My Experience with Borderbeat.net

Borderbeat.net has been an amazing publication to work for and be a part of. I decided to base my last blog around what being part of BorderBeat means to me and what I've learned.

My Favorite Memories...
St.Andrew's clinic was amazing as well, it will be somewhere I'll remember going for the rest of my life. As I graduate from U of A and continue my nursing career, I will never forget what I saw at the clinic. The poverty, side by side with the happiness. was humbling. While I used to complain about my out of season jeans, I found that there are people out there who are happy with thier lives even though they have much, much less. St.Andrews turned into life lesson that has changed me.

Also, the story on Cafe Poca Cosa was fun to do- beyond what St.Andrew's taught me, Cafe Poca Cosa showed me a lighter, enjoyable side to journalism. It was also my first media package and I was very proud of it!


Biggests Accomplishments...
Meeting as a group was never a drag, I'll say that much. Everyone in our class was hilarious, focused, and into creating a new look for the publication. Our website went from a student publication to professional and clean. Creating this "new look" was one of our greatest accomplishments because it reflects on us as individuals.

Challenges I faced...
We had to crank out a lot of stories to keep the publication fresh and interesting and that was tough. Taking 18 units, 15 of them upper division journalism, didn't help either. Copyediting was tough to because on top of the stories, I had to read a lot of articles and make sure they were publishable. However, I found out that I have to ability to push myself to the limit and not crumble, which I nice to knew before beginning my life as a "real" adult!

Advice to Journalists who aspire to write for online publications...
I have come to terms with technology! I respect it, and realize this is what journalism is going to be all about. If you don't know how to put together an online video, podcast, or slideshow, learn ASAP! It's very important to keep your computer skills up to speed, and not only to be able to create media packages but to be able to be the best media person available for your publication. I'm still learning and it has taken some time to become farmiliar with different programs in order to create media packages quickly. Learn, learn, learn! Media, media, media!!

All in all, I'm very proud to have helped create Borderbeat.net and keep it going for years to come!

Cleft Palates

One by one, they walk in the door, some smiling, some crying, some thankful, some frightened. They all have one thing in common: the need for help. One thing they don't have in common are similar disabilities.

After visiting the clinic, I researched the kind of work the doctors and volunteers do to help these children achieve a better quality of life. In 2006 the clinic offered it's services to over 2000 Mexican children and infants. Within those children there were 35 children needing cleft palate surgery.

Cleft palate occurs once every 600-800 births and is able to be fixed at birth with minor physical evidence a cleft palate was actually there. The children at St. Andrew's never got the chance to have the surgery at birth, so those who aren't infants have to go through a much more grueling process in order for their cleft palates to be fixed.

Symptoms of Cleft Palate are distinctive facial deformities, speech pronunciation and ability, and feeding problems (mainly for infants).

Some cleft palates are more severe than others, and the size of the cleft does not determine this. The location of the cleft indicates the long term impacts, such as the effect on speech.

Cleft palates are genetic but can also be caused by environmental factors. (More research is being done to connect these two).

Other Cleft Palate nonprofits:
Operation Smile

Cleft Palate Foundation

Watch a video about a young girl in Albequerqe whose cleft palate was able to be fixed at birth (many pictures of cleft palates in the video):

Pongratz Inc. at St. Andrew's Clinic

Pongratz Inc. is not only a business that provides medical care to all who ask for it, they give it to all who need it. Pongratz Inc. shows up once a month at St.Andrew's clinic in Nogales, AZ. to provide medical care to those who cannot afford health services or who cannot get to the places they need to access it. Pongratz Inc. has been volunteering their services at St. Andrews since 2001.

Pongratz Inc. doesn't only help provide medical care, they donate prosthetic and orthotic equipment which, normally, they would charge patients anywhere from $3,000-$12,000. They also bring thier lab to Nogales so that all follow up appointments from previous clinics can be performed at the same place.



One of the most common diseases that Pongratz aids to is Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is an "umbrella" term for a non-progressive, non-contagious disease that in most cases causes a physical disability. At St. Andrew's Clinic, Pongratz Prosthetics and Orthotics helps about 10-25 children a day with cerebral palsy fitting them with new and up-to-date medical equipment.

Pongratz Inc. also volunteers their services for Limbs 2 Life, a is a group designed to "help amputees realize their fullest potential".

Pongratz Inc. has three offices in Arizona:

Phoenix Office
2530 E. Thomas RD
Phoenix, AZ 85016
(602) 222-3032

Mesa Office
641 W. Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85210
(602)222-3032

Tucson East
4520 E. Grant RD
Tucson, AZ 85712
(520) 322-4499
Map this location

Personal Experience of St. Andrew's Clinic

As a human you can't help but feel for the patients, the doctors, nurses and volunteers. However, as a journalist you couldn't have more stories and project ideas placed in front of you. Each story unique, each story has a personality, and each story can come alive through the right documentation.

I had an opportunity to report and document a day at St.Andrew's Children's Clinic in Nogales,Arizona. The clinic is put on once a month through donations and treats children who several different disabilities, diseases, or impairments.

