Printed in the Northfield News, May 27, 2009
Trip of a lifetime through ChiroMission
By Dr. Dan Corbett, Guest Columnist
On April 1, I embarked on a chiropractic mission trip, arranged by a company named ChiroMission, to the Dominican Republic. For three days I, along with 25 other chiropractors and 40 chiropractic students, treated people in schools, orphanages, churches, hospitals and villages. The experience is one I will never forget.
On the first day, two chiropractic students and I were at an elementary school just outside the main city where we were greeted by many happy and eager children. We set up a treatment area within one of the classrooms and evaluated and adjusted over 100 children. We then continued our missionary work at another school and a church. On the second and third days, I and one other student visited a school that was made of two abandoned school buses and a local hospital where we treated patients, nurses and other hospital staff.
We also took a trip to the countryside of the Dominican Republic. The countryside was mountainous and very difficult to travel as the roads were laden with severe potholes. On average the vehicle only moved 5 to 10 mph. While traveling through many small villages, the driver often pulled to the side of the road and we went door-to-door to see if the villagers were in need of care; if so we were invited into their homes to evaluate and treat them.
The people didn’t really know what chiropractic was -- for the most part, they had never even heard about it. However, after a brief explanation they were very eager to get evaluated and treated. Some of the people had symptoms of headaches, neck or back pain, however, in many circumstances people wanted to be checked and ensured that their spine and nervous system were working optimally.
The greatest compliment any patient can give me is when a parent hands over a child or an infant to get checked. In every location I visited, parents were allowing me to evaluate and treat their children. Most of the care was performed using makeshift furniture: plastic chairs, tables, desks and even an altar.
The people in the Dominican Republic didn’t have much as far as earthly possessions, but they did have strong family connections. They also had shelter, clothing and for the most part were fed decently and appeared to be a very happy people. The children were all smiles and very appreciative of the care they received. The homes in some areas were mostly wood- or tree-sided with grass or plants for roofing. I was surprised to see most of the homes had electricity — even energy efficient light bulbs.
The trip was very rewarding. To take my expertise and help so many people in need was very gratifying. I hope to return to the Dominican Republic in the future to do more mission work.