Rotaplast Missions

Final Thoughts and Impressions

The entire two weeks that we were at the hospital I wandered around the different hospital wards with a giant smile stretched from cheek to cheek, greeting everyone that looked my way with kindness. My smile was able to break down the language barrier and coerce smiles out of the numerous people that simply locked eyes with me. It created trust between me and the patients, calmed the nerves of worried parents and children, and is a profoundly powerful tool in non-verbal communication, which comprises two thirds of all communication.

By the end of the first week my cheeks actually hurt from the smile that was constantly plastered on my face - it pointed out what a necessity a smile truly is. Working in the hospital made me realize how much a smile really means, the priceless value of a warm kind grin. It made me realize the importance of the gift we were giving to these patients, and how much they must have struggled this far.

 The surgeries that we provided these past two weeks are more than just cosmetic alterations. They are deeply entwined with the individuals social experience, self esteem and self worth. We have actively freed them from the social stigma that has plagued their life since birth. We have further opened the door for opportunity in their lives. We have provided them with an invaluable tool, crucial to the human experience.

It may be hard to believe, but the relationship between patients and volunteers is purely mutualistic. The volunteers get just as much out of the mission as the patients do. Before the mission numerous people told me that the trip would be life changing. To be honest I was skeptical, now that we have returned I would have to agree that the mission was life changing. Its the simple smile and hug that the patients give you throughout the two weeks of the mission and the thought of the opportunities that smile will bring them throughout their lives, that lets you know that your hard work has paid off.

The only way that you can truly understand the feeling that I am describing is by going on a mission, to find out for yourself. 

 My smile made my 2 week experience in Guatemala profoundly more meaningful, I cannot even fathom the impact of the new 119 smiles created over the last two weeks. Thank you so much to all who made this mission possible - the patients and their parents, volunteers, local/host Rotarians, the hospital, the Rotaplast Office, and the numerous others.

It was a touching experience that will turn into a powerful memory - one that will always bring a smile to my face.

-Daniel DeSanto, Photojournalist

Our Wonderful Volunteers

We have had an extremely productive and professional team this year. I can honnestly say that every team member had a a kind, generous, and fun disposition. We were able to serve 119 patients and perform 137 surgical procedures. I really hope to work with each and every one of you in the future and have truly appreciated this experience.

Orthodontist, Jeanine Norden, Dentist, Eric Nordberg, and Ward coordinator Bricia ElAawar educating children and their families about the importance of brushing their teeth!!!!

Jessica Lara and her mother, two wonderful dedicated volunteer translators, Bricia ElAawar, ward coordinator, PACU nurses, Joanne Gillespie and Jeannie Petro. PACU assistant Lorrie Lee, Pediatrician Ashlee Weimar, Speech Pathologist Kelly Cahill and a local volunteer from hospital with a loving mother and her child.

Bricia ElAawar with a group of local Guatemala Medical students who have been watching and helping in the operating rooms these past two weeks.

Chehab ElAawar and two local hospital volunteers excited about sterilizing equipment!

Anesthesiologist Ishai Erez, Surgeon, Milton Solis, and two local volunteer nurses. They worked in Operating Room 3 during the mission. We were an operating room nurse short this mission. Fortunatly, a local nurse was able to fill our open slot! Thank you so much to our local volunteers!

Surgery Room 2: Surgeon, Ron Worland, OR nurse, Maryann McKenzie, anesthesiologist, Larry Ong, and a local nurse, minutes before entering surgery.

Operating Room 1: anesthesiologist, Helen Vajk, OR nurse, Devi Dimalibot, surgeon, Rod Simonds, and a local scrub nurse. It was amazing how many surgeries they were able to perform in such a short time.

Jessica Lara and her mother volunteered as translators for about half of the mission. It was wonderful working with and getting to know them. Thanks so much for all your help and I hope that our paths cross soon.

Mission Director, Brian Walker, President of the Rotary club Guatemala de la Asuncion, Gerry Leech, and our kind, dedicated, and helpful host Rotarian, Silvana Ayuso. Without these three the mission never would have been able to take place. Thank you so much for all of your efforts and we plan on seeing you next year in Retalhuleu, Guatemala.

Frank Walchak, Medical Director, and Carolyn Walchak, Head Nurse, scheduled surgeries and managed the medical staff- they made a hard job seem simple.

Our dedicated team of Anesthesiologists. John Lee, Larry Ong, Helen Vajk, and Ishai Erez. Thank you so much for answering my constant stream of questions! Best of luck to Ishai and Larry as they wrap up their residency.

