The air is hot and thick in the makeshift waiting room at Beit CURE Hospital of Zambia, a pediatric teaching hospital specializing in the treatment and care of children living with physical disabilities.  There is standing room only in a crowded area where mothers wait with patience for their children to be taken to the OR for surgery.  Some have walked great distances with their babies strapped to their backs while others have traveled hundreds of miles by bus.

They hear about Surgicorps through a pipeline of sources; some learn by word of mouth or through a chance radio broadcast. CURE’s staff spreads the word and reaches out as far as Zambia’s Copperbelt (hours away) to provide impoverished villagers with the opportunity for life-changing surgery.  Many have waited an entire year for the Surgicorps doctors to return and perform a second and even third surgery.  In a country where tribal medicine and natural healing with herbs is still practiced, some of the parents have stepped away from their cultural realm and comfort zone to seek help, out of sheer desperation.

Three operating rooms provide a wide scope of surgeries. Frequently seen in developing countries are children born with extra digits, who come to have extra fingers and toes removed. Because of the use of open flames for cooking, severe burns are also customary in the rural areas of Zambia. Some children suffer from limbs that have literally melted together from burns and undergo surgery to release the contracture, followed by skin grafts.  Webbed fingers are separated, cleft lips and palates are repaired, and sometimes an unexpected injury can arrive that will startle even the most seasoned medical professionals.  Such was the case with a 3-month-old infant whose young mother brought him in without his left foot and with his bone exposed.  The severe injury was presumably caused from a snakebite that went untreated.

There is a common thread amongst these modest, polite, and humble people.  They are kind and gentle souls whose love and devotion to their children is palpable. They are unentitled and accepting of all outcomes, even when learning that surgery might not provide the miracle that they had hoped for.  They are never with anger, and always with a thank you and gratefulness.

It is in the patient ward that we are able to experience the true essence of these religious and joyful people.  They have appreciation for the smallest of things; a new stuffed toy, a sundress, a coloring book with crayons, or a simple bottle of nail polish.  For many, their hospital stay is seen as good fortune, mostly because they are assured three meals a day for themselves and for their other children in tow.  Although shared, they have a clean bed, an indoor bathroom, and a running shower.  There is a sisterhood established amongst them, even those who have met for the first time.  We observed each other with a sense of wonder and with admiration.

In our final hour, this group of magnificent mothers joined together and sang for us.  They sang in their native language and brought each and every one of us to tears.  Through song, they thanked us for changing the lives of their children.  Through song, they blessed us, and they blessed our children.  They thanked us for giving them back their dignity.  It was with pure joy that we basked in the warmth and gratefulness of these beautiful people.  We left the Beit CURE Hospital of Zambia knowing that their lives had been changed, that their lives had been bettered because of us.  What they didn’t know was how much they had changed our lives.  What they didn’t know was that we left wishing that we were a little bit more like them.

 

As I am packing for my fourth trip with Surgicorps, people often comment “Oh, you are such a good person!!”  I’m thrilled that’s what they think, but the truth is I’m really not that good. I do it because it makes me incredibly happy.  I have so much fun I just can’t stay home. Each trip is a new adventure. I travel to places I’ve never imagined seeing, with people I’ve never met, to work long hours in hospitals that aren’t exactly like the hospitals at home.  I’ve learned new languages, tried new food, followed new customs.  I’ve learned to always carry a flashlight, a multi-tool, and duct tape, how to wrap a lungi so it won’t fall off, and how to use a rural Asian bathroom. I’ve made new friends across the world, and seem to have brought a little comedy to the locals with my attempts at speaking new languages.

The cynics say “Oh, you’re trying to save the world”…hardly. But we do make an enormous difference in the lives of the kids lucky enough to be able to reach us. The endless poverty, starvation, illness are unimaginable. I remember the woman and her young daughter burned from having acid thrown in their faces, the couple who lost four children under the age of 5 to illness, the man so severely scarred from diesel burns I couldn’t find his eyes to look at him. There are children that do not fuss, waiting all day for surgery having nothing to eat, and do not cry with exercise or bandage changes.

