This week, everything is coming to a satisfying close. The hypertension project I spent so many hours crafting on my 11-inch laptop screen has materialized into the poster it was meant to be, we’ve wrapped up meetings with the specialists who provided feedback for Rice 360˚ technologies, and now we sit down to write our thank you notes. I’ve been amazed by the people we’ve met in Barretos. Everyone has been so accommodating and eager to help us, with each meeting (both formal and passing) ending with, “If you need anything, please feel free to ask. You have my WhatsApp?”
We also have been lucky enough to make a few good friends, one of whom asked earlier this week why I don’t stay longer, to which I replied, “Well besides the plane ticket that says I have to go on Saturday… I miss my mom!” And while I know when Mom and I are reunited next week I’ll be excited to hear about everything that’s happened in Dallas, I also know I won’t be able to stop talking about Barretos for the foreseeable future, especially with all the pictures I have to fuel my stories. Here are a few now.
The hypertension poster in its final form, hand delivered by my friend, Nathalia.
Dr. Sergio Serrano, director of the medical school, evaluating Rice 360˚s MaThermal, a continuously monitoring, noninvasive thermometer.
Dr. Luis Romagnolo explaining his vision for the future of Rice 360˚s Colostomates, a reusable, inexpensive, colostomy bag.
Dr. Maurcio Saito performing an ultrasound on Rice 360˚s BreastTest, a training model that could improve abnormality detection in traditional breast exams.
And just for fun, Whitney posing with a massive avocado at Savegnago Supermercado. (It was not ripe, we were sucked in by temptation.)
This internship wouldn’t have been possible without the support of generous donors, the Rice 360˚ team, and the dedicated mentors who prepared us for this experience. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of this process, and thanks to everyone who has kept up with my blog. I was surprised by how many people reached out with comments, and it meant a lot to know I had some readers. Now I’m back in the States and excited to share everything I learned.