A Reflection on this Haven of Healing

Our Year Long Volunteer, Bo, reflects on the past year he’s spent at Christ House as a Respite Care Assistant. 

A little over a year ago, I had just finished finals, graduation was hardly a week away, and medical school applications were soon to follow.  It seemed as though most of my classmates had sorted out their answer to the oft-asked question of, “What are your plans for next year?” but I was still unsure.  After months of searching for and discerning an experience that felt like the right fit, I remember watching a video posted on Christ House’s website.  Deeply moved, I forwarded it along to my mom. Her response encapsulates my experience of this place over the past year, “They are truly doing God’s work.”

At Christ House, medicine seems to be practiced as it should be.  Patients are not seen as just a list of diagnoses on the EHR.  Instead, there is a holistic approach to care. It includes great clinical treatment and extends to the excellent case management and three hearty meals; the attention to detail of a freshly made bed, nicely folded stack of clean laundry, and pristine floors; the spiritual nourishment of the Sunday church service and addiction meetings; and the social comradery promoted among the patients by activities and outings. These components foster an environment that upholds human dignity and provides stability to lives typically fraught with uncertainty and adversity. The result is an opportunity for physical and spiritual healing—something I’ve witnessed fulfilled many times throughout this year.

Christ House is successful because each staff member is committed to the mission.  In the medical staff specifically, I have found role models whose example will guide the physician I strive to become. A few days into the year, I had the opportunity to sit in on some “John McCarthy foot care.”  A nurse practitioner, John is also our in-house podiatrist, an invaluable role for our patients because the trials of experiencing homelessness are often borne on one’s feet.  I watched intently as he took out a whole foot care kit–stocked with clippers, filers, even a lemon zester for those tough nails and callouses–and sat cross legged on the floor.  For the next twenty minutes, nail clippings and shavings flying everywhere, John and the patient joyously traded stories like they were old friends.  John and the rest of the team embody the virtues of “servant leadership.”  They lead with humility and their compassion and dedication to the health of these men flows fluidly into their patient care.

As a nursing assistant, my days are filled with variety.  This includes taking vitals, doing laundry, carrying out various treatments, cleaning, and assisting with ADLs. Commonly on the floor or helping someone in our treatment room, much of my role involves direct interaction with our patients.  This has taught me of the unique relationship between a caregiver and receiver. Whether it’s treating a wound, wrapping a knee, or helping in the shower, through our conversations and my care, I often encounter patients in their vulnerability and am entrusted to be a companion on their healing journeys. This is a privilege that carries deep responsibility. Especially in situations where this innate quality has been seemingly robbed, I must strive to respect and uphold their dignity. And like any medical setting, even though our patients aren’t always “cured” of all their ailments, a particular beauty of medicine lies within these strong, special connections.

These relationships have also taught me of the complex adversity Christ House patients face. In addition to homelessness and an acute medical need, they often endure the burdens of unemployment, addiction, previous incarceration, mental illness, and more. Our guys are tough, and they are resilient as there is no simple resolution. Despite all this, at morning vitals when asked how they are doing, it isn’t uncommon to hear “Blessed” or “Grateful that God woke me up this morning.” While the future is often uncertain, the gratitude, strength of faith, and perseverance of hope among these men is inspiring.

In reflecting on this year, I look back with joy upon the look of pure elation on a patient’s face as we climbed the stairs of a DC United game, laughing at one of many of Brigid’s clever quips, a morning greeting and grin from John Craig after walking through the door, sharing a meal with Yordanos after a busy morning, talking music classics with Edwin on my first night shift, or the various performances of “open mic night” after dinner one evening. It would take a whole other blog to fully depict the memories, relationships, and patient journeys that I’ve experienced this year. However, with these highs there have also been lows—moments of distress, wrestling, and sorrow. At times I have been overwhelmed by the plight of homelessness and poverty on the streets of DC and in my own neighborhood, struggling with my role and responsibility to be of help. While these issues continue to afflict so many in our communities, Christ House offers hope; a living testament that a positive difference is both possible and probable with an inspired mission and a committed heart.