At a clinic in the mountains of central Guatemala, a mother and baby waited hopefully for the American students and their special stethoscope.
The tool could eventually help diagnose congenital heart defects early enough for children to get preventative treatment and avoid permanent damage to their hearts, brains and lungs. But right now, it’s an early prototype.
The Michigan Engineering students were visiting the clinic to learn how to improve their device. Because it’s still in the development stage, they weren’t prepared to actually use it yet.
“It broke our hearts to have to say we could not help,” said Nathaniel Skinner, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering who is leading the team designing the stethoscope. “The team was surprised, saddened, and encouraged. Nothing could make us want to move faster and deliver technology and hope to Dr. Christian Barrios and his staff more intensely.”
Dr. Barrios heads a clinic in Nueva Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán—one of many the students visited this week as they journey across Guatemala. They’re meeting with the midwives, doctors and patients who need this technology as the students work to refine it into something that can help save young lives. The College of Engineering’s Marcin Szczepanski is traveling with the team and posting photos, videos and observations of the trip on tumblr.
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