Sherpa Nell

I was destined to meet two extraordinary people in the fall of 1993.


My favorite holiday - Thanksgiving would have to arrive in the States without my presence. I had given up my annual duck hunting trip, and the warmth and comfort of our usual family turkey and stuffing fest to participate in a much needed Christian mission trip to Flores, Honduras. Separation from Paula and Bryan and Allison was troubling to me, as our children were only 10 and 8 years old, but I was compelled by the dental need I had heard about in Honduras.


On arrival in our first major airport, I was cheerily greeted by a pair of unlikely, but obviously very close women. "Hi, my name's Nell, and this is my doctor, Dr. Benjamin." I introduced myself in response to their welcome, and asked where they were from. I believe that they were traveling from somewhere down South. We joined with the remaining 16 or so people and completed the final leg of our flight into Tegucigalpa, Honduras.



We drove on to Flores, a small mountain village with one church and a boys' and girls' school and orphanage run by a Christian non-profit organization. The tiny cement block "clinic" building would be our office for the next two weeks. We unloaded all of our supplies, arranged our dental and medical treatment areas, and prepared medications for the first day of service.


Nell and her doctor, Dr. Regina Benjamin spent alot of time working together organizing the pharmacy, packaging gauze, labeling drug envelopes, and sorting through numerous bottles and jugs of donated pills to be ready for the next day's onslaught of patients. Wherever I would see Regina or Nell, I would see them together - hardworking, cheerful, and getting the job done.


The next few days were a blur, as patients lined up at the clinic at 5:00 a.m., through the gates of the school and down the highway. We took a short break in the heat of the afternoon, and then continued on into the evening, ending sometimes at 9:00 at night. We had a trickle of water in our faucet, and limited unreliable electricity, but we were able to take care of alot of people. I didn't see Nell and Regina often during the day, as they worked the other side of the clinic. I spent most of my time extracting unrestorable and abscessed teeth in a small room on the right side of the clinic.


It was in the evening hours that I got a better chance to visit with Nell and Regina. After dinner, we would sit outside in the cooler evening air on ramshackle folding lawn chairs and talk about the day's experiences and speak of home. Sitting with Nell was one of my most memorable experiences. Nell was pleasant, outgoing, and spoke in a matter-of-fact way. Her humility was overwhelming to me, as she constantly referred to how wonderful "her doctor" - Dr. Benjamin was. Nell had worked with Regina for three years in a small rural health clinic. Nell related to me about how Dr. Benjamin worked tirelessly for her poor patients. She told me stories of her doctor's generosity and compassion. She had a sparkle in her eye every time she relayed another story of how she and Dr. Benjamin had helped the needy people from their area. I knew Dr. Benjamin must be special, but I was also convinced that Dr. Benjamin's success was at least in part due to the passion and dedication of her nurse Nell.


I found myself that Dr. Regina Benjamin was an incredible human being. Nell was right. She did work tirelessly for her Honduran patients. With Nell at her side, they accomplished great things for those needy people. They took care of each person like they were the most important people on earth. Always smiling, always waiting anxiously for the next patient, always caring about the people around them, they worked on together.


It's been many years since I have heard from or of my nurse and doctor friends from the Honduras medical - dental mission trip. As I read the news a couple of days ago, I did notice a familiar name and face: Regina Benjamin, M.D. The news also talked about her nurse, Nell. The still white-haired 79 year old Nell Stoddard, LPN predicted that someday "her doctor" who had worked so hard for her patients and endured so many hardships would become very important someday. Nell continues at the side of Dr. Benjamin in the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. They've been together for about 19 years now.


Nell's prediction is at hand. Recently, President Obama announced his selection of Dr. Regina Benjamin for the position of Surgeon General of the United States. This is a most fitting position for a person (team) that has served so selflessly. I am proud to have served with Nell and Regina. Congratulations to you both, for we know that noone can reach the summit alone.


Sherpa Nell - I liken the journey of Dr. Regina Benjamin and her Sherpa Nell to that of Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide. They could only reach the summit together, relying on each other. In some stories of Everest, the unknown sherpa guide would not only carry much of the provisions on their back, but would on occasion carry their explorer as well. I'm sure that Nell and Regina have carried each other through much that life has brought their way.

(BBC News:) 1953: Hillary and Tenzing conquer Everest

The New Zealander Edmund Hillary, and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, have become the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border.

They reached the top of the world at 1130 local time after a grueling climb up the southern face.

The two men hugged each other with relief and joy but only stayed on the summit for 15 minutes because they werre low on oxygen.

Mr. Hillary took several photographs of the scenery and of Sherpa Tenzing waving flags representing Britain, Nepal, the United Nations and India.

[On the return,] Col Hunt saw the two men looking so exhausted that he assumed they had failed to reach the summit and started planning another attempt.

But then the two climbers pointed to the mountain and signalled they had reached the top, and there were celebrations all around.