito, to visit an orphanage for children who are HIV positive. We arrived at the beautiful hacienda, home to eighteen of the most amazing and resilient kids. As I entered the dining area on Thursday, I was greeted by a room filled with laughter. It was apparent that the children, ranging from 9-months to 18-years of age, were in the perfect place. They are living a life of joy and love, as they have all become one big family.

Lourdes and I immediately fell in love with all the children. I personally bonded with a little guy who only ate bananas during the first two years of his life. He is now 3 years old, but looks like a one-year-old. He was not walking, but worked hard to follow me around the kitchen and dining area using his walker. I was greeted by an amazing smile every time I made eye contact with him. My highlight that day was to see him eat French fries and small pieces of sausage on his own for the first time—something the caregivers had been working towards for a while.

Our last day at the orphanage was spent working with two children, both with developmental delays. Father Alfonso–who started the orphanage–and his staff cooked a traditional meal for us consisting of fried mashed potatoes, pork, beets, hominy and avocados. As I ate this amazing food, it was difficult to think about leaving the children, caregivers and volunteers who brought so much joy to the house.

Our new friend, Fernando, picked us up and we headed back to Quito. I ended my nights emotionally drained as I not only missed my own family, but also kept thinking of the kids that made such an impact in my life. The experience of being among these children was truly humbling and the strong connections we made during our stay are life changing.

We ended our journey on Saturday morning. Lourdes and I had the opportunity to share our knowledge with our new friends in Ecuador but most importantly, we came home with a different perspective on life. It was an opportunity to reflect and compare the similarities and differences between our own life and those of the people we met in Ecuador. We encountered households full of hope, love, compassion, dedication and determination who take every opportunity in life and grow from it. I can genuinely say that this was an experience of a lifetime.

Fall 2011