What impresses me the most is the dignity of the poorest of poor, the grace with which they face unimaginable tragedies and horrific injuries, often from violence. The gratitude of the hospital staff when I show them a simple strap that can help people that lost use of their hands hold an object, and their pride when I ask for information to take home with me to share their skill in building adaptive equipment from nothing but used cardboard boxes and glue. And these people, who seem to have nothing to give, give the most, in one place literally by singing songs of gratitude. (Yes, we all cry!).They teach me the strength of the human spirit, they exemplify that joy and hope can prevail under desperate living conditions.

A message home from my first trip still holds true: “Who would have dreamed that I would pay so much money to travel so far and work so hard and love every second of it”.  On each trip I laugh and I cry and I come home with experiences that warm and fill my soul. Pictures and words cannot begin to explain what happens on a Surgicorps trip. I don’t do it to be nice, but doing it does open my heart wider than I ever knew possible.  And I know that each time I travel, I come home just a little bit nicer. I give five days of work, what I get back is priceless.

 

 

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” –Helen Keller

Surgicorps is set to leave for our 5th mission trip to Zambia from September 12th-19th with 21 medical and non-medical team members. These words by Helen Keller are lived by each team member who gives so much to make each trip a success.

We will once again partner with Beit CURE International Children’s Hospital in Lusaka. Our team this year includes: 9 members from Pennsylvania, 6 from Massachusetts, 2 from New York, 2 from Colorado and 1 each from Virginia and Arizona.

Tara Burns will be joining our team for her 21st mission with Surgicorps. Other return team members include Christine Bowman, Diane Bremer, Joanie Dunn, Lori Ellis, Betty Hearne, Alex Hutchinson, David Kim, Scott Pearson, Tamara Rychok and Alyson Winston.

We welcome several new team members this year as well: KC Collins, Rama Joshi, Richard and Bernadette Montilla along with their son, Antonio, DeNese Olson, Charles Yang and David Yui.

Jack Demos will lead the team as Medical Director and Linda Esposto, our Director of Programs and Logistics, will be ensuring each aspect of the trip runs smoothly.

Thank you team Zambia for dedicating your talent, skills, passion, time, energy and resources to our friends in Lusaka. Stay tuned and follow us, for trip updates and pictures, on Facebook, Twitter and most recently on Instagram and LinkedIn!

  

I was sitting in class when my professor first mentioned her trips to Guatemala with Surgicorps International, and I instantly knew I had to go. I served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala from 2011-2013, where I worked in rural elementary schools, lived with a host family, and became part of a close-knit community. The experience had been life changing for me. Witnessing the lack of psychosocial care for Guatemalan children in clinics and hospitals led to my discovery of the field of child life and set me on my career path of becoming a certified child life specialist. Child life specialists support children and families facing challenging experiences related to healthcare and hospitalization, and I am a graduate student working towards certification so that I can help spread the field internationally to places like Guatemala.

Through Surgicorps International I had the amazing opportunity to return to Guatemala to do the work I had first dreamed of doing while I was a Peace Corps volunteer. When our team walked into the hospital at Obras Sociales Del Santo Hermano Pedro and I immediately began interacting with patients and speaking Spanish, I felt like I had come home. I was thrilled that I was able to use my Spanish skills to translate for surgeons and nurses during screening day and the days that followed, as well as use my training in child life to help keep children calm and happy before and after surgery.

On my third day in the hospital, one of the surgeons asked me to prepare a seven-year-old boy, Marcos, for his upcoming surgery to remove a mass from his hand. When I sat down to meet with Marcos and his father, they both appeared nervous and fidgety. In broken Spanish, Marcos’ father explained that they had traveled for two days to reach the clinic, and that they lived in the far away department of Huehuetenango and spoke a Mayan language called Chuj. Guatemala has over 21 Mayan languages, and I had learned basic Q’anjob’al during my Peace Corps service, a language that is closely related to Chuj.