We threw a party to thank our wonderful hosptial volunteers, they gratefully welcomed us into their hospital with open arms and worked side by side with us.

This is our amazing team. This mission could not have been better. Many repeat Rotaplast volunteers mentioned how this was one of the better missions that they have been on. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers for making this such an amazing experience.

Dedicated Volunteers, Caring Patients, Wonderful Mission

Rotaplast mission aim to give reconstructive surgeries to children with cleft lips and/or palates. Every once in a while families come to the clinic in hopes of obtaining help for non-cleft lip and/or  palate health complications. More than half way thorugh the mission, Marco Antonio, a 7-year-old boy with a cleft lip and palate, David Julian Garcia, his 12-month-old baby brother, and mother accompanied him to the hospital in hope of obtaining an operation. Marco's mother had two children with her husband before the births of Marco Antonio and David Julian Garcia. Marco was born with a very prominent cleft lip and palate. A year later David was born with dimpling on his lower back, unable to move his legs. Their father could not take the upset and shame of having two children with helath complications and left the mother to raise all 4 children on her own. The mother said that in order to find out how to go about fixing David's back she needed 900 quetzales (about $125 USD) for a MRI. Their mother only makes 300 quetzales ($40 USD) a month and can not afford the medical expenses for David.

Since the family arrived so late in the mission we were not able to fit Marco Antonio onto the schedule for surgery. We asked why they arrived so late in the week and the mother said she was unable to find someone to watch her older children and she needed to work in order to keep them all from going hungry. We were able to arrange dental care for the family in Guatemala City, as well as take a look at David. The skilled Rotaplast doctors examined David and hypothesized that he has spinabifida.  The entire team of volunteers went above and beyond and pitched in $180 USD to give to Marco and David’s mother, in order to pay for the MRI, as well as transportation to the hospital, and food for the family while they are away.

This volunteer team has been absolutely amazing. They have not only contributed their time and hard work but they have stretched their pockets to provide for the truly destitute families of Guatemala. Even though we weren’t able to provide surgery for Marco, we were still able to provide service for the family. This mission has been especially touching due to the steadfast and selfless determination of our team of volunteers. 

 

Patients: Younger and Older

Glaids Preciosa and her mother, Nancy Elenora, are an absolutely beautiful and charming duo. Nancy expressed fear for her daughter’s future. She elaborated by telling us her life story. Nancy’s mother got married and had 3 children, of which Nancy was the youngest. Her father left the family after her birth and her mother quickly remarried. At age 10 her stepfather pulled her out of school to work, in order to help feed the family, consequently she never learned how to read and write. Nancy’s mother got pregnant with two more children a year after remarriage. Two years later, she got pregnant with quadruplets. Unfortunately a pair of the children were born with epilepsy.  Later that year Nancy’s stepfather kicked Nancy and all of her siblings from her mother’s first marriage out of the house. Shortly after her stepfather left her mother. She could not move home because her mother could not afford to support any more children.

At age 14 Nancy got pregnant with Gladis Preciousa who was born with both a cleft lip and palate. All of Nancy’s pay goes towards food, she can’t afford to send Gladis Preciosa to school. Nancy fears and hopes that her daughter won’t end up in the same situation as her. Unfortunately, Nancy was not able to get off work for the pre-clinic and was registered for surgeries during the second week of our stay in Guatemala. Unfortunately, we do not have any free days to operate on Gladis Preciosa. We told her that she is the first on the list next year when we come to Retalhuleu, Guatemala. Nancy also told us that she couldn’t afford transportation home. Two of our absolutely lovely volunteers offered to give her a ride. We look forward to seeing both Gladis Peciosa and Nancy next year and hope the best for them.  

When I showed Olga this picture she was overjoyed. She said that this is the first time that she has truly smiled in months without feeling ashamed. On the left is her mother-in-law, wearing a wonderfully colorful top that she made herself.

Usually Rotaplast operates on small children. Olga was an exception. She had a very prominent aged cleft lip and palate that had never had surgery. At age 44 she is the oldest patient that we have had this far. She lives and works in a small village in the country and came to the hospital with her mother in law who could not speak a word of Spanish, only a local dialect called Quiche. She has been married for 22 years and has two children, but has never kissed her husband.

 

Olga throws her hands up in the air in the recovery room and thanks god for surgery. We asked her why she wanted this surgery so late in life, she replied that she wanted to look beautiful when she went to visit Jesus in the afterlife.

