Riverhead med student seeking donations of vitamins and meds for upcoming mercy mission

One of Riverhead’s own is seeking community support for a mission to help others.

Sarah Flannery, a 2008 Riverhead High School grad and a first-year medical student, is headed to Peru in June to help the region’s medically underserved population.

Flannery, one of a team of med students leaving June 8 on a mercy mission to Peru, is seeking assistance from the community in the form of donations of vitamins, over-the-counter medications, first aid supplies, hygienic products — or cash to buy these items.

“Vitamins are the most important thing because they can help everyone who walks into the clinic, adults and children alike,” Flannery said in a phone interview Thursday. “Vitamins are such a luxury in Peru that someone equated it to being $100 for a bottle there.”

She said gummy vitamins are well-received among Peruvian children.

“Advil, over-the-counter pain medications, allergy medications and any first aid supplies are fantastic too,” she said. (See complete list below.)

The 23-year-old med student at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Penn. said she expects the trip will be a “win-win” situation as the patients will be as eager to receive treatment as the doctors-in-training are for real-world experience.

“Not only am I going to be helping these people, but they’re going to appreciate being seen, whereas here in America people get kind of irritated when they’re stuck with a medical student and not a real doctor,” Flannery said.

“I’m really excited to have people that I can help and actually make a difference in their lives,” she said.

Flannery and her classmates leave on June 8 and will spend their first day in the city of Lima before heading to rural areas of the country to set up a free clinic through June 21.

“When we get there, we’ll get a crash course in medical Spanish and an overview of what the overseeing doctor wants us to do,” she said.

“Once the clinic is set up, people will just come in and the medical students will do their physical exams and take their medical histories,” Flannery said. “Luckily, we’ll have translators. It’s going to be really rewarding.”

Flannery said donations can be dropped off at her family’s Riverhead home at 48 Ellen St. Family members would be more than happy to pick up any donations, as well. To arrange a pickup, send an email request by clicking here.

In the alternative, checks payable to “International Medical Society” and send it to: Sarah Flannery, 48 Ellen St., Riverhead NY 11901.

Photo captions: Top: Sarah Flannery. Bottom: Medical students on a prior mission to Peru, also organized by International Service Learning. For more information about the program, visit the group’s website. 

ISL Peru Trip June 2013, Medical Supplies Donation List