Hurricane Matthew was forecasted to hit the island of Jamaica early Monday morning as a category 4 hurricane.  Nine of us students from the SPC Dental Hygiene program, our instructor Mrs. Krueger, and her husband Dr. Gordon had been preparing since January for a volunteer trip to this small Caribbean island. We were volunteering for the 1,000 Smiles dental project in Ocho Rios, a branch of Great Shape organization. Our trip had already been delayed because of the storm. After a few conference calls with the college, Great Shape, Sandals, 4 hours with Southwest Airlines and even a phone call with the prime minister of Jamaica ensured our safety, we were able to fly the next morning.

As we started work in the makeshift dental clinics the crowds were pushing down the heavy wooden doors hoping to be seen by the dental staff, and we worked as hard as we could to get them in. Most of the clinical sites were emptied church storage rooms; some didn’t even have a window to let in the sunlight. A majority of my patients had never been to the dentist before and even though they were nervous about the procedures they were so thankful for everything we did. The work days were exhausting but no one wanted to stop for lunch or even take a break to drink water. All the volunteers we worked with came from different offices around the states but we worked as a single team, trying to give each patient the time they needed and show them that we cared about their situation. Every patient had something to tell about their life and I often just listened, trying to imagine myself in their shoes.

The highlight for me was visiting three Jamaican schools. As soon as our bus pulled up, the children were running out to greet us with huge smiles and every one wanted to give us a hug. One of the schools had over nine hundred students all on lunch break in the yard.  This was my first time in a third world country and doubtlessly the best trip of my life. We might have helped some people and relieved some physical pain from our patients but what the Jamaican people taught us was far more valuable. I saw a whole new level of thankfulness and hospitality in these people. They welcomed us right into their homes, and even though they couldn’t afford to put a front door on their hut they were proud to cook us a meal. I will never forget the 1,000 smiles I saw last week and hope I made as big a difference in one of their lives as they made in mine.