In Q’anjob’al, I asked Marcos’ father his name, told him mine, and commented on the weather. His face broke into an incredulous smile. “How do you speak that?” he gasped. “Are you not American?” We began to laugh as Marcos smiled shyly, and I explained that I had lived in Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango during the Peace Corps and learned Q’anjob’al there. The mood in the room lightened as we compared words in Q’anjob’al and Chuj, and Marcos’ father told me about their lives in an area not far from where I had once lived. Marcos came from a very poor family and was one of many brothers and sisters, and his father struggled to find work to keep the family clothed and fed. Marcos often missed school due to pain from the mass in his hand, which made it difficult for him to write. I read Marcos and his father a prep book that explained what would happen before, during, and after surgery, and engaged Marcos in medical play so he would not be afraid of medical equipment in the operating room and would understand how it was used. By the end of our meeting, Marcos and his father were relaxed, comfortable, and ready for surgery, and I felt a special bond with them both.

I accompanied Marcos to the operating room and was by his side to comfort him when he came out of anesthesia after his surgery. I then had the opportunity to spend a few hours with him in the recovery room. We played games on the iPad, colored, and talked about his life. He reminded me of my host brother in Santa Eulalia, who was also seven when I began my service. It was a joy to spend so much time with him and help him cope with a new and potentially scary experience and environment. Thanks to the generous donations of people in the United States, we were also able to supply Marcos and his family with new school supplies, clothes, and toys. I will always remember how proud and happy Marcos looked when I slipped a brand new jacket over his shoulders, or when he wrote his name on a piece of paper after surgery.

During my week volunteering with Surgicorps International, not only was I able to achieve my dream of offering child life services in Guatemala, I also reconnected with Guatemala in a way that exceeded all my expectations. It was an honor to give back to a country and people that had given so much to me during my time in the Peace Corps. I know firsthand the life-changing impact surgery will have for children like Marcos and his family, who would not be able to afford such procedures on their own. I am so grateful that Surgicorps International is doing such important healing work in the country so dear to my heart, and around the world.

As a child, I often fantasized about what I would be when I grew up: a famous actress, a
percussion player with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the President of the United States. I had some
pretty lofty dreams until I decided on my true calling: I wanted to be a general surgeon like my
dad, Dr. Ramakrishna and play percussion for the Pittsburgh Symphony in my free time.
While I never made it to medical school (or played with the Symphony), I often wondered what
it would be like to work with my dad. Surgicorps International gave me the opportunity to find out.

I first joined the Surgicorps team on their trip to Guatemala in 2011. I worked alongside my dad
and several other doctors as a non-medical volunteer. I wasn’t convinced that I could be a useful
member of the team, but I quickly learned that every members’ talents could be put to use in
some way. I helped with paperwork, acted as a runner for my dad’s operating room, and
comforted young children in the recovery room. In the years that followed, I eagerly awaited
these trips. They provided me with a chance to give back to communities in need and
a chance to connect with my dad in a meaningful way.

I have always known that my dad’s profession makes him an important figure in his patients’
lives, but the Surgicorps trips provide a wonderful lens into my dad’s impact on others. During
the trips, I watch him screen patients, indicating his concern for their health, and gaining their
trust. I follow him as he makes rounds each morning to ensure that patients are healing and
feeling better. I see him comfort mothers who are taking care of their young children, and how
he makes every member of his operating room team feel comfortable. Even the medical staff at
the clinic is at ease with him despite a language barrier.

The Guatemalan people have made quite an impression on my dad, and it’s easy to see that he
has done the same to them. This summer, I will return to Guatemala on my fourth trip with Surgicorps.

Being a part of this medical mission has been life changing. I will work with a team that I now consider a close
group of friends, and once again, I have the opportunity to work alongside my dad.
My dad has made a career out of helping others. Surgicorps lets me see this important work in
action and it finally allows me to help him give back to his deserving patients. For that, I am
extremely grateful.

