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Bev's Story
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In 2004, Bev visited Satipo with a group of doctors from Newcastle, Australia and Lima, Peru. While working in the hospital there, in the operating theatre and a rehabilitation tent, she saw a huge need for a rehabilitation centre. In one week 550 people attended the doctors in this area and of those 250 had problems needing rehabilitation.
Bev heard how many of the parents carried their children for up to 10 hours to he seen by an Australian doctor, believing that a white doctor could heal their children. With this large number of people needing care, and only one Physiotherapist in the town, there is not enough time for him to deal with the needs. Many of the people cannot afford the care he gives. With the monthly income of many being under AU$200 and the cost of living being high in comparison to this wage, many cannot afford the basic needs of housing and many children go to school. In the indigenous villages, many never see doctors or dentists and most children never attend school.
In 2005, Bev returned to Satipo to begin making plans to set up a rehabilitation centre. At this time she discovered that many of the children are locked away in sheds and are fed like animals. The parents simply believe that it is a punishment from the gods that they have a child with these conditions. She learned that almost every family has a story to tell.
In 2006, Bev retired from her work as a nurse in the Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, Australia. With her superannuation payout she moved to Satipo to begin the construction of the centre, and obtained permanent residency within four months. This usually takes two years! Apart from organising the construction of and working in the centre, Bev is currently teaching English to the staff at the hospital, with a high competency of medical terminology. She also works with the Mayor and the directors of the hospital to educate the local population on health and hygiene.
Bev works with the local couple, Jimmy and Marisa Padilla, and with their help is able to reach the local people easily. Jimmy speaks English and works as Bev's interpreter and dictionary. With their help Spanish is fast becoming Bev's primary language. They have accepted Bev into their lives as part of their family and the towns' people have also welcomed the help that is offered. Bev is currently running healthy eating/cooking classes and the Mayor of the town wants her to teach the whole town to eat in a healthy manner to eradicate the malnutrition that is prevalent.
Every year Bev organises medical teams to work in the hospital educating the doctors and operating on children whose families cannot afford the health care in Peru.
In 2007, there are two medical teams visiting, one Surgical team and one team of Midwifes with a Neonatologist. These people all give of their time and knowledge freely to aid the children in the little town of Satipo. There is a Rehabilitation Specialist Doctor from Cuba who is also coming to help in the Rehabilitation centre.
Bev has also begun a Rotary club in Satipo (the first in Peru!) which will aid in bringing volunteers from Australia. When the Royal Newcastle hospital closed in 2006, Bev organised and paid for a container of old beds and other requirements for the hospital and rehab centre to be shipped to Satipo.
Bev continues to dedicate her time and effort in helping the community of Satipo and changing the lives of underprivileged children.