When I first got there, I was very intimidated. Here I was, completely healthy and fortunate enough to afford the camera around my arm, let alone the contact lenses in my eyes. I'm a student, reporting on what goes on each first Thursday of the month, trying to capture the actions and emotions of everyone around me. Who was going to talk to me? Who could speak English? Who was I to try to talk to these people?

I thought I would start out with pictures- capturing the emotion on the camera would be my goal, then I could write about it later.Asking the parents to take pictures was the first obstacle for getting up close and personal. "Lo puedo tomar la foto?" I'm not even sure if that's right, but when I said it, the parents were only happy to accept my offer so that I could get up close and personal in order to tell a story.

I worked mostly in the orthopedic/prosthetics wing, closely with the doctors, patients and volunteers. I was told about certain conditions, like cerebral palsy, that kept children from being able to attain normal movement- mostly of the legs/feet. The doctors molded, shaved, and formed braces around the children's legs, ensuring a perfect fit. The faces of the children who were given treatment were unforgettable and completely humbling. Again, I was trying to be the journalist, get the story, tell it, and let those who read it choose their own emotions. However, I felt it impossible to stay emotionally detached.

From this experiences (described briefly in this blog) I was able to create three great stories as well as a slide show or two. The stories I created focused on odiology, orthopedics, and the motivation behind the volunteers who work there. This blog is only a small preview into what I'm about to put together along with my fellow journalists on Border beat.net. Check it out next week!

AIDS in Mexico

I wanted to check out the AIDS/HIV dilemma in Mexico because it doesn't seem to have an AIDS reputation at all. While Mexico doesn't have an AIDS "problem" AIDS cases exist and Mexico is in the top 20 countries with most reported AIDS cases.The AIDS epidemic in Mexico is mostly concentrated among homosexual and bisexual men and women who have had bad blood transfusions. Most AIDS cases are reported in large cities and have remained stabilized for the last ten years.

Watch Introductory Video about AIDS:



Watch Top Ten Myths about AIDS:



AIDS in Mexico Facts:
1) The first AIDS case in Mexico was diagnosed in 1983.
2) 4,000 new cases annually
3) 57% of those living with AIDS in mexico are homosexual/bisexual men.
4) Mexico is ranked 13th in countries with an AIDS epidemic regarding the amount of people infected.

What is Montezuma's Revenge?

Whenever I have travelled outside the US, especially to Mexico, I am warned to stay away from the water and the spicy foods that I am not used and to use hand sanitizer frequently. I am told to stay away from any ice and to clean my soda cans before I put my mouth on them. I am do this because I might get "Montezuma's Revenge" and when I hear that I nod, and usually listen. However, my nod is unsure of what Montezuma's Revenge actually is...so, I did what I do best for my blog, I researched this questionable phrase of an illness.

I found that Montezuma's Revenge is a tourist's term basically for diarrhea, in fact it's "official name" is Traveler's Diarrhea (TD). If you want to get technical, Montezuma's revenge/TD refers to a bacteriological illness which can occasionally become serious. Most cases are caused by the E.coli bacteria. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and malaise.

I asked myself to look back into history to see what I have learned...however, my seventh grade memory failed me and I couldn't remember what Montezuma did, and why this form of foreign diarrhea was considered his revenge.

Montezuma's Bio

According to The Phrase Finder:
"The revenge element of the phrase alludes to countries that were previously colonized by stronger countries and are now, in this small way, getting their own back. Names for it vary depending on the part of the world concerned."

Montezuma's Revenge is a term mexico tourists use. Below are other terms of TD in different countries.

Different Names for Montezuma's Revenge:

Mexico:
Gringo Gallop
Aztec Two-step

Asia:
Ghandi's Revenge
Gyppy Tummy
Tokyo Trots

India:
Dehli Belly
US:
Mountaineers

Montezuma Revenge Facts:
Each year Montezuma's Revenge affects 20%-50% of international travelers, an estimated 10 million people, develop diarrhea

Protecting Yourself against Travel-related Disease



Health Tips for Family Travel

Pre- Vacation Vaccinations

When traveling to Mexico, one may assume that all they need to do to prepare for their trip is pack a toothbrush and a couple pairs of flip flops. However, without proper preparation, they may be coming home with much more- a disease.

Vaccinating yourself before a trip can't hurt, and in Mexico, it will protect you against the things you don't see in your water or on your food.

What to vaccinate yourself against:

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver that is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Symptoms include: Fatigue
fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, depression, jaundice, sharp pains in the right-upper quadrant of the abdomen, weight loss.

Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever is a nonfatal illness (however can be very serious) and is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Symptoms include: A fever as high as 40°C (104°F), sweating, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea.

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver. Symptoms include: general ill-health, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, body aches, mild fever, dark urine, and jaundice. Vaccination recommended for travelers who may have intimate contact with natives/local residents.

Rabies
Rabies is a viral zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that causes acute encephalitis
(For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care)

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) MMR are alike viruses spread through respiration. Symptoms include: A body rash, low grade fever, swollen glands, joint pains, headache, conjunctivitis

Tetanus-diphtheria

Tetanus is a condition that affects the prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. There are four different kinds all affecting the muscles. Symptoms include: Painful muscle contraction.


Why vaccinations are important for adults: