Ambu + Med Student Mash-up

A few days ago in a rather unexpected twist we combined two of our site's featured services: Ambulance/EMS and Medical Student Scholarship.

Mariano, the current recipient of the N. Barrett Self Memorial Scholarship, was driving back to the site of the medical school he attends here in Guatemala. It was raining and the car in front of him slowed abruptly. He responded in kind by also braking. His vehicle then promptly departed the road and rolled over multiple times before stopping with its wheels in the air and Mariano suspended upside down.

Fortunately Mariano- one of the seemingly very few people in Guatemala who do not consider seatbelts a superfluous accessory- was restrained by his seatbelt. Air bags deployed. Windows broke. The roof bent. But, Mariano did not suffer any life threatening injuries. He walked away with a few contusions and scattered skin abrasions.

Upon learning of the accident, we put our ambulance to use and retrieved Mariano. He was transported back to our site and has been recovering from the experience over the last few days.

His vehicle will need a bit of work. But, all things considered, we and Mariano are grateful that the outcome of his vehicular gymnastics was not far worse.

He is still among the living and still on course to complete his medical training. Having survived an experience that left him suspended upside down, he is now in some ways arguably better prepared to join our local team of providers in the coming years as we attempt to live out the "upside-down kingdom" found in the Gospels.

"Even when they call us mad, when they call us subversives... we know we only preach the subversive witness of the Beatitudes, which have turned everything upside down."

Oscar Romero