Rotaplast Missions

Cumana Venezuela - July 23 - Surgery Day 2

Things got going fairly smoothly on Day 2. Everyone knew their job and just started doing it. We had a full day scheduled but as typically happens we have 2 no-shows so the schedule quickly was revised to effectively utilize the OR's.

After being examined several day 1 patients were discharged, so all the Day 1 patients have gone home. We are ready for the new patient influx to begin.

There are many tasks performed by the Rotaplast non-medical volunteers. One very important task is the production of sterile instruments and tools for the surgeries. This task is performed by Colleen Wynn using an autoclave which basically steams the instruments. Colleen then packages them into groups of instrument needed for the different types of surgeries.

I finally found out where all the boxes went. They were locked up in a store room. Happily only about 20 of the boxes will return to SFO with us.

So a bit more about the overall process. Many of the patients spend the night before surgery at the hospital so we don't have worry where they are when they are scheduled for surgery. A couple hours before their surgery the patients begin their preparation by changing in to their gown. There is typically a waiting period for an OR to come available. They gather in a lobby area with their parents for the wait. Larel Bondi watches over and entertains them.

Once an OR is ready for them they are taken in and prepared for surgery. The anesthesiologist prepares them for the surgery which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. The surgeries can take from 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

By the end of the day we had completed 13 surgeries mostly involving infants. Everyone felt very satisfied with the accomplishments on Day 2. This can be easily seen in the happy faces of the Toyota volunteers as they were leaving.

 

2015 Cumana Venezuela - July 23 - The Quilt Story

Whenever you see