We met with Matilde, , Catarina and João to find out which initiatives the AEFML (Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon) is preparing for Christmas time. Some projects are rooted in the students’ traditions, and the years go by, participants change, but the spirit of continuity and mission remains, all the more because it’s Christmas.

30th Christmas party with homeless people

Matilde Boavida is a member of the AEFML’s Public and Sexual health team that this year is organising, in collaboration with “Comunidade Vida e Paz”, the 30th Christmas party with homeless people.

Matilde Boavida

In this annual event that takes place over three days in December, homeless people have the possibility to receive hot meals, clothes, hygiene products, as well as psychological and medical support, in a moment of conviviality shared by all those involved.

Medical students help organise the Health Corner. This space offers medical appointments, as well as FMUL: a cardiovascular control and screening for tuberculosis, carried out by students. The cardiovascular control involves measuring blood pressure, blood sugar level and body mass index. In addition to these medical controls, there are awareness-raising campaigns on smoking and alcoholism, linked to medical appointments. The screening for tuberculosis is carried out under the supervision of the mobile unit and, if necessary, patients are appropriately referred.

According to Matilde, it is very important for medical students to have this contact with homeless people, sometimes, “it is a contact that you only have doing voluntary work”. Annually, we receive 100 people who come to meet the students and are very receptive to the Campaign. This year it is taking place on the 21st, 22ndand 23rd of December, in Old Canteen of the University of Lisbon. The students are divided into two daily shifts, each of them with 6 elements.

“The feeling that remains, after these three days, is that the first impression we have about these people changes. Hearing these stories one realises that many of them weren’t on the margins of society until something bad happened in their lives that put them in this situation. There is also a significant number of immigrants among that population. So, taking a close look at this reality is the greatest benefit of the whole experience.” Matilde tells us. Matilde.

A Different Christmas

A Different Christmas is also a project led by the AEFML which has been organised for over 20 years. The partnership made two years ago with the Students’ Association of the Faculty of Medical Sciences allowed increasing the number of visited hospitals.

Catarina Schönenberger Braz

Its mission is to offer company and a moment of conviviality and entertainment to hospitalised patients on the morning of the 24th of December. For these patients who are unable to spend Christmas at home, in the company of their family and friends, receiving a symbolic gift, a friendly word or simply a bit of music and entertainment is a way of receiving the true Christmas spirit. The team will visit nearly 18 hospitals this year, in Greater Lisbon, Setúbal, Madeira, Santarém and Vila Franca de Xira.

Registrations are open to all students and guests who want to participate. Since there are students from different parts of the country, a long-term goal would be to take this initiative to the national level. This year, the students from Escola de Enfermagem de Lisboa (ESEL), who revealed a great interest in this project, were also able to participate.

“It is very rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of both volunteers and patients, because this is a moment when they feel very weak, lying in a hospital bed during this special period, when they should be with their families, and they feel a bit of comfort. Last year there were about 700 registrations and there has been an increase over the years. ” João tells us..

Why did you get involved in this project?

Catarina: Because it is a project that calls on our humanitarian side, and for us, medical students, and people who one day will be facing the reality of hospital routines, it is a privilege to be part of such a project. We put distances aside and we are able to get closer to the patients.

João da Luz

João: It is very good to see the humanitarian side of our profession, and we are constantly trying to promote that component in our Faculty, so that there are more projects in that area.

Catarina: Especially in this period in which solidarity is so visible. Instead of spending the morning of the 24th with our families, we will be making a difference in somebody’s life in those early morning hours.

Does this experience change your perspective on Christmas and life?

João: I would say it does, because, in those moments, we deal with realities that are very different from our own. But the fact is that a lot of patients in the hospital during this period are also social cases. Once we realise this, our way of seeing this period changes and it makes us come down to earth and understand that Christmas is more than just consumerism, it should be seen as time to support each other and show solidarity. Having that perspective helps us a lot.

Catarina: Above all it makes us understand that these gestures shouldn’t be made only for Christmas, but throughout the year. Maybe we should show more humanity and pay more attention to others.

Has it ever crossed your minds, even for a second, the feeling that “I’m not cut out for this”? Do you feel the necessary strength to stand the pressure, or do you think, when confronted with diseases that are often cruel, “I’m not sure if I will make it”?

João: Yes, there have been situations in which I had to face reality. When we have to confront a situation in which “that patient is hanging by a thread”, it is not always easy. But I think that sometimes it could have the opposite effect. Personally, it made me realise that I want to change that situation. It is a delicate situation but I want to change the perspective, I want to be able to give more hope. I don’t question whether that’s my place, on the contrary, I say that this is where I want to be.

Catarina: I share João’s opinion, of course there are situations we aren’t used to dealing with, more precarious situations in which being close to someone who needs me makes me think that I want to try to revert the situation and that one day it will be different. It makes me want to learn more about everything and it motivates me to study all the books we have to study and to believe that one day I could make a difference in somebody’s life.

Matilde: I have a similar answer. Throughout our studies, we are inevitably faced with patients in precarious situations. Either because they don’t have money to buy medicines or because they don’t manage to get the care they need in order to treat their disease and that makes us think about reality and realise that this person could be a relative of ours and then I know that, in the future, I will try to solve all the problems that I will be faced with. It also makes me think a bit about my reality and the reality of others.

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On12th of December the Project A Different Christmas organised an event in the Great Auditorium of the Faculty of Medicine, gathering more than 200 people. The funds raised were given to Casa do Pombal – a Mãe, a welfare institution, active since 2005, which shelters children at risk, under the age of 12. It is also a way for others to participate and contribute to this project.

On Christmas Eve, while a lot of people rush to finish their preparations to spend Christmas with their family or friends, there are many others who are driven to bring some warmth to those who are outside their environment. They do it because this is one of the great missions of true Christmas.

To João, Matilde and Catarina and to all those who organise these initiatives, we wish a Merry Christmas!

Ana Raquel Moreira

Joana Sousa

Editorial Team