Nancy Bonalumi, RN, traveled by air, bus, boat, and foot for two weeks to provide free basic healthcare to isolated communities along the Amazon Basin.Nancy Bonalumi, RN, has long been invested in ensuring medical care and health education resources are readily available in underserved communities both near and far. For years, she has teamed up with Project Helping Hands, a nonprofit organization that deploys volunteer medical teams to remote areas in developing nations. Her expertise and sense of adventure have taken her around the world to Nepal and Kenya, and she recently completed her fifth trip to Bolivia.
Decked out in Penn Medicine swag and leading a group of four American volunteers, seven Bolivian physicians, and a group of dentists from La Paz, Bonalumi visited eight remote villages along the Amazon Basin over two weeks and ran free clinics, where the team saw more than 1,500 patients.
The group carried over 1,000 pounds of donated and personally purchased medical supplies, such as antibiotics, ibuprofen, prenatal vitamins, splinting materials, and other necessities. At each stop, they’d set up in a local meeting place, often the village’s school, while hundreds lined up patiently — some who had traveled from other areas after hearing about the free care. After a local guide took intake information, the team got to work treating illnesses and injuries, distributing toothbrushes (more than 2,000!) and reading glasses, and providing educational resources.
“These villages primarily consist of hardworking subsistence farmers, so we taught back stretches, knee bends, and yoga poses to prevent soreness or injury,” Bonalumi said. “We also talked about hand hygiene, feminine hygiene, and contraception. That’s really important to me. Young women in these communities don’t always have the option to finish their education, so we wanted to give them the tools to control their sexual health. Of the seven Bolivian physicians, five were women, so they served as both providers and examples of the possibilities for these girls.”
The team encountered their share of challenges — some very sick children, elderly adults whose diseases had progressed too far, and even a severely infected tooth that required them to make arrangements with the nearest hospital (hundreds of miles away) — but while Bonalumi admits “this is daunting work,” she’s proud to work with the small, but mighty organization.
“Every time we’d set up camp on the rugged terrain, I’d think, ‘I’m getting too old for this.’ But then I’d meet these communities that are so gracious and do my best to provide the best care possible, and I’d think, ‘Never mind!’” Bonalumi said. “It’s our intention to serve the underserved, and I’m so proud of my team. When you do this work, you not only do a lot of good, but you can really make lifelong friends.”
If you’re eager to donate your time and expertise to communities worldwide, email Nancy.Bonalumi@uphs.upenn.edu to learn more about Project Helping Hands. Interested in outreach closer to home? Learn more about the Penn Medicine CAREs grant at PennMedicine.org/Community.