Please consider supporting the team’s efforts through a contribution to our Crowdrise campaign!

 

 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON 2015 GUATEMALA TEAM MEMBERS

 

We are preparing for our 13^th trip to Guatemala from August 8^th-15^th with a team of 33 talented, dedicated and amazing medical and non-medical volunteers! Our team this year includes: 17 members from Pennsylvania, 11 from Massachusetts, 2 from Ohio and 1 each from Arizona, Colorado and Canada!

Dave Fortun, one of our veteran Guatemala team members, is making his 11^th trip this summer. Other return team members include Heather Archambeault, Kerry Bennett, Joy Bohan, Denise Esposto and her daughter, Tomasina Boyd, Stephanie Charron Butt and her son, Dylan Butt, Kevin Cohen, Amelia Hare, Meredith Harris, Laurie Kiehn, Carlos Mata, Judith McNicholas and her son, Aidan, Pat Kelly, Dave Metro, Nagamalli Ramakrishna and his daughter, Sangeetha, and Gregg Weidner and his wife, Nicole Tomba Weidner.

We welcome several new team members this year as well:  Kyle Amsler, Liliana Camison Bravo, Gregory Halenda, Caitlin Hall, Anne Kamarchik, Ella Kipervasser, Farzaneh Nabizadeh, Lynn Novier and Katie Respet.

David Kim will once again be our Medical Director and Linda Esposto, our Director of Programs and Logistics, will be orchestrating the many details to ensure the success of the mission. Our new Executive Director, Kate Freed, will be taking her inaugural trip with Surgicorps. Stephanie Charron Butt will be in a new role of Trip Coordinator.

Surgicorps thanks each of these volunteers who work tirelessly each day to help provide much needed services and support to our friends in Guatemala. Stay tuned and follow us, for trip updates and pictures, on Facebook, Twitter and most recently on LinkedIn!

 

 

It was an honor to be a part of Surgicorps International’s maiden voyage to Hospital de San Lorenzo in Valle, Honduras. San Lorenzo is located 60 miles south and a two hour bus ride from the country’s capital, Tegucigalpa. Our 8 member team became the first Surgical Brigade that the non-profit organization, Global Brigades hosted in Honduras. By partnering with Global Brigades, Surgicorps was able to reach a large number of patients from the rural communities already being served by their public health and mobile medical clinics.

With over 40 patients on the schedule following clinic on Sunday, we knew we had our work cut out for us as we were limited to one operating room. Hospital de San Lorenzo has two operating rooms, one of which is used around the clock for emergency c-sections and other emergency surgeries. When I inquired about the number of “emergency” c-sections being done, I was given a very good explanation. Some women travel by bus or by walking for several days to reach the hospital. It is their practice to do a c-section as soon as the women arrive because they have nowhere to stay until they go in to labor. This makes the trip more manageable as they can deliver their baby and be back home in a shorter amount of time.

With one OR and an 8 member team, we faced some long days to complete as many surgeries as possible. Each day, we greeted new patients at the hospital after they heard about our services. Everyone was evaluated and accommodated as possible into the surgery schedule. The surgeries ran the gamut from extra fingers and toes, cleft lip and palates, syndactylies, burn scar contractures, disfiguring neurofibromatosis of the face and scalp, and broken bones that had not healed correctly.

One very patient gentleman named Mario has been battling a lower leg infection for nearly four years. He was full of smiles and blessings for our team after we completed a wound debridement on Monday followed by skin grafts from multiple donor sites on his opposite leg on Friday. We have given him hope and a chance to heal which is so much better than the alternative of an amputation.
A young man named Oscar, working as a barber, was already suffering from a severe case of kyphoscoliosis when he was in an accident involving paint thinner. The accident left him with multiple burn scar contractures, including the axilla, and unable to raise or fully extend his left arm. In addition to a scar release and skin graft he also received a muscle flap involving the entire left side of his torso. He left us on Friday, after a painful but necessary dressing change requiring sedation, with a smile on his face and many thanks. Knowing he has several weeks of healing and multiple dressing changes to come he still has a positive outlook with the hopes of being able to get back to his job at the barber shop.

