Belize 2011 Slideshow

Final Update

We did 1400 prescriptions, saw over 900 patients in 4 villages, evaluated 250 people in order to choose surgery candidates, performed 103 surgeries in 4 operating rooms, built two houses for two very needy families. The new homes were only 450 square feet, but very nice by the standards in the villages.

The theme of the week, was from John 10 where Jesus says that God, the father calls his sheep and "calls them by name." We looked at each patient as someone God had called us to serve "by name," and that he had called each of us "by name," to be there. IT was not an accident. We also focused being the body of Christ for the week, regardless of where we were in our faith experience. Chuck gave a devotion on how we plan, but God changes it all up and makes it better at the end. One of the disappointments this year was that the hospital was under construction. It was to be finished but in fact was not. We had to use a neighboring doctor's clinic. But, the end result was a new contact and relationship with this doctor and the hope of using his facility in addition to the hospital next year. We were able to use one of the hospital operating rooms, so we increased from 72 surgeries last year to 103. Our goal was 80.

Sunday Evening Update

The surgery team had a full schedule of 20 surgeries in 4 operating rooms today. Some of these do not require general anesthesia, but can be done under local anesthetic.

The village clinic team was heading to Progresso (across a hand cranked ferry into a remote area near the coast), a village that sits on a lagoon with sea access by boat. One 14 year old girl who came today to the village clinic, a pastor's daughter, had a disfigurement on her neck that was several centimeters in length and protruded. The doctors sent Dan Parker, on the logistics team, across some rough roads to see the surgery team. They were able to both see her and completed the removal of this unsightly neck growth/scar. A new definition of same day surgery.

The Construction team is racing to get two houses done. The weather has been rainy and cold. Both unusual for Belize. The one house needs to get doors and interior walls complete, the Guttierez's and the Viamil home in Patchakan needs to get a roof and windows, doors, interior walls. That team is busy but enjoying swinging hammers and completing these tasks.

 

A stand up patient can't wait to see a doctor from the USA.

Vicky Magliano always has a big crowd as she helps people determine their reading glass strength and matches them with some available frames.

Dr. Magda Kerschner, Anesthesia, and nurses Patti Ritter, and Philomina  stop for a photo between surgeries.

Village Doctors have a brief meeting to plan out the medicines that are available on day two in Progresso.

Breakfast in the breakfast room with open doors and windows in the morning before devotions.

The team has been having breakfasts together at 6:30, devotions led by John Kirby at 7 AM, announcements and a hasty exit. The teams rejoin for dinner, but for several nights the days have been long with dinner delayed at the hotel multiple times and dinner in teams or partial teams as the 6 van loads return.

 

[Post from John Kirby]

Cloudy Sunday

The pharmacy team worked until past sunset today in Progreso as they raced to fill up the needs of the local village. Here in the first photo, Sam, Tricia, Nancy, Jim, and their additional interpreter finish the orders. In the second photo, nurse practitioner Gwen Johnson is seen in the primary care room diagnosing a family in Progreso. The not-so-fashionable job of ear cleaning turned out to be extremely rewarding when nurse Melody resotored hearing to this boy in the third photo. In the fourth photo, the construction team spent the day building the Guttierez house. "Chris' crew" joined up with los ninos to paint the house and themselves.

Saturday update...Village Clinic sees 250...houses under construction!

Vicky Magliano, Rachel Frappier, Melody Brim-Krotchen and Jennifer Haley set up a village clinic before 250 patients arrive.

Chuck Wilson and Joe Waselenko measure windows for one of the houses being built.

Chris Bowman gets help from Guttierez boys.

Early activity in Belize

Here Greg is helping to screen patients for surgery. Dr. Orsorio, chief of staff, is working with Greg and Rachel and Philamina James. Dr. Mangat with Jennifer Longo.

Friday afternoon update...good start...one van had flat tire.

[Friday afternoon] All made it to Belize (with the exception of J. Karibo who unfortunately got sick and was unable to travel. Most are back at the hotel this afternoon. Some stopped to help at the hospital in Orange Walk.

Over 250 patients showed up in hopes of getting one of the 70 surgery spaces.

One of the vans broke down (yes, this seems to happen from time to time). The team has 6 vans, and this van in a caravan of 3 had a flat tire. Each of us has the emergency number of the van company along with all the other van phones on the back of our nametags. So, the tire was fixed quickly and the team was back on the road!  [John Kirby]