Nicaraguan Homeowner Showing Gratitude for Concrete Flooring as Part of a Public Health Mission Trip

Authors

Breonna Kinnison, Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic MedicineFollow

Keywords

humanities; painting; public health; students; medical; medical missions; Nicaragua; health promotion

Disciplines

Community Health | Medical Education | Medical Humanities | Painting

Abstract

I’m Bree Kinnison, a fourth-year medical student and aspiring psychiatrist. When I’m not studying, I enjoy painting using acrylics. This painting depicts a very fond memory of mine. After completing the medical portion of our mission trip in Nicaragua, we began our public health portion. Along with fellow students, I laid concrete flooring in this woman’s house. For all 76 years of her life, she had never experienced anything other than a dirt floor in her home. Traditional dirt flooring in Nicaraguan homes is responsible for many preventable illnesses. When shown the final product, she reached out and hugged the first person she could get ahold of. She began crying and thanking God for placing us in her life. We were equally grateful for this life-changing experience.

Recommended Citation

Kinnison, Breonna (2020) "Nicaraguan Homeowner Showing Gratitude for Concrete Flooring as Part of a Public Health Mission Trip," HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine: Vol. 1: Iss. 2, Article 9.
DOI: 10.36518/2689-0216.1047
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.hcahealthcare.com/hcahealthcarejournal/vol1/iss2/9