Karen is a 14 month old beautiful baby girl who has the appearance of an 8 month old malnourished baby. She came to us seeking a bilateral cleft lip repair. Upon further examination and review of her past medical records it was confirmed that she also suffers from Wolf Hirschorn’s Disease. This disease leaves a child with very distinct facial features, failure to thrive, intellectual disabilities, weak muscle tone leading to delayed sitting, standing and walking and even seizures. The repair of her bilateral cleft lip left her mother incredibly happy. She sent the team a message on Friday expressing how grateful the entire family was. Even more important than her cosmetic appearance, is that the repair should lead to improved feeding and nutritional status giving Karen an increased chance of survival.

These are just a few of the stories and beautiful memories that we will carry with us in our hearts. It is always humbling and an honor to be graciously welcomed and appreciated by the underprivileged communities of our world. As a team, we give many thanks to Global Brigades for hosting us in Honduras and allowing us to be a part of the beautiful community of San Lorenzo Valle, Honduras.

 

Dr. Robert Schemmer, a dermatologist from Canada , joined our medical team as a first time volunteer to Bhutan recently. He treated monks at the Rinpung Dzong Monastery as well as patients in the clinic. His services were much needed and appreciated by the Bhutanese people. Surgicorps will hopefully incorporate these services into future trips!  Thank you to Dr. Schemmer for sharing some of his daily blog posts.

Day 2–up at 5 AM and the surgical team was in the Operating room by 6:15. I went along for some supplies and am now waiting to see patients at a local monastery–that should be interesting. Meanwhile the surgeries–will number about 15 cases per day are busily underway. Interestingly about half of the team members are young–refreshing that so many people are up to this challenge, willing to offer their time and go to the expense of a very worthwhile cause. Wonderful scenery, although a bit cloudy so no view of the snow capped Himalayas.

Day 3 Bhutan at the  Rinpung Dzong Monastery–Today I worked with the monks seeing about 20 odd for minor little skin and other medical problems. As I got to go inside the monastery where the public does not get to, it was quite an honor to meet the Lama or head and have tea and lunch first followed by a group medical consultation. About twenty or so monks ranging in age from about 15 to 60 were all gathered together listening to each individual’s medical problems along with my translator and driver. This was a bit unusual for me and I was thankful that no “personal” areas of the skin were involved! Everything was dealt with from actual treatments to advice on better eating etc.

At the end of our little 4 hour session, I enjoyed a ceremony–PUJA followed by a group photograph in the courtyard of the monastery.  This created a lot of tourist interest and suddenly we became the focus of a lot of photographers. Anyway, all was done and I had a great time and will go back today to deliver some much needed medicine for those that were diagnosed. More to follow…..

Day 4–Today I spent most of the morning and a bit of the afternoon seeing patients with the team of Traditional Medicine Doctors. Very interesting are their treatments and we treated some with traditional medicine and others with allopathic medicine.

The highlight was the Royal luncheon hosted by the Queen and her daughter in their small palace (really huge and one of several). We all had to go in traditional dress called the GHO for men and KIRA for women and walked in twos up to the palace where the queen greeted us. We then went inside and a number of questions were asked and when team leader Dr. Jack (it’s his 9th mission) introduced us and told her Majesty that there was a Dermatologist amongst us, she immediately talked about her (bad) experiences with Dermatologists (no personal information of course in front of the group).

