Newborns, Dengue Prevention and a Congress in Managua
Brandy studies medicine in León, Nicaragua, and the foundation accompanies her on this path. She writes to us regularly, and here is what she has been up to lately.
Pediatrics (children’s medicine)
Her pediatrics rotation began in the observation unit, which has three areas: the emergency room, the fever ward (children hospitalized with dengue) and a unit for suspected dengue cases.
A recent duty shift was on a Friday in the emergency room, and it was busy. With the Santiago festivities going on, some young women came in after fights, but nothing serious. One case she remembers: a five-year-old boy who was hit on the head by a fairly large avocado that fell from a height. He had a big bump and a red eye, so he got a skull X-ray to rule out a fracture or bleeding. Everything was fine.
Newborns and maternity
She then rotated through neonatology, where newborns are cared for who had problems at birth, were born prematurely, or were admitted with illnesses such as pneumonia. After that came the outpatient clinic, where she helped examine children and write prescriptions, and then the maternity ward for healthy newborns and those at risk of certain illnesses.
Brandy during her rotation in neonatology.
Her first round of exams went well, and the second went “not as hoped, but well.”
Fighting dengue and chikungunya
Her current rotation is called “Pasillo”: respiratory illnesses, acute diarrheal diseases, and a mixed area for medicine, surgery and orthopedics. Next week she moves to a health center.
Dengue and chikungunya cases are very high in her area right now. Malaria is not a concern there, she says, because it occurs more in the north of the country. On a recent Saturday, she went out with a Ministry of Health bag full of Abate (a treatment that kills mosquito larvae in standing water) and a small net to check the bottom of water barrels for larvae. Not every family wants to be photographed, so there are no photos from inside the homes.
Brandy during a dengue-prevention outreach.
A medical congress
Brandy also attended the 32nd National Congress of Internal Medicine in Managua on July 2–3, 2026, and received a certificate of attendance.
Brandy at the National Congress of Internal Medicine in Managua.
Thank you
In Brandy’s words: “Muchas gracias por todo su apoyo y por brindarme la oportunidad de estudiar.” (“Thank you very much for all your support and for giving me the opportunity to study.”)