Erica Horton is a medical student at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB) who attended INMED’s Exploring Medical Missions Conference in May 2006. “God had already laid on my heart ideas about going into medical missions. During the INMED conference I listened to the presentation by a UMKC student who served in Cameroon. I’ve always been interested in going to Africa because of the vast need they have in all areas of medicine, especially preventative. I felt a strong urge to go there – to serve people who do not have the means to help themselves. I believe that’s why we are here on this Earth… to respect the value of human life, and to give whatever we can to serve God.”
Erica’s altruistic vision came into focus when she enrolled in the INMED International Medicine Diploma Program. INMED arranged for her to study with American physicians during August and September 2006 at the Nilerigu Baptist Medical Center in northern Ghana. The Baptist Medical Centre (BMC) ministry was founded by an American physician, George Faile II, half a century ago, and today the Faile Foundation provides many valuable services and funding for the Baptist Medical Center. The Nilerigu BMC is a full-scale hospital and clinic whose services include surgery, dental care, TB treatment, HIV care and management of obstetrical emergencies.
Erica passionately describes her experience: “I saw so many children die from malaria, pneumonia and dehydration…often 5 or 6 a day. We worked extremely hard to try and save them, giving IV fluids and medications. We prayed for them, too. We prayed with their families, we prayed before surgeries. I saw American surgeons bow their heads and grasp the hands of their patients before anesthesia. How often would I ever see that in the United States? I came to realize the importance of prayer – how it brings peace of mind. When we had provided all we could to save a child and asked God to intervene, then we knew we’d done everything possible.”