|
...Iraq
The phone call occurs the middle of a sandstorm, "the worst we've had," says Hospital Corpsman First Class (HM1) Jennifer Knuth of the United States Navy, but throughout the 45 minutes of the conversation, an equanimity transmits itself through the voice of Knuth in this call between Camp Taqaddum (Tuh-KAY-duhm), "TQ," Iraq and Johnstown, Pennsylvania where EP's main offices are located.
Fortunately, Corpsman Knuth and her fellow servicemembers are tucked safely inside while the wind fiercely whips sand around the building.
Thousands of miles away and six hours earlier by time zone, two little redheaded girls are engaged in their daily routine in the countryside outside the city of Athens, Georgia, home to their grandmother, who is caring for the twin girls while their mother is deployed to Iraq. Knuth's daughters were diagnosed with autism when they were three years old, and their grandmother, Sarah Knuth, is following routines established by Jennifer with her girls to bring calmness and a sense of security to their day.
The toughest part of her deployment is being separated from her daughters, Rowan and Rayna, now five years old, says Knuth. "The big challenge was leaving them. This is the first time I've been away from them. I call them at least twice a week," she says. She deployed with the Marine Corps in September 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
While separated from her own daughters, Knuth does see many children on a regular basis in her duties as a hospital corpsman, going outside the wire to provide medical care to both Iraqi women and children. (When a servicemember goes "outside the wire," they are in the war zone itself, and therefore under less protection by the base camp. The phrase itself refers to the concertina United States Military Section concertina wire--a barbed, spiraled wire used as a barrier--that surrounds the perimeter of the base for protection). Knuth sees 50 to 150 women and children in a span of four hours each time she goes out. There is time for basic treatment and to lend an ear through the female interpreter as patients talk about not just their own and their children's health, but the lack of fuel and other concerns and dangers they face, such as Al Qaeda snipers across the canal.
Knuth has enjoyed her time and her work in Iraq, although the environment at times can be "scary and terrifying."
Taking Care
From October to March, Knuth, 34, had been the only female provider for the mothers, grandmothers, children, babies, and the few husbands who accompany their wives to the clinics or makeshift healthcare offices in school buildings in the villages that she visits. Women are examined on one side of the building and men on the other. Since mid-March, two other female providers have also been available to help with care. (Knuth later noted that when mothers brought their babies and children to be examined, "they would dress them in the best clothes that they have.")
"I see some pretty interesting stuff out there," she says. "A lot of the women know me by my first name. They're so (grateful) that we came, and we were able to bring them female care." During her visits, she says, she sees "very, very normal children and very disabled children." Down syndrome and cerebral palsy are two of the...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos
have been removed from this article.
More articles from The Exceptional Parent
Sixty years of serving Veterans: Nonprofit, recording for the blind an..., June 01, 2008
You've been warned: "Cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health..., June 01, 2008
Miles for Matheny.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Brief article), June 01, 2008
YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network named best..., June 01, 2008
Therapy belt helps with sensory issues.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Brief articl..., June 01, 2008
Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication
name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company
analysis or best practices in managing your organization,
Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business
professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible,
authoritative information they need to support their business
goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting,
company research or defining management best practices -
Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.
|
%20%20&position=1)