Sheyla Cortes-Leyva: Soy Bilingüe
Spanish is the first language I learned, and I have been speaking Spanish since I was a child. I learned English when I started school in kindergarten. However, learning a new language was not easy for me. I struggled with reading and writing in my classes, and some of my teachers were not patient with me. Therefore, as I got older, I was eager to learn English because of my parents. My parents could not speak, write, or read English, so as I started to learn English my parents depended on me as the oldest daughter who was learning a new language. My parents were my motivation to learn a new language, and as time went by my English got better, and now I can speak, read, and write in two languages.
While interning with Prisma Health I saw that many Hispanic parents were seeking medical attention for their children. Upon my arrival at my internship, when entering the clinic, I was wearing my navy blue scrubs and my Prisma Health badge, and I noticed that the Hispanic parents were observing me. I looked at my scrubs to see if I had a stain or if my scrubs were ripped. But no, my scrubs were fine. After that, I didn’t pay too much attention to it and sat down and waited patiently for my supervisor.
While I was waiting for my supervisor, a Hispanic parent sat down next to me and asked me if I was a therapist. I told her “No, but soon I want to become an occupational therapist”. She answered me with a concerned face saying that she needed someone to help her translate what the therapist would say during her daughter's appointment. She told me that she can’t understand English so it is hard for her to communicate. It is a concern since she is a parent who wants to understand what the therapist is saying so she can improve her daughter’s quality of life and get better as she ages.
That’s when I understood that the reason why the Hispanic parents were observing me was that I am a Hispanic person who’s able to understand Spanish and English and break language barriers. Even though the patient's mother told me that the therapist usually calls a Spanish translator over the phone to help her translate, the patient's mother felt that it was not the same as having someone translate in person.
Throughout my internship, I was able to help other Hispanic parents and their children. An example would be when I was working on a project for the therapist, and I heard some voices. It was a Hispanic parent who didn’t know where to go for their child's appointment. I took them to the receptionist, and I helped them check in by giving the patient’s first and last name and birth date, and explaining to her what to fill out and sign on the registration forms. Sometimes if the therapist couldn’t get a translator over the phone the therapist would ask me if I could translate. This could include explaining the activities that took place during the appointment to parents or even translating the parents' questions or concerns for the therapist.
Growing up and being able to learn how to speak, read, and write in English and Spanish was an advantage, and it is useful everywhere I go. For example, at home, I can translate my parents’ mail, at their doctor’s appointments, or help my mom at a teacher conference with my younger siblings. Also, when I see a Hispanic person having a hard time communicating with an English speaker, I always stop and ask if I can assist in communicating.
Being bilingual I notice how language barriers can impact a person’s life since they are not getting the services or the help that are needed to improve their quality of life, especially in the medical field. With my internship at Prisma Health, I realized how many Hispanics seek medical attention, but lack translators who can help them communicate effectively. In brief, what moved me most during the internship was being able to break language barriers and help Hispanic parents seek medical attention for their children.
Sheyla Cortes is a senior pursuing a BS in exercise science, with emphasis on occupational therapy and intern with Prisma Health in Greenville, SC. She is graduating May 2023 and has been accepted into Presbyterian College and will attend in the fall for their Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program.