We then had a wonderful luncheon and after we ate, the Queen invited me, her daughter and one of her aides to do a personal consultation. She is a wonderful, warm and down to earth majesty and we talked and I examined her and gave her advice. In all I was with the three women for about 20 minutes. A real privilege. Afterwards we went into the courtyard with our group and a number of high ranking officials to have group pictures taken by the official photographer as private pictures are forbidden. Then we said our goodbyes and the Queen presented each of us with gifts–mine was a book on Bhutan. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and most enjoyable.

Day 5–Today was somewhat uneventful but included is a typical house/building showing Bhutanese architecture along with some of the patients that I saw including the 88 year old father of the  Governor (Dzongda) for the entire Paro district. Again, an honor that a high official would bring his father to see me.

A lot of infectious skin diseases here, along with common ones like I see in Canada. I cannot take any photos in the operating room for patient privacy but will try to send a few (if I get them from the official photographer) to give you an idea of what the surgeons do her. (there are examples on the website as well). Tomorrow its back to the monastery after some hospital clinics to see the monks–the children are so cute and it almost breaks your heart that 6-10 year olds have been taken there to get an education as their parents are just too poor to raise, feed and educate them.

Day 6–Friday–Well the week has certainly passed by quickly and the surgical team has done over 70 surgeries working non stop and long hours. My clinics have been busy both in hospital and at the local monastery and today was another trip there after my morning clinic. Surgicorps team members are expected to multi-task and one of my tasks today was not only to see the monks with their skin problems, but also to do some simple refraction for reading glasses.

First, we were graciously invited to lunch with the lama (head of the monastery) in private quarters, but because of time constraints (this week was a very holy week, filled with prayers and ceremonies, lunch was delayed as the fun with refraction started. The sheer joy on the monks’ faces, both old and fairly young, when they tried out their new reading glasses was heartwarming. Part of their life of dedication is studying and do they read a lot–often under poor lighting conditions.Between refraction, a stream of young, and older monks mixed in with various skin issues were treated. My translator and assistant was a huge help as I focused on the medical and we managed to see about 50 patients. Then a delicious lunch of rice, asparagus and a potato vegetable (mild) curry. was enjoyed .

Back to the hospital for a couple of patients and tonight our gala dinner at one of the ore upscale hotels here in Paro. Tomorrow our group will hike to a monastery perched literally on a cliff–so our weekend will be more recreational. Sunday its off to Thimphu, the capital, for more sightseeing. Of course, Monday is the final day of work. The surgery team will check the post operative results and I will see as many patients as I can before the touristy part of my trip throughout some of the country starts.

Day 7–Well the week of work passed quickly and over 70 surgeries were performed by the team of plastic surgeons, anesthetists and nurses and other volunteers and as for myself I saw between 125-150 patients visiting the local monastery three times with another visit planned tomorrow as there were a few children that not only had skin diseases, but also pink eye.

This weekend we started off on a trek to the famous Tiger’s Nest–a landmark in Bhutan. This monastery is perched against a rock-cliff over 10,000 feet elevation the the climb takes about 2.5 hours starting from about 7500 feet elevation. We started off at 7:00 am as the sun gets hot later. One can ride a horse part way up, but of course that takes some of the fun out of this adventure. At the monastery–you finally think great I’m here, but then there are a lot of steps to continue the climb up and into the inside. All materials were brought up there manually and partially with pack animals although they cannot use them the last 30 minutes as the path is too narrow. The building which burned partially in 1998, took 10 years to rebuild and is truly a wonder and the views are fabulous. not for those afraid of heights. Today it’s off to Thimphu, the capital, to look around. The skies are brilliant today, the air is fresh and what more could one ask for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surgicorps is preparing to leave for its 9^th trip to Bhutan from April 25-May 5, 2015! Our uniquely talented team members bring a wide range of skill sets and resources which help ensure each trip is a success. There are a total of 21 team members including 9 from Pittsburgh, PA, 11 from other cities/states and 1 from Canada.

This year we have a first time volunteer, local Pittsburgh artist Terry Boyd, who will be our artist in residence. You may read about Terry’s recent awards and visit his website here. We will be excited to share his work upon the teams return on Facebook and our website.