 

Before her surgery, she asked for two pictures. One of herself and mother-in-law, the other a close up of her face. She said that when she returned to her village she wanted to run through it shouting waving the photos above her head. We were able to operate on her cleft lip, but she was past the point where palate surgery was feasible. We gave her a obturator to fill the hole in her palate, to help with her speech and swallowing.

 

Olga in her traditional clothes after surgery on her way back to her village to show off her beautiful new upper lip. She was such a pleasure to work with, a truly compassionate and gracious individual.

After the operation, the surgeons gave her a mirror to view her reflection. Immediately, Olga’s hands joyously shot up in the air and she began praising God. Olga stayed two nights in the hospital, every day she thanked every staff member she saw and asked to have pictures taken of herself. Before she left I printed another picture of her after surgery. Olga and her mother-in-law left the hospital excited to display her new smile to her children, husband, and village.

 

 

 

The Village Behind the Patients

They say it takes a village to raise a child, the same is true with the patients that come to the Rotaplast clinic. Many times patients live hours to days away from the hospital. Friends and family members of the patients often hear about Rotaplast’s presence in their country and go above and beyond to make sure their loved ones receive free surgery.  We have heard many heartfelt stories about helping hands coming together to get patients to the Rotaplast clinic.

 

Julio and his father Antonio at the pre clinic

Julio Mendez and his father Antonio heard about Rotaplast through Julio’s schoolteacher, Mayra. Julio was constantly teased at school – his cleft lip and palate made it extremely difficult for him to enjoy the company of others. I asked him if he liked to talk and he violently shook his head no. He is a sweet kind and happy kid that unfortunately lives in the shadow of his cleft lip and palate.

 

Julio and his father with Analilia Vargall and Ana Quinto who accompanied Julio and his father to the Hospital on behalf of the Centro Universitario de oriente. They were all extremely kind and caring.

Julio and his father live 8 hours away from Retalhuleu and could not afford the transportation to the hospital. His schoolteacher contacted her medical school, Centro Universitario de ortiente (UNORI), and told the secretary Julio’s heart felt story, who passed the story on to five other staff. They all pulled their money together to pay for transportation for Julio. They even had two wonderful interns Analilia Vargasl and Ana Qunito accompany Julio and his father to the hospital.

Julio before surgery

Julio after surgery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All together it took 8 individuals to get Julio to the Rotaplast clinic. The locals here really appreciate Rotaplast’s presence in Guatemala and are most certainly doing their part to take advantage of our life changing services. 

After Juan Carlos and his Uncle arrived at the pre-clinic, Juan Carlos was operated on later in the week; little did we know his brilliant smile hid a touching story. Minutes before he was discharged from the hospital, the president of the local Lions Club came to visit. He paid for Juan’s transportation to the clinic after hearing his story. Juan’s father left his family, leaving his wife to raise their three children alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juan is the oldest of the three. Two years ago Juan and his two brothers watched as their mother was gunned down. She died in front of them. Juan and his two brothers sat with their mother's body for 2 days until their uncle came to visit. Large tears streamed down Juan’s uncle's face as the man from the Lions Club told the story. Instantaneously everyone in the room began to weep. It is amazing to see how the Lions Club trusted Rotaplast in order to provide for Juan Carlos. It is great to witness both organizations bonding over service. 

 

Surgeries and Stories

The first day of surgery did not disappoint. In comparison to the pre-clinic the day was much more tamed. There weren’t hundreds of people running around the hospital, which made it much easier to interact and get to know the patients. Many amazing stories surfaced throughout the day.

Eddy and Ammy at the pre clinic, waiting to hear when their surgery will take place

There was one patient, Ammy and her father Eddy who came in for cleft palate surgery. Her father spoke very good English and explained that he had lived in the United States for 10 years. He met his wife, also a Guatemalan, in South Carolina and they had 3 kids. Unfortunately, five years ago his wife was deported to Guatemala. She insisted that she take the children with her. Eddy stayed in the United States for a few months and sent money back to Guatemala for his family, he said that it was very difficult and that he would “cry and shake and didn’t know what to do” the work was better in the United States, but it wasn’t worth as much as being with his family.

Ammy had a wonderful disposition and was extremely kind. Her voice is very nasally and difficult to understand - we are excited about her upcoming surgery and all of the doors it will open for her in the future.

