After Maxine and Matthew Behn got married last October, they went on a two-week honeymoon to Switzerland and Italy. 

“Traveling together, after our wedding, was an incredible experience,” stated Maxine, who is from Peterborough. “Matt took the lead in most of the planning because I was so busy the weeks leading up to the wedding. I chose some specific spots and he did the rest. We went to Luzern, Lake Como, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. He did a great job.”

The newlyweds’ travels continued after the honeymoon, but this time, it was as part of an International Spine Foundation group to help the people of the Dominican Republic who suffer from spinal deformities. The trip lasted a week, including a day of travel, a day of preparation and five days of surgery.

“In this country there’s no social safety net like in our country so these individuals are really limited by their conditions,” stated Matthew. “By helping these patients, we’re giving them a real chance at a better life. These types of surgeries not only increase the patient’s lifespan but it also greatly improves their quality of life.”

Maxine has been an ICU nurse at Dartmouth Medical Center since 2017, and Matthew has been a surgical technician for the neurological unit at the same hospital since 2018. According to Maxine, although their work at the medical center is rewarding, their work in the Dominican Republic was a completely different experience.

“These surgeries and experiences are life-changing for the patients,” she stated. “They are so, so grateful. You walk away from it with a completely new perspective. It makes you appreciate all that you have. It also makes you want to keep doing more to help.”

It also provided a different perspective for the Behns, who met in 2013 as lifeguards at Hartwick College – Matt worked the shift after Maxine – because their different specialties mean they don’t work together.

“This was a really special experience because we worked together all week in the operating room,” Maxine stated. “I got to watch Matt do his job, very well, in very different and difficult conditions compared to back home. It was definitely a team-building type of experience. He taught me a lot about the OR and had a lot of patience with me as I tried to quickly figure everything out so I could be helpful.”

According to Matthew, Maxine picked up what she needed to do quickly. 

The couple had been planning the trip for about a year, and Maxine finished her master’s degree in nursing education from Colby-Sawyer College in December. According to Maxine, both of their families valued service, and she and Matt were both taught to do what they could for others. She has participated in the Hope for Gus trek to Mount Everest base camp organized by Tonya Dreher to fight Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as a health clinic in Jamaica organized by Adele de Vera.

“I’ve always loved being involved in mission/service trips,” she stated. “The groups are often made up of like-minded people who also find joy in helping others. Matt is the reason we did this particular trip because it aligns with his specialty. It was inspiring to see 30-plus health care workers join together, quickly form high-functioning teams, and perform very difficult surgeries for those who need it most. I was very impressed.” 

The trip to the Dominican Republic is not the end of the Behns’ travels. After spending time in Peterborough with family and getting organized, they will be heading to their next assignment, in Anchorage, Alaska. They are open to continuing as traveling medical professionals, which according to Matt, would involve relocating to a new hospital that is short on staff approximately every three months.

“It has always been my dream to be a travel nurse,” Maxine stated. “The best part is I get to live out this dream with my best friend. We will be together, so even if its not exactly what we expect or hoped for, we will have each other. Matt is always able to see the good in a situation, and has a unique way of making things better.”

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