A Love Story on the Amazon
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist My name is Tayana
Nascimento da Silva.
I am a dentist, and I live in Belém in Pará.
Male #1 - Íris - Mission Doctor My name is Íris
Sena. I am a physician, specializing in family medicine,
and I live in Belém, Pará.
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist I am
training as a dental surgeon, but my routine involves academic
study. I am studying medicine as well.
Male #1 - Íris - Mission Doctor I am a doctor in
a town in the interior of Pará, called Vigia de Nazaré.
We assist families in a health center called The Family Health
Strategy. Male #2 - Narrator As a doctor and a
dentist, Dr. Iris and Dr. Tayana were excited when they heard an
invitation to join the Luzeiro 29.
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist I have
seen people sitting in a plastic chair, in the middle of the
countryside, living in poor conditions, and we did what we
could. Sometimes we could only make fluoride applications and
essential services.
When I arrived on the boat, I almost fell back when I entered
and saw this clinic structure.
I was so excited; I would make videos and send them to my
family. I would say, "Guys, there's a whole office inside
the boat." I thought I was going to get here and not find that.”
Male #1 - Íris - Mission Doctor A very capable
structure for the services.
There is a lot of collaboration with donating medicines, with
supplies for the work in my area and others.
It was very encouraging.
Also, the work itself, which is the best of all.
Male #2 - Narrator In the most remote places,
there is a lack of basic health information, so an essential
part of the doctors' job is to educate people with
good health practices.
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist The most common
thing that comes in is decayed teeth.
We do a lot of restorations, and unfortunately, we do a lot of
extractions. If I find someone without cavities, I think they
are infrequent, just a few cases.
I think I can count them on one hand.
Male #1 - Íris - Mission Doctor The most common
in children, young people, is germs.
We talk about the purification of water, about the correct way
to wash your fruits, vegetables, legumes, and everything else,
to avoid contamination.
There is no point in giving medicine today.
Next week, they eat poorly again, use untreated water, and
unfortunately, they can get the disease again.
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist
Sometimes, one toothbrush is used for the whole family or
more than one person in the house.
That's common.
Then, "No.
Look, here's a toothbrush for you, one for your father, one
for your mother.
Don't let everybody use the same brush because the disease you
have will pass on to others." The lack of information is so
significant that this information, super simple for
us, that we were born knowing, practically, for them, it's new.
Male #2 - Narrator Íris and Tayana's
stories began in different places.
They first met on this Luzeiro 29 adventure.
Their story is about how they cared for people, but it is also
a story of love.
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist I came as
a dentist, and he came as a doctor.
We met for the first time in the van, going to the boat.
Male #1 - Íris - Mission Doctor There, we started
talking and started a friendship.
When we left Luzeiro, we did academic work with the data from
here. The friendship continued until we started dating a few
months later.
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist Then,
after that, a little bit later, we got married.
[music]
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist Sometimes I feel
like I'm inside a dream.
I don't know if you have ever had that feeling -- like you’re
looking at your life from the outside.
You look, and you say, "Wow, it even looks like a dream.
Is it really true?" When I look at the opportunity to be working
here, I feel like an active part, like being an
extension of God's arms.
I can tell you that it is a very great feeling of gratitude.
Male #2 - Narrator From Dr. Íris and Dr.
Tayana’s perspective it’s heartwarming to do good.
However, they recognize that there are still thousands of
lives that need care and the love of Jesus.
It will still take many miles of sailing and many years to
continue seeing, feeling, and living Project Luzeiro.
Male #1 - Íris - Mission Doctor At the end of the
day, however, when we lay our head on the pillow, we feel that
sense of mission accomplished, of duty fulfilled.
Female #1 - Tayana - Mission Dentist To be
able to remember that I was able to help someone, that there
were people who left here smiling, thanking me because
they weren't feeling pain anymore, because they were going
to be able to sleep at night, that's the best payoff, I think.