He moved back to Guatemala a month later and had another child, Ammy, a wonderful and kind-eyed little girl with a cleft palate. They both live 6 hours away from Retalhuleu and heard about the Rotaplast mission on the television and decided that this was a wonderful opportunity Ammy.

 

Today was also the first opportunity to follow patients all the way through surgery, watching their transformation. This kids name was Driber Dolphin Rameriz Rameriz - he was a feisty energetic kid. It was amazing to see the power of surgery first hand.

 

The majority of the patients on the first day were babies under a year. Their surgeries were exteremely dynamic and crucial. They will grow up without knowing the burdens of having a cleft lip. It is amazing to think about how different their lives would have been without this simple surgery.

 

 

Pre-Clinic

 

The pre-clinic is generally the busiest day of the week - this mission was no exception. There were over 350 people waiting outside the hospital when we arrived at 6:45 am. Each medical professional, dentists/orthodontists, pediatricians, nurses, and surgeons, each had their own station to screen prospective patients to see who was eligible for surgery.

Many of these children are ashamed and embarrassed by their cleft lips and/or palates and don’t like being in large groups due to social scrutiny – the Rotaplast pre-clinic is an exception.

It is a rarity that over 150 children with cleft lips and/or palates are in the same location at the same time. It was wonderful watching them play and befriend one another in the comfortable pre-clinic environment.

By the end of the day we saw over 185 patients and scheduled the eligible ones for surgery later in the week. There were some patients that were not in good enough health to operate on or had conditions that we could not help with. Throughout the day a steady stream of people continued to come into the hospital seeking operations.

Clayton Lee and 3 kids that helped us during the pre clinic. The kids were excetionally helpful and kind. We are looking forward to seeing them when they come in for surgery!

 

It is expected that at least 10 more prospective patients will arrive every day until we leave Guatemala. We had many local translators, Rotarians, and volunteers helping us at the pre-clinic it was amazing to see the support of the local Rotarians and Guatemalans.

 

President of Rotary Club Guatemala, Gerry Leech, takes a picture with a patient. He has been such a large help organizing and helping with this mission. It has been a pleasure working with him.

There is such a need for service here and we are so thankful to all of the individuals who made this mission possible with special mention of John and Marti Street's generosity to commemorate the memory of Kathryn Street Hoffman and George Hoffman.  Tomorrow is the first day of surgery, I am curious and excited to see what will unfold.

 

 

 

Welcome to Retalhuleu, Guatemala!

Everyone gathered at 9 pm on the night of April 1st excited, energized, and eager to get to Guatemala.  We congregated in front of the 34 boxes, packed with medical supplies and equipment, making introductions and reuniting with old friends – knowing that by the end of the mission we would all be able to bond over a life changing experience. The group that left from San Francisco caught their red eye flight and arrived in Houston at 5 in the morning. We patiently waited 4 hours for our flight to Guatemala City, Guatemala.

 

Surgeons Ron Worland and Frank Walchak reunite in the SFO airport

 

Upon arrival we were greeted by members of congress, who gracefully carried all 34 of our boxes through customs, fed us, and accompanied us with an armed escort on the 4-hour drive through the luscious green mountains and fields to Retalhuleu. Our hosts have been amazingly accommodating, kind, and generous and the people that we have met so far in Guatemala have been extremely kindhearted and warm. We are currently staying at a resort for government employees – to say the least it is absolutely beautiful.

 

Dinner at our Hotel

When we arrived to the Retalhuleu we immediately went to the hospital. A line of patients and their families had already formed outside the hospital gate waiting for our pre clinic that will be taking place tomorrow

It is estimated that there will be about 200 patients and their families waiting for us when we arrive in the morning. It promises to be a busy day full of meeting and working with patients, lining up surgeries, and starting the life changing process of creating smiles and changing lives. 

 

Chehab and Marie ElAawar console a crying young father delighted by our arrival to the hospital

 

 

Day 7: March 1, 2013

Overcoming obstacles and seeking solutions characterize this dedicated Rotaplast Mission Team.

Heading up the 28-member mission team, the four-surgeon "A-Team" completed 106 procedures during 7 days of surgeries. (L to R) Dr. Sibrand Schepel, MD (The Netherlands), Dr. Dennis Dundas, MD (Sequim, WA), Dr. Angelo Capozzi, MD (Tiburon, CA), and Dr. Bradley Coots, MD (Gering, NE)

Orthodontist Iroshini Perera, DDS, installs a custom-fitted obturator on a young cleft palate patient. The temporary device, to be worn only during eating, prevents liquid from going into a patient's nasal passages. Next year, she will be considered for surgery.

