Rotaplast Missions

Mission Wrap-Up

The last two days of our mission have been eventful and productive.

Friday marked the last day of surgery. Though all we are experiencing varying levels of exhaustion, the infants we took care of filled us with enthusiasm.

At the end of the day, we enjoyed a very large and absolutely decadent chocolate cake with the resident nurses and hospital staff.

Then, we all headed to the hotel to change into our dress clothes and travel to the magnificent home of the Rotarian District Governor Hildebrando Bustamante. There, we attended a fantastic dinner party with delicious courses accompanied by everyone who played a part in the Rotaplast Lima mission.

We exchanged gifts and listened to two young girls sing; one of whom was the very first Rotaplast Lima patient years ago.

Today, Saturday, was our last day at the hospital. Surgeons conducted post-operation examinations and post-op photos were taken.

Many of us exchanged contact information with the Lima Rotarians and doctors as well as patients and parents. We completed well over 100 surgeries during our time here and are leaving with complete satisfaction.

Sunday Day Trip

The Rotary Club El Rimac members have been, and continue to be, wonderful hosts. We are frequently treated to meals and snacks courtesy of the Club, and this weekend we took a special trip that acquainted us with further aspects of Peru.

At 10a.m. on Sunday, we departed our hotel via the bus that transports us to and from the hospital. This time, though, we drove 40 minutes through Lima to our destination at Pachacamac.

On the way we passed slums and mansions, which lack the separation we associate with low and high income housing in America. We drove along the coast and watched the outstretched ocean peppered with oil tankers and huge waves.

We reached Pachacamac and were fortunate enough to partake in a guided tour of the archaeological site that offers pre-Inca ruins. We visited the highest pyramid and hiked a path that ended with a gorgeous ocean view. After a fantastic experience, we piled back into the bus and headed into the city again.

We stopped at Caballos Peruanos to meet the Caballos de Paso: Peru's famous dancing horses. We were granted a special private presentation where five horses twirled, stepped and hopped for us. Afterward we were allowed to feed them carrots and the bravest of us even went for a ride.

Our last stop was Brisas de Titicaca, a restaurant in a region of Lima known for its artistic residents. Brisas de Titicaca features traditional Peruvian music and dance. We dined on delicious dishes while enjoying the dinner show and took to the dance floor with the Rimac Rotarians.

We returned to our hotel invigorated and reenergized to continue our mission, and eternally grateful to the Rotary Club El Rimac for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Rosa Angelina

Yesterday at the Hospital National Arzobispo Loayza, the Rotaplast team checked in 120 patients in need of cleft lip and palate surgery from 9a.m. to 5p.m.

At 5:10p.m., Rosa Angelina Lopez Pascual and her mother, father and 2-year-old sister walked through the doors.Though check-in was available the following day, doing so would leave the family on the street for the night, while checking in would allow them shelter in the ward. The team reversed their pack-up process and checked the toddler into the “pre-op” system as their number grew to 121.

The pre-op process begins with a medical form for every child's parents. With the help of a translator, the form is completed and an official photo is taken of the child. That photo is the beginning of the child's folder, which is handed off to a nurse who records the child's vital signs. The patient then meets with a surgeon who approves or denies the case based on medical safety; green stickers mean surgery is approved, red stickers mean surgery will not take place during this mission. An approved child then visits a pediatrician for a basic check-up and parents answer a few more questions.

For Rosa Angelina, the sticker was green and her cleft palatoplasty was scheduled to take place the following day. This will be surgery number two for the toddler; her first repaired her lip as an infant, before palate surgery was possible due to her age. Her parents hope the second surgery will allow their daughter to speak without impairment.

Today, surgery began. Thirteen procedures were completed, including that of Rosa Angelina, who, at the ripe old age of 3, is one of the oldest patients in the ward.

Old enough to be frightened, yet not old enough to grasp the concept and privilege of reconstructive surgery, Rosa Angelina put up a bit of a fight as nurses escorted her to the operating room. When the surgery ended, she remained medicated as she was placed in the recovery room. A short while later, she awakened terrified. With little success soothing the child, nurses dressed her father in scrub gear and allowed him into recovery where he inst antly quieted Rosa Angelina.

Soon after, the entire Lopez Pascal family was reunited. They had traveled by bus for 72 hours straight from their home in the province of Hunaco after hearing a Rotaplast announcement on the radio, and waited anxiously as their frightened little girl's face and palate was reconstructed by Mission Director Dr. Sibrand Schepel. Though Rosa Angelina will not be able to consume anything but water for the next 24 hours, she will be able to lead a normal, healthy life thanks to this surgery. The family has no means by which to return to their home, and so the members of Rotaplast team have coordinated a private collection in order to fund their trip.

Orientation

'It’s 4:00 a.m. on July 21, 2009, and I am sound asleep at home in Vero Beach, Florida.

I am anxiously dreaming of my new soon-to-be reality in Lima, Peru. 

Meanwhile, 2,500 miles away, California Rotaplast team members are wide awake amidst nightmarish circumstances. 

San Francisco International Airport has just greeted them with flight cancellation. 

  And although their adventurous voyage from San Francisco to Lima will become even more frustrating as the day progresses, their troubles will become distant memories as they are finally welcomed by the hospitable members of the Rotary Club El Rimac.' -Eric Thompson

Today, the band of volunteers were bussed to the Hospital National Arzobispo Loayza for the first of many trips. 

At the hospital press conference, Dr. Zarela Solis Vasquez, Directora General, described the Rotaplast mission to the local media alongside Rotary Club El Rimac President Marcela Ventura, Mission Director Rose Marie Guerena Joyce, Mission Medical Director Dr. Sibrand Schepel, and local surgeon Dr. Margarita Marchino. 

  During the hospital tour guided by Dr. Marchino, team members learned of the hospital's history and current status caring for the areas poorest patients. Though more than 100 cleft palate-plagued patients are expected when Rotaplast opens the hospital doors tomorrow, four have already begun the line formation a full 24 hours early. Patients are expected to travel up to 11 hours for the opportunity Rotaplast offers. With this in mind and knowing the important tasks that await them in the morning, the team members are making certain to rest well tonight.