Day 3.

I can’t help but draw a parallel into what we are doing and my Wilderness First Responder training. As a WFR, our goal is to first rule out any significant emergencies: Is the airway blocked? Are they breathing? Is there blood? Are there imminent dangers? From there, we can begin the complete patient assessment which requires attentiveness, care and attention to detail. 

As is my experience with medical training, so is the investigation of each of the cases we have been working on. The immediate ‘red flags’? ‘Are you pregnant?’ ‘Were you separated from your child at the border?’ ‘Were you told that you couldn’t enter the US?’ ‘Do you have an untreated medical condition?’ If ‘yes,’ we send an email alert to the staff. If ‘no,’ we continue with our assessment:

Why did you leave?

Why are you afraid to return?

What happened?

Who threatened you?

Why did they threaten you?

My strategy has been to hold space and listen first. I sit with each woman and witness her tears and her story. For the first time, she is sharing the horror that she has experienced. She is letting her walls down and revealing her deepest pain to a perfect stranger. It is an honor to be that person, even for just a week.