Medical Missions Foundation

Free as a Bird: A Well-Deserved Siesta

Today everyone is one their own!!! There are a few tours arranged that people have signed up for which include climbing a volcano, tour of a Macadamia and coffee plant, and a couple other guided tours.

Some of us are going to lie by the pool if the rain stays away. It has been on the cool side all week so we are praying for sunshine. Everyone has worked extremely hard this week from surgeries, to clinics to the Casa de Fe house, and deserves a little siesta before our long travel day on Sunday back home. We all miss our families and friends and look forward to seeing you late Sunday evening. In all, friendships have been made and another successful mission trip has been logged.

All Good Things Come To An End

There are many beautiful things about Antigua that we have not had time to share with you. The scenery is breath taking. The history and the buildings almost talk to you. Then there is the food - you would never imagine how divine the food is. Each night we look forward to trying a new restaurant and are amazed by the atmosphere. You can then walk two blocks and find women making hand-made tortillas that are out this world. But the best part is the coffee. We learned that Starbucks buys their coffee beans from Guatemala. The best part of our waking up has been Guatemalan coffee in our cup!!

TGIF! Tonight we are having a farewell reception for the entire mission team. Thanks so much to Keith & Stephanie Sales for doing such a terrific job in coordinating a successful mission. We were able to touch the lives of so many children and their families during this week. I know that everyone who has been involved has found this to be a very rewarding experience and, one they will never forget.

Shield Center - Helping Troubled Teens - A New Clinic for Medical Missions

Our clinic team headed off today to the Shield Center located about six miles outside of Antigua. The center is filled with children and teens who have been pulled off the streets with the goal of turning their lives around. Most have been exposed to drug and organ trafficking, gangs and prostitution. The center has strict rules and guidelines, which is fine because many of the children do not want to return home and are eager to help and learn.

The Shield Family funded the center. With a price tag of approximately $420,000, it took approximately four months to transform this old dumpsite into a home for these children in need. The word was put out that our medical team was arriving to assist the village and soon mothers, children, fathers, and a few elderly residents, showed up to receive the much needed treatment after a long winter.  This was the first time a MMF team has visited here.

As we were swamped in the clinic, Jane Torline did a tremendous job coordinating art projects for the children. Hats off to Jane and everyone who helped out today!

Joanne Lacy, our pharmacist, has been absolutely amazing.  She has been responsible for putting together all of the medicine for this mission.  She sets up a pharmacy at each clinic, and man, does she know her STUFF!!  Everyone on the clinic team is so impressed with Joanne and her ability to multi-task.  She takes pride with every prescription she fills and every patient she sees.  Without people like Joanne, this trip would not be possible.

Today was a milestone for this trip with 129 patients being seen by our three wonderful doctors.  With the help of the doctors, pharmacist, interpreters, med students, arts and crafts directors and runners, we had a very successful day at the clinic!

From the Obras to Casa de Fe

Many of the children seen in our clinic return year after year. We met one such young man named Luis who is here for his third surgery with Dr. Doug Girod to reconstruct his ear. He is such wonderful child and has stolen everyone's heart!  Today he stayed busy making paper bonnets with his mother - they even made a special bonnet for Susan Girod, the art team director. Crafts are a huge hit at the Obras as it helps the families pass the time while their loved ones are in surgery. 

Our orthopedic team has been very busy as well this week. Today we observed Dr. Kevin Latz who was performing a surgery on a 7 year-old patient by the name of Angel Manuel Leiva Guzman.  He had a condition called spastic hemoplegia.  The surgery performed today released the tendons in his legs and will help him straighten his foot.  Dr. Latz was assisted by Lindsay Howlett, RN; Daren Wilson, med student; Victor Quintero, CRNA; and  Marvin and Nicco from the Obras.

Casa De Fe is more than a home away from home for these families; it is a place that provides hope and comfort.  Case De Fe is like a Ronald McDonald House.  The House Director, Marta, is an amazing lady who takes her job seriously and loves every single family and child who stays at the Case De Fe. 