Willie Manteris and his dental team will once again be traveling into the rural areas of Bhutan administering much needed dental services and preventative education. In the last two trips to Bhutan, the dental team reached more than 1,000 in outlying villages and monasteries.

Two generations of Argentas will join the team as plastic surgeons. Anne, a returning Surgicorps volunteer and her father, Lou, who will make his first trip to Bhutan.

Cliff Bierman, Prema Krishnamurthy, Naomi Quillopa and Warren Schubert are the veteran Bhutan volunteers. Jonathan Ponte, a prior Surgicorps volunteer, will be making his first trip to Bhutan. Sheryl Lamb, a Surgicorps board member has joined 8 teams. Surgicorps founder, Jack Demos, will lead the medical team and Linda Esposto, Director of Programs and Logistics, will be making sure that everything goes as planned! It truly is a team effort!

The other team members are first time Surgicorps volunteers and include Stephanie Annis, Michael Best, Mary Bierman, Alena Curry, Hillel Kashtan, Robert Schemmer, Ginger Sturgeon and Chris and Darlene Yanakos. We are grateful to all the volunteers for their time and service!

This video was made by Danielle Dunn, daughter of Surgicorps Vietnam 2014 volunteer Joanie Dunn.

Thank you to both Joanie and Danielle for contributing this video to Surgicorps!

The Surgicorps team will be traveling to Bhutan for our 9th trip to this country from April 25-May 5, 2015. We are grateful to our team members for the time, energy and resources they will provide to help improve the lives of our Bhutanese friends! This trip honors the memory of Dr. Sarah Pettrone; an outstanding surgeon, Surgicorps volunteer and Bhutan team member who passed away last year.

Team members hail from several states as well as Canada. They are:  Stephanie Annis, Anne Argenta, Lou Argenta, Michael Best, Cliff Bierman, Mary Bierman, Terry Boyd, Alena Curry, Jack Demos, Linda Esposto, Hillel Kashtan, Prema Krishnamurthy, Sheryl Lamb, William Manteris, Jonathan Ponte, Naomi Quillopa, Robert Schemmer, Warren Schubert, Ginger Sturgeon, Chris Yanakos and Darlene Yanakos.

 

 

 

Recently Surgicorps International celebrated their 20th year anniversary and I just returned home from my 20th mission trip with Surgicorps. As I reflect on this milestone I am compelled to put my thoughts into writing.

It is difficult to find words to describe what Surgicorps means to me. Ten years ago as a college student, I began my journey with Surgicorps. I could never have dreamed or imagined the impact that Surgicorps would have on my life or that I would have the opportunity to travel to eight developing countries to assist in providing medical care to those in need.

My travels with Surgicorps have changed me as a physician assistant and as a person.

I have made many new friends from our country and many others from the various countries to which I have traveled.

When I enter hospitals in certain countries, I feel like I am participating in a homecoming. I find myself hugging and embracing my friends and “family” that I have not seen in a while.

Professionally, I have learned surgical techniques and gained medical knowledge from the very talented, competent doctors, nurses, surgical technicians, CRNA’s, and other physician assistants. This knowledge has carried over and been useful in my professional life in America.

While working closely with medical professionals in various countries, I have learned that there is more than one way of completing tasks and that the “American way” is not always the best way.

I have helped to create many “smiles”, but the patients who have received a new smile have made me smile even more!

Medical mission trips with Surgicorps keep me emotionally grounded and humble and have taught me many lessons in patience.

I have shed tears, acquired many bug bites, and lost weight from traveler’s GI illnesses. However, I would not change one thing about my experiences.

I have witnessed sickness and deformities, dealt with loss, and have seen the results of physical acts of violence provoked by other human beings that I could have never imagined. Helping individuals to “feel whole” again by surgically providing them with the ability to eat, talk, smile, walk, or use their arms, makes me thankful to have been blessed with skills as a PA and to be a volunteer with a group of individuals who share my mindset.

