The gift of giving: Dr. Shandra Greig volunteers for Medical Teams International in The Philippines

By Kristine Thomas

The warm smiles, the words of gratitude, the acts of kindness are a few of the priceless gifts Dr. Shandra Greig received while volunteering in The Philippines with Medical Teams International.

“I received more than I gave while in Guiuan among these resilient Filipino people rebuilding after a terrifying typhoon took away what little possessions they had or worse, loved ones,” Greig wrote on her Facebook page. “I am returning with a grateful heart.”

Greig returned to Silverton on Dec. 6 after spending two weeks in The Philippines with MTI, a Christian global health organization helping people affected by disaster, conflict and poverty. MTI delivers medical and dental care, humanitarian aid, and holistic development programs to people in need. It responds to disasters by sending teams of volunteer medical professionals and medical supplies to care for the sick and injured.

Greig, a physician at Family Medical Group in Silverton, is married to Dr. Rodney Orr. Their children are Lindsey, a sophomore at Silverton High School, and Jason, an eighth grader at Mark Twain Middle School.
To be away from her patients and family for two weeks took a team of people assisting her, she said, adding she is thankful for her parents, family members, friends, patients, office staff and medical partners for their encouragement and support.

As a member of the disaster team for MTI , Greig was asked to go to The Philippines to provide medical care to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, that hit Nov. 8. Haiyan has been identified as one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record.

A month after the typhoon, 4 million people are still displaced.
“When I was there, I could feel the energy of the destruction that I had seen in the photographs,” she said. “It was so overwhelming. I wondered how on earth are they going to ever get out of this.”

During her two weeks there, she did see progress. For example, when they initially drove place-to-place they had to navigate around the piles of debris in the streets. By the time she left, much of the debris had been pushed to the side.

She flew to Cebu to rest, organize supplies and be briefed before leaving for Guiuan, which was devastated by the typhoon and the rainy season.

Her team included two paramedics, a doctor from Portland, a nurse from Salem and a nurse from Montana. Greig said they worked from sunrise to sunset – seeing hundreds of patients a day.

One of the challenges Greig had working in remote areas was not being able to use technology such as X-rays or conduct tests – for example, blood or urine tests.

Evaluation was done by routine exams and listening to the patients’ concerns. She learned what was happening with the patient and determined what assistance could be provided.

The first time she traveled with MTI was to Haiti after that country’s devastating earthquake. She said it was frustrating because she couldn’t fix whatever health situation she encountered.

This time, she said, she was OK with that.

“I knew we would do what we could do and when I couldn’t help, I told them I was sorry,” she said. “They would look at me with a smile and say thank you anyway.”

She and her team were grateful the acuity of medical issues settled down without any signs of a major outbreak of disease.

“There have been a few very tragic encounters with people who have conditions treatable in USA but since they are indigent and living in a rural location they are unable to get treatment,” she wrote.

She met a 67-year-old woman who was blinded by glaucoma who came to the clinic hoping the medical team could do something to help her. When she told the woman there wasn’t anything she could do, she was once again overwhelmed by her response – the woman thanked her.

“No matter what we did, the people were always appreciative,” Greig said.

“It’s been very positive work,” she wrote. “I’ve seen amazing resilience in the face of horrendous conditions that seem insurmountable!”

When the team couldn’t help, Greig said they found an organization that could.

Greig shared the story of a 16-year-old girl who had a large mass on her neck. Worried and suspicious the mass might be cancer, Greig knew the girl needed a biopsy.

“We took the girl to Doctors Without Borders who had a tent hospital and we asked a doctor there to be a champion for the situation,” Greig said. “The mother and the girl were so grateful and thanked us many times.”

Although Greig said she probably will never know the outcome, she does know “we helped her have more than she had before.”

The transportation to remote locations was by van, including one without a windshield. Greig took an outrigger to one remote island. Each visit showed her how people born there had no access to medical care.
Despite the destruction caused by the typhoon, Greig did not feel distraught – instead she felt inspired.

“There was a sense of hope that I felt during the experience due to meeting so many resilient Filipino people
who are getting back up and working on clean up and rebuilding and doing it with a smile and appreciation for life,” she said. “For the most part, people in Guiuan survived and they were so thankful to be alive.

There was little electricity and only one place where she could go for Internet access. There was no running water, merely a well and a pump.

“I think what draws me to this experience is that we have it so good and there are so many people in the world that don’t.

I never want to forget that,” she said.