We saw many of the families that we met on Sunday again today as they continued to recuperate from surgery. For the second year in a row, the Hamilton's  have coordinated everything at Case De Fe from cooking meals, to cleaning, clean and laundry. Additionally they spend spend hours leading special activities for the children.  One popular activity is blowing bubbles from the rooftop patio - boy can they blow those bubbles!  There is so much to take in here and memories that will last a lifetime.

THe Miracles of Med Students and Buddies

Today was another exciting day helping the families in the village of San Antonio. By 8:30 am the streets were lined up with many families as we quickly set-up our clinic and put staff in place to assess the patients and their children’s needs. We definitely challenged our medical students today as they saw more adults in clinic with specialized needs.

Travis Langer, Colleen Loo, Annabel Mancillas and Derick Gross were instrumental in today’s success. There is one story that stands out. An elderly couple arrived today who were in desperate need of medical attention. If they had been in the United States, the wife would have been in intensive care. Her husband was a farmer who had worked the fields for over 30 years. We took them to hospital for treatment and hope that they will soon be able to return home to San Antonio.

Meanwhile back at the Obras, our surgeons carried on the great work that they arrived here to do. The children received some special gifts after surgery called Shadow Buddies. These special buddies help provide comfort to children going through different medical challenges. Our volunteers were busy entertaining children and their families as they awaited treatment at the clinic.

The Polaroid pictures provided instant entertainment and were a huge hit. As you can see, another great day!

On the Road to San Antonio

Today, both our teams headed off to work, one to the hospital and one to the clinic in a small town called San Antonio. We accompanied the team of doctors led by Dr. Stephen Lauer, clinic director. We helped unload the medicines and supplies and soon local families lined the streets to be treated.

We were very impressed by the portable pharmacy coordinated by our birthday girl and pharmacist, Joann Lacy. Our hats are off to all the med students and Dr. Leslie who made this first day such a success.

One thing we have noticed in these two days is how patient and grateful these families are for the services that they receive from Medical Missions. Again, they travel great distances and spend hours in line waiting to be seen yet, always have a smile.

Today in clinic, we assessed 90 patients with most of them being women and children ranging from the age of three months to 90 years of age -- keeping generations healthy for years to come.

Team #2 Arrives In Guatemala

Saturday, June 21,2008
The Team Arrives

The second team - and the larger of the two on this mission- arrived today, excited and ready to go to work. Medical Director, Dr. Keith Sale and his wife Stephanie, our mission coordinator, will lead the team. We will be providing expertise in the areas of otolaryngology surgery and clinic; orthopedic surgery and clinic; pediatric and medical clinic; audiology services; and art team support. Patty Sherman and Marty Postlethwait will provide Blogging and photography.

Sunday, June 22, 2008
Lots of Smiles and the Miracle of Hearing

Today we started out very early at 7:00am with hundreds of families waiting at the Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro Hospital and Orphanage in Antigua, Guatemala. It was amazing!

There were hundreds of families waiting to be seen by our doctors and specialists. Our art team was put into action quickly today keeping children occupied while they waited to be seen. Susan Girod and her family were in charge of crafts – which included making beautiful bracelets. After lunch, bingo was a huge hit and even the adults joined in for a few games. Another great art project today was the coloring books and puzzles. The Hamilton’s were wonderful and the children - both young and old - truly enjoyed their time piecing the puzzles together and mixing up the pieces. Right Brenda?

Many of the children here have never had their picture taken. So, Patty Sherman, Jane Torline and Patrick Quinn spent the afternoon taking pictures and, thanks to a printer provided by the Hamiltons, giving prints to the children and their families. You talk about smiles. It was priceless!

Many of the families here have traveled great distances to be seen by our medical team. One such family, which we spent a great deal of time with, traveled all night to get to the clinic. The mom had seven children - her youngest boy came to be fitted for a hearing aid. We witnessed a true miracle when, for the first time in his life, he was able to hear. Can you image how happy he was? We were thrilled to help this family and start this little boy on a new journey in life. This is what it’s all about and the true meaning of a mission.