Day 3 – Team Thompson 881 – Tuesday, November 11, 2025
“May this mission be a living gospel; good news in action, love made visible. May we always cope and hope with grace.”
One of the busiest — and most inspiring — areas of our clinic is our mobility group. Each day, 30 or more wheelchairs are carefully built and distributed to those in need.
Our dedicated physical therapists Bruce and Mary Jo work one-on-one with patients, helping them regain strength and movement. Some are fitted with crutches, others receive their very first wheelchair — each one a symbol of freedom, dignity, and renewed independence.
Dr. Irina DeFischer shared the story of the first patient in our Mobility clinic this morning. Melvin is a 27-year-old whose life changed drastically just three months earlier. Once active and healthy, he suffered a severe head injury in a motorcycle accident that left him bedridden and dependent on others for care. His wife and a municipal official traveled to Poptún to seek help through our Faith in Practice clinic, hoping to secure a wheelchair to improve his mobility.
When Melvin arrived, it was clear that he faced more than one challenge. He was being fed Ensure through a feeding tube but was severely malnourished, and a large pressure sore had developed at the base of his spine from months of immobility. Dr. Irina called on our Nurse Practitioner Betsy for help with wound care, and she immediately jumped into action—not only tending to his wound but also teaching his wife how to improve his nutrition. Out of her own generosity, Betsy paid for a blender for the family so they could prepare higher-calorie feedings at home.
Melvin was then fitted with a wheelchair, and we made a referral for ongoing community support to help his family navigate the road ahead.
Moments like this remind all of us why volunteering with our Faith in Practice team is so gratifying. Everyone came together—medical staff, family, and community—to offer care, dignity, and hope during a profoundly difficult time.
Ruth Lacey, Volunteer & Blogger
