EYES CAST DOWNWARD By P. Menefee Harrison Look at me when I’m talking to you! How many times have we all heard that growing up? I know I heard it plenty, but you won’t hear it in Honduras. The social classes in Honduras are well defined, and seldom do the poor people ever glimpse, let alone enter, the world of the wealthy. If they find it necessary to approach you, they will only talk to you with their eyes cast downward. A show of respect because they have been taught they are inferior. But I saw one man’s opinion of himself, change right before my own eyes, and this change was brought about by Rodger Harrison. The man’s name is Denaldo Cardona. We here at Paramedics For Children first met Denaldo when he came to our headquarters asking for help for his small son who was born with a seriously cleft palate. Denaldo spoke very quietly, without looking at anything other than his shoes, clearly intimidated by the presence of Rodger.

It must have taken all the courage he could gather to even approach Rodger, but the concern for his son far outweighed his fear of crossing the social boundaries that had been laid out for him long before his birth. Rodger listened carefully to his story and then began to work his magic. Photos were taken, a web page was built and a letter went out asking for help and once again our contributors came through. While everyone waited for enough money to be raised for the much needed surgery, Rodger continued to check on the baby. Seeking Denaldo out and talking with him. Sometimes riding his horse the 5 miles to his home in the mountains just to keep him updated. With each encounter, Denaldo relaxed a little more, he was being treated as a person, by someone he respected, and by many others he will never meet. I have watched Rodger do this many times, and each time I am amazed at his ability to transform someone’s life. If I have learned nothing else from my years in Honduras, I will come away from here knowing one thing. That is; that no matter what type of work you do here, how good your intentions are, or how well funded your organization is, nothing replaces a constant presence, an understanding of cultural differences, the ability and desire to keep your word, or the genuine kindness of one man who has the ability to change the way people feel about themselves. Therefore changing their futures. Paramedics For Children has many facets, we work with the children in the small mountain schools. We have been charged with the care of the sick and the injured of our community, and we teach by example. The example being, that every single person, no matter how rich, or how poor, how sick, or how healthy, is an important part of the circle of life. Some of us learn this early in life, and some learn it late, but for people like Denaldo, there has never been anyone to teach them this,until now. Denaldo has learned through the kindness of one man, and the work that is being done here, that he and his family have a gift to give to the rest of us. With that kind of revelation, comes a new confidence. A confidence to face the world through different eyes. Eyes that are no longer cast downward. Back to PFC Home page