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The Surgicorps Guatemala 2018 trip has come to an end and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to be part of the team for a second time.

It was a privilege to be part of a team of such talented and kind people. As a pediatrician my role consisted mostly of working in the recovery room both years.  There, I saw the impact that the surgical team had on patients.

Procedures and surgeries, large and small, that we may take for granted, are life changing for many of these people.  I saw multiple examples of this during my time in the recovery room but a few stand out.

Last year there was a young woman who had a cyst removed from her arm.   I saw that she was crying and when I approached her and asked her if she was in pain, she shook her head no and painted a big smile on her face…. she was crying tears of happiness.  A gentleman, who had a palate repair, began to cry as he could speak for the first time in many years. I had the same experience this year when I saw a man crying after surgery because he was so happy to have had a hernia repair.

The amount of gratitude was evident with every single patient. As a pediatrician, I especially loved seeing the children and their families. Every person that was part of the team was a true pleasure. Everyone brought their unique personality and talent but they also brought dedication and kindness to the work.   From the non- medical people to the surgeons, everyone worked together to bring love and care to these people.

Again, I feel honored to be a part of this wonderful group of people.

Surgicorps is preparing for our 16th trip to Guatemala from August 4th-11th with a team of 35 dedicated medical and non-medical volunteers. Our team this year includes: 9 members from Pennsylvania, 15 from Massachusetts, 3 from Nevada, 2 from New York, 2 from Ohio, 1 from Colorado, 1 from Tennessee, 1 from California and 1 from Arizona.

Surgicorps looks forward to working with hospital staff at the Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro Hospital again in Antigua and seeing old friends while meeting many new patients on screening day.

Previous Surgicorps team members include Dylan Anthony, Heather Archambeault, Pat Avis, Kerry Bennett, Cliff Bierman, Mary Bierman, Cathy Boyle, Kevin Cohen, Brian Gierl, Anne Hardart, Amelia Hare, Amy Hatch, Meghan Lauze, Carlos Mata, Richard Montilla, Bernadette Montilla, Farzaneh Nabizadeh, Jonathan Pelusi, Courtney Retzer-Vargo, Drake Sadler, Stephen Vargo, Jodi Yingling.

We welcome several new team members this year as well: Jonah Abraham, Paul Arcand, Elizabeth Arcand, Jack Bennett, Marcy Eckhart, Heather Gschnell, Don Hare, Andrea Ibarra, Owen Retzer, Etain Williams – Asplund, Brett Yingling. David Kim returns as Medical Director and Stephanie Charron will be the Trip Coordinator.

Surgicorps launched the Bon Voyage Crowdrise fundraiser again and in hopes that the Guatemala team members, and others, will once again participate in raising money to support our general Guatemala fund. These donations support the purchase of medical supplies and shipping costs amongst other expenses.

Surgicorps is grateful to these generous individuals who help make our shared mission of serving individuals in need around the world possible through their commitment of time, energy and resources. Stay tuned and follow us, for trip updates and pictures, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Surgicorps experience—what is it like for me? We recently returned from the Republic of Kazakhstan where Surgicorps staff provided the usual surgical interventions including plastic surgery, burn scar release, cleft lip and palate repair as well as a procedure new to the host country, prosthetic ear insertion, which was a wonderful learning opportunity for local health care providers.

For me the Surgicorps experience is somewhat different, not quite so glamorous. You see, I’m not a surgeon. I don’t perform any of the life changing improvements in our patients’ appearance and function. My role is a bit more mundane but, to my view, equally rewarding. I care for the patients after surgery. I get to see them when all the drapes are off and the surgical corrections have been performed. I often get to see the parents faces when they see their children for the first time with their new “look”.

When patients awaken from surgery, they are often still intubated, frightened, especially the little ones, and in pain. My role is to assess the patients, help get the breathing tubes out at the appropriate time, monitor for post op problems should they arise, and to assist with pain control. But the best part of what I do is to comfort the patients, reassuring them despite the language barrier. It’s also rewarding to work with, and from time to time teach, the local nursing staff. I made some friends in the PACU this year!

We travel with Surgicorps to offer medical services that are unavailable to those in need. We also travel to see the sights and sounds of another country, to learn about other cultures, the uniqueness and beauty of other people. Providing health care to these people allows us the privilege of a deeper, more revealing look into the people and their culture. We smile and say hello as best we can but, more importantly, we are remembered for what we have done to improve lives one at a time. That’s why I keep traveling with Surgicorps.

Aside from the serious business of screening 98 new patients to evaluate how the doctors might be able to help them, there is the excitement of reunion in the air as well.  Doctors and volunteers look forward to seeing the progress of former patients returning for additional treatment.  The Surgicorps medical team looks forward to seeing the Bhutanese hospital staff and the guides and translators who work so closely to make the 10-day mission a success.