I am truly honored to have had all of these opportunities and privileges bestowed upon me by the age of 33.

Thank you Surgicorps (and the generosity of those that support your mission as donors and volunteers and make these trips possible) for impacting and changing my life forever. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities you have provided for me to help positively impact the lives of hundreds of adults and children. I look forward to traveling with you for many years to come!

Tara Burns

 

On October 31st, a group of 18 volunteers would travel almost 10,000 miles to reach Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This was my maiden-voyage with the team, and I joined them as a non-medical volunteer. Although I’d traveled to many faraway places, I would soon learn the difference between traveling, and seeing the world.

We filed in as doctors, nurses, students, medical technicians, coordinators, writers, and interpreters. We arrived with different educations, nationalities, skillsets, cultures, and ages. But when united together, we became one. We became a well-oiled machine that performed life-changing surgeries, and brought hope to less fortunate and disadvantaged individuals. Together we became Surgicorps.

The first day was screening day, the time when soon-to-be patients are assessed for surgery. When our team arrived, the waiting room was swelled to capacity with men, women, and children of all ages. They were eager to be seen, yet waited (some for hours) with patience and good nature. Some were there for the first time and others had returned for second and even third surgeries. Many had severe birth defects; cleft palates, missing ears, and other anomalies. There were babies too young to know that they looked unlike other children, even startling. But their parents were well aware and sat joyfully, while they waited for their child to be seen by the surgeons. Although all communication was done through interpreters, the sentiment in that room needed no translation; hope had arrived.

I felt particularly drawn to the burn patients, many who were unsightly. Maybe it was in the knowing that they weren’t born this way. Maybe it was in the knowing that at one time they knew how it felt to look normal or even beautiful; that at one time they knew how it felt to “fit in.” That first day, in screening, we were only required to record the physical source behind the burns; cooking with kerosene on an open flame, a lit cigarette falling into a gasoline can, acid burns, and an electrocution that left a man without arms, or toes. The burn patients understood that there was no magic wand for all of their disfigurements, so they came to see the Surgicorps team in search of a new normal. They underwent surgeries to restore lips that had been seared off, or release fingers that were fused together. One young man was unable to raise his arms when he arrived. Three days after surgery, he proudly posed for pictures with his hands on his hips and a big smile on his face.

Through the help of our interpreters we got to know the burn patients; a group of individuals that didn’t know one another when they arrived, but were tightly intertwined by the time they left. We gave them an opportunity to tell their stories and to talk about how different life was for them now; to talk about the “new normal”. One woman showed us a photo of an exquisite bride on her wedding day. It was a picture of herself, one that was taken before the accident that burned her face beyond recognition.

The group felt comfortable, and safe, when in the company of each other. Opening up about things that they hadn’t spoken of before was like a warm bath to them; a liberating release of emotion. When together, they felt like they “fit in.” They spoke freely about feelings of rejection, and embarrassment in the outside world. Some spoke of feeling helpless, and reliant on family for the simplest of things. The man without arms dreamed of having a single hook one day to replace just one of his arms. He wanted nothing more than to feel independent. When asked what they would hope for, if given three wishes, their selfless answers surprised us all. They wished only to be accepted in a world where physical appearance matters most. They wished this so that they might become employed again, and provide for their families. They wished not to be a burden.

That which does not kill you, will indeed make you stronger, and the patients that we helped are a testament to that. It was a joy to see the happiness in their faces, and the confidence that was restored to them after surgery. I will miss my new friends in Vietnam, and hope to see them next year on our return visit. The trip was life changing, not just for the people that we helped, but also for ourselves. It was as much about what we took home in our hearts as what we left behind.

Are you a student in the medical professions interested in going on a trip with Surgicorps?  Click here to see if you are eligible for the Surgicorps Student Scholarship!  The scholarship is awarded annually and covers $1,000 of the recipient’s travel costs.