Rotaplast Missions focus on developing or emerging countries in South America, Asia and Africa.  Bangladesh is a benchmark example.   A predominately Muslim country of 160 million, literally thousands of children are born with a cleft lip or palate.  Almost all of them are from families who do not possess the resources to pay for surgery to repair this birth defect.

For every team member, these missions require hard work often under challenging conditions.  This mission required the team to tirelessly work around unexpected Bangladesh countrywide strikes, or "hartals," resulting in street demonstrations and violence on several days during the two-week mission.  On the first Sunday of the mission, the team was confined to the hotel and on other days had to depart the hotel for the hospital at 5:30 in the morning to avoid the 6am government curfew.   On the final weekend of the mission, the country's death toll on the streets of the cities of Bangladesh had reached 58.  

Clinic Day was the team's final day when all patients returned to the hospital for a final examination. They received instructions on diet and guidance on any additional care to be provided by local medical services.

The mission team was comprised of dedicated professionals with an unwavering commitment and willingness to marshall inordinate amounts of energy.  Each individual member of the team has to perform his or her assignments and deliver against the team's expectations.  The job assignments vary widely, but each person plays an integral role in contributing to a productive mission team.  Supporting the OR teams of surgeons, anesthesiologists, OR nurses, PACU nurses, pediatricians, dentists and interpreters were a mission director, medical records keeper, speech pathologist, patient transporter, ward coordinator, recreational therapist, and quartermaster along with a photojournalist.

These team members willingly make personal sacrifices many people would resist.  For many, it's time away from their families, and in many instances, it means foregoing income for the self-employed.  After traveling thousands of miles, this remarkable group of individuals came together for two weeks, forming a high-functioning team to perform medical miracles for the children of Bangladesh.

(Center) Mission Director Rose-Marie Joyce (Whittier, CA) and (far right) Dentist Biebie van Leeuwen (The Netherlands) bid goodbye to local volunteers on the mission's final day.

Rotaplast volunteers, both medical and non-medical, share a fundamental desire to give service to humanity. Their humanity is children of the world.  Because of their committed volunteerism and the generous donations received by Rotaplast, this dedicated team delivers a minimum of $7 of medical treatment and care for every dollar received. They're truly global ambassadors for the United States as well as for the countries many of these volunteers call home. 

 

 Mission Team Profiles:

Pediatricians Dr. Rene Vreuls, MD (The Netherlands, 8 missions) and Dr. Nivedita Mohanty, MD (Chicago, IL, 7 missions)

(L to R) Lead Anesthesiologist Dr. Joe Anderson, MD (Portland, OR), Orthodontist Iroshini Perera, DDS (San Francisco, CA) and Anesthesiologist Dr. Judy O'Young, MD (Piedmont, CA)

The mission team and Rotaplast International extend a very special thank you to our many donors who have made this mission possible.  We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to our corporate sponsor, Chevron, for its generous donation and we thank the members of the Rotary Club of Agrabad for their warm welcome to Bangladesh and their valued presence and support during the entire mission.

James Taylor, Photojournalist 

Day 6: February 26, 2013

High-performing four-surgeon team records 103 surgeries over 7 days.

 Two operating tables and two fully-staffed OR teams share one OR on final day of surgeries amid a flurry of activity.

 

Rotaplast specializes in transformative smiles and improving the quality of children's lives.   Meet Mohammed:

 

Wide-eyed Mohammed, âge 6 months, a few days before surgery to repair his cleft lip.

Taking a nap following his procedure, Mohammed will likely only know of his earlier appearance if provided with photographic documentation.

 

 

Mission Team Profiles:

Top row (L to R) OR Nurse Jeanne Kille, RN (Salt Lake City, UT, 37 Missons); OR Nurse Lianna Hooper, RN (Bellingham, WA, 12 Missions); Bottom Row (L to R) PACU Nurse Karen Fischer, RN (Salt Lake City, UT, 18 Missions); Pediatrician Dr. Rene Vreuls, MD (The Netherlands, 8 Missions)

 

 

Go Dutch! Four of the nine team members from The Netherlands combine for 13 Missions: (L to R) Patient Transporter Bert Steenbergen; Medical Records Hans Adolfsen (rear); Ward Coordinator Agnes van Heezik-Wolfkamp; Quartermaster Gerhard van Dalen

 

James Taylor, Photojournalist