June 8th, 2019:
This week has been a once in a life time opportunity that
has changed me in many ways. Everything in and around Cherokee, NC was
different from what I am use to back home. Generosity was seen everywhere I
went in Cherokee and I did not encounter a single rude person during my time
here. One of the biggest generosity things that I witnessed this week was how
the Cherokee Indian Hospital took care of people. When child protective
services get involved and a family has to adopt a child and has nothing, the
Cherokee Hospital will provide them with clothes and diapers to get them
started. They keep them in storage and give them out as needed but they do it
often and sometimes people need things at the drop of a hat. One way we were
able to improve the health of others this week was by giving our donated
diapers and clothes to the hospital so that they can give them to people in
need. We had so many donated things to give the hospital that they ran out of
room to put things and had to make new spaces! This could not have been done
without the community helping us with donations, so for that thank you!
Before this journey even started I had done some research on
the health of people in Cherokee. The people in Cherokee are not all in the healthiest
state and this is due to many reasons. Genetics, lack of knowledge, and lack of
resources are some reasons for this. With the hospital, the many resources that
the hospital has, and the things the hospital is bringing to Cherokee I feel
that these people will be able to get healthier and keep their heritage for
future generations. Keeping the heritage for future generations is something
that is extremely important because if the heritage is not passed along to future
generations then it will eventually be completely gone. The Cherokee heritage is something that is extremely
important to history and I personally feel that many people can learn from the Cherokee
heritage.
This week definitely changed me in many ways but it pushed
me in many ways as well. I had to step out of my comfort zone to learn from
this experience and in the beginning this made me nervous because nobody likes
to go out of their comfort zone. However, I am so glad I was pushed out of my comfort
zone because I learned things that will stay with me forever and shape me into
the nurse I will soon be. One thing that I did this week that was out of my
comfort zone was ask questions. I asked so many questions to so many different
people but the more I asked the more comfortable I became. I have never been a
person to ask questions or to clarify if I was confused. I typically will write
it down and go look it up myself but this week I could not do this. There were
so many things that I had questions about and wanted to know more about that I
had to ask right then and there.
Before this journey began and on Day 1 I was scared that I
would not know how to adopt to the Cherokee culture or that I would offend
somebody with a question (not intentionally). I have learned from this week
that the Cherokee love to teach their culture to people and that they will
answer anything you want to know. By the end of the week I was asking everybody
I saw questions about something and they answered everything and nobody was
ever rude. I was scared and nervous on Day 1 and now looking back I have no
idea why.
This trip is
something I will forever remember and will forever be grateful I went on.