In 2018, Surgicorps treated 59 patients with conditions such as cleft lips and palates, burn scars, injuries from bear maulings and other afflictions.  Some of these conditions are worse for having gone untreated for years and even decades.  There is no practicing plastic surgeon in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Sonam is 6 years old now, finishing first grade and playing hard with other kids at school.  He lives with his family 2 days from the hospital by bus journey.  He is a loveable, personable boy who suffered terrible burns on his upper posterior legs when he was just 4.  Sonam, his sister Pema and his mom Tshering have become friends of the SI team, because they are lovely and because we have seen so much of them at the Paro Hospital.  See Surgicorps 2016 blog post:  https://surgicorps.org/2017/01/11/a-mothers-fierce-love-bhutan-surgicorps-2016/

Dr. Jack Demos has performed procedures on Sonam three times now, releasing scar contracture and removing scar tissue so that he can straighten his legs and regain mobility and flexibility.  Just before the surgery this year, he was kicking a soccer ball around in the waiting area, a happy, active kid.

                       

 

After this surgery in May 2018, Sonam was observed, bandaged and his leg placed in a splint so he would keep it straight for at least 6 weeks so the skin grafts heal. He remained in the hospital for nearly a week before being carefully loaded into a small cab with his family to start the long trip home.

Oh, and he had a very special visitor – Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck – while he was recovering!!

Lugay’s story is tragic and moving.  Lugay went out early one morning about 2 and a half years ago to retrieve firewood and was attacked by a Himalayan black bear.  Her cub was nearby.  Lugay’s horrific injuries from being bitten and mauled were on his head and face.  He was able to kick the bear away and escaped.  He ran 10-15 minutes to get home, calling his wife Euden on the way.  She met him and immediately took him to the hospital via ambulance.  He has had 11 surgeries and spent 9 months at a specialty hospital in India, spending all of his $9,000 savings, which had been intended for a new house.

Lugay has great support in two grown sons who are helping with his farm and a very loving wife.  Their genuine affection was apparent, even in Bhutan where people do not typically publically display tenderness for each other.

Doctors were able to improve Lugay’s facial injuries and appearance by remodeling his upper lip and removing a piece of plastic that had been inserted in his nose.  He will require additional medical treatment to repair a slit in his lip and Surgicorps would like him to return next year for follow up.

Euden said that her husband was more important than a new house and Lugay said immediately that the work on his face doesn’t have to be perfect, but when he is more functional, he intends to earn enough money again to build her that house.

This is Lugay and Euden a few days post surgery.

Pema Lhamo is a 12 year old who was burned accidently by a big pot of hot water when she was 7 years old.  She lives in Thimphu now, but her parents had relocated to Australia for several years to obtain degrees in education.  Both are educators and speak English very well.  Pema has had three skin grafts already in her young life and Surgicorps was able to provide her with occupational therapy in the form of chest scar remodeling. Pema’s parents will ensure that she is treated and is as comfortable as possible given the extent of the scarring on her chest.

The people of Bhutan are patient, deferential, stoic and unassuming.  They are lovely.  Most of the folks have so little compared with those of us who live in the US. These patients and their families express deep appreciation that Surgicorps makes an annual “trek” to bring hope and caring medical treatment to improve their lives.  It is humbling and moving to be a part of Surgicorps!

Surgicorps will embark on the second surgical mission to Astana, Kazakhstan from June 16 – June 23, 2018. There are a total of 12 team members including 6 from Pennsylvania and 6 from other states. Surgicorps will partner with the Asyl Bala Foundation in order to provide services at the University Medical Center, affiliate of the National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health in Astana.

The veteran team members include Bill and Donna Bookwalter, Lori Ellis, Betty Hearne, Derrin Jarvis, Paul Kim, Guy Leone, and Ron Stiller. Surgicorps founder, Jack Demos will be the Medical Director and DeNese Olson, our Director of Operations and Outreach, will serve as the Trip Coordinator. Tamara Rychok will be our Medical Coordinator. Welcome to new volunteer Neil Sachanandani!

We look forward to returning to Astana and providing services to many patients in need.  Please follow us on social media for trip updates and pictures.

Safe travels Team Kazakhstan!

 

Surgicorps will embark on our 12th visit to Paro, Bhutan from May 5 to May 15, 2018. A total of 15 talented team members including 6 from Pennsylvania and 9 from other states (California, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York) will participate in fulfilling our mission of providing free surgical and medical services to people in need around the world.

We have ten previous Surgicorps volunteers: Michael Best, Diane Bremer, Merelise O’Connor, Naomi Quillopa, Warren Schubert, Aamir Siddiqui, and Ron Stiller; plus Surgicorps founder and trip Medical Director, Jack Demos; and Trip Coordinators DeNese Olson (Surgicorps staff) and volunteer Mary Bernacki.

Joining these experienced folks, we welcome six new volunteers: Sandy Abdelahad, Kathleen Coy, Ayse Fidan Genc, Toni Harris and Emily Mlot. We look forward to once again serving our friends in Bhutan at the Paro Hospital, providing life-improving surgeries to many patients and continuing relationships and experiences that reward everyone involved.

Please follow us on social media for trip updates and pictures. Safe travels, Team Bhutan!