Dollars and Sense

I keep getting this cents there's something I need to talk about here. I just can't buck the feeling, but if I start writing I'll surely figure it out. I'm banking on it.

Wait a second. What's with all these puns?
Oh snap.
*gulp*
It's the dreaded fundraising talk.

Yup. I've started fundraising. In fact, you can click right here to donate!!

Now, I just want to clarify what exactly these donations will be going to, and be as transparent as possible. All crew serving with Mercy Ships are required to pay a monthly crew fee, to offset their living expenses while aboard the ship. They are also responsible for their travel costs - getting to and from the ship. It is a pretty unique concept in the world. Instead of the organization paying their workers, the workers pay the organization.

Where is all this money going, you ask? Well, it ain't going to Scrooge McDuck, I can tell you that for sure.

As you might imagine, running a hospital is pretty costly. Even without any salaries for the all of the hundreds of staff, the equipment, supplies, medications, and even power usage are SUBSTANTIAL costs. And when I say substantial, I mean hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars. Not to mention, of course, feeding and housing all those hundreds of staff. The mandatory crew fees essentially just cover those basic costs of room and board and emergency insurance. The ship's operating costs (above and beyond that) are supported by donations (above and beyond the crew fees).

This hospital is also usually rather far from where the volunteers live, so the other major expense of flights to and from the ship is also covered by the volunteers themselves.

So let's cut to the chase. This is my breakdown of what I anticipate my costs to be:

Flights: $2000-3000
Crew Fees: $1400 ($700 x 2 months)
Minimum Total: $3400
Serving The World's Forgotten Poor: PRICELESS.
*all prices in USD.

Ah? Ah? ...sorry. Couldn't resist.

All donations will be processed through Mercy Ships and held in an account (did I mention they have their own bank aboard the ship?), then used to pay my crew fees each month, and refund me (if possible) for the cost of my flights, which I must pay up front. As you may have noticed, on my fundraising page, I set my goal at $3000. That's because a) that's a lot of money and b) if I can get that much, I can manage the rest myself. What if I go over that, you ask? Well, first off, that would be incredible, and second, any money raised above my goal will go directly to Mercy Ships to the aforementioned substantial operating costs.

This week I'm working on some fundraising ideas, trying to get my flights booked (so I'll have a more definite idea of the cost), and arranging travel insurance. Next week I visit the travel clinic at the health unit, and will get a number of pokes and jabs and blebs and pills. Yippie.

That's all for now, folks! In case you missed the first two links, click here to support me!

Feel free to comment below or contact me directly with any questions or concerns!

You're doing what now?

    So, those of you who I see on a regular basis probably know what I'm doing these days, and those of you who I haven't seen in some time probably know what my hopes/dreams/plans for my "someday in the future" were. Or were. But a lot of you probably don't know both of these things. So, let me explain.

   For a long time I've felt a pull to follow a certain wise man's example of loving and serving those who have been neglected and least loved in the world. Having spent my entire life in a country where education, job opportunities, and healthcare are essentially handed to you, I particularly feel a responsibility to those affected by war, disaster, and abject poverty that simply doesn't exist in Canada. The tremendous disparity in the distribution of wealth in our world is staggering. I know I'm just one person, and I can't fix that. But this was a bit part of my decision to pursue nursing. I can be a very small part of bringing modern health care, so often taken for granted by the wealthy, to the poor and marginalized, many of whom would never otherwise have the chance to receive treatment (another huge influence on that decision was an amazing woman named Pearl...but that's another story for another time).

    I remember sitting in my car in my parents driveway one night in my 2nd year of university. I turned on the radio and heard news reports about the earthquake in Haiti. All I wanted in that moment was to somehow be there, so I could actually do something about the suffering and death that was happening. I had very little money to speak of. In fact, I had negative money to speak of. I was living off student loans; didn't even technically own that car. I couldn't feasibly give monetary support to the red cross or another aid organization to help the relief effort. I knew first aid, though; I knew what to do with an injured, hurting person. If only I could *be in Haiti*...I could actually do something (albeit something small) to help. I hated the realization that at that point in my life, there was just not a whole lot I could do to help in that situation. So, I waited. I studied. I prayed. I worked my butt off to graduate and work off my debt.

    Around the same time all that happened, my dad happened to see a documentary about this crazy organization that runs a free hospital off a ship in the ports of some of the world's poorest countries. He told me, "Danita, you need to go look at this website. Pronto." I was immediately blown away by the work Mercy Ships does, and knew I would not only jump at an opportunity to work with them, but actively work toward it. As do many aid organizations, Mercy Ships requires their nurses to have a few years of experience (and, you know, a completed education and license) under their belt. So, skip ahead a few years, and I am finally in a position where I have the experience and stability in my life to jump in to international humanitarian waters. 

    I am realizing here that I've been explaining and not really summing-up. Sorry! But I hope I've given you a bit of an understanding of what I've been doing with my life, and why I've been driven to take on this adventure!

    Boldly going where my Savior's gone before,

-Danita

It's Official!!

    Well, I can finally say definitively that I'm going to serve with Mercy Ships, from mid-October to mid-December!

    For those of you who don't know, Mercy Ships is an international organization that operates a floating, world-class hospital in the ports of developing nations. They provide 100% FREE services to anyone who needs them; primarily surgical, opthamalogic, and dental procedures.

(warning, someone might be cutting onions in here)

    They are able to operate this way due to many generous donors, but also because their volunteers actually pay to be there. The crew, physicians and nurses all pay or fundraise a monthly crew fee which covers their room, board, and living expenses.

    While I'm there, the ship will be in Toamasina (aka Tamatave), Madagascar, and I will be working on the surgical ward (ok, let's just get it out there, the land of lemurs, zebu, foosa, and yes, King Julian).

    I am eagerly anticipating this new adventure; it's something I've been working towards since I was still in university. Having been lucky enough to be born in a country where healthcare is free and state-of-the-art is easy to take for granted, but I'm excited to be able to bring that level of care to people who have never seen it before.

    Please stay tuned, I'll be updating this blog with info on my preparations, and opportunities to help support me in this endeavor! And, of course, my experiences while I'm there!

-Danita