Floating Doctors Floats My Boat

By Lorie Fagin

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” –Ghandi

This month marks two years since I joined the Floating Doctors medical mission
here in Bocas. Divorced after 32 years, uncertain of my life’s next chapter and having
heard about this inspirational project I made a leap of faith and fell into a world of
giving and gratitude. I met the Floating Doctors family, which is made up of people
from all walks of life from all over the world: healthcare professionals, maritime
experts, engineers, students, documentarians and others. Each volunteer gives their
time and expertise with open hearts.

Floating Doctors is unlike any other organization I have worked with in my 40 years
as an RN. For decades I drove my car to work in hospitals in the United States; now
I travel by boat and on foot to reach the next clinic. We give medical services to
those that do not have access, providing care to thousands of patients in a
marginalized region. I am proud to be a part of an organization that provides
individualized health care, health education, emergency response, and community
development in the paradise that is the Caribbean archipelago of Bocas. I’m working
side by side with others inspired to share our own good fortune, and I feel like for
everything I have given I have received back many times over. I came here with my
old life having been ripped from under me, but in the smiles of my patients and the
comradeship of my fellow volunteers, I have gained a rich, full life that continues to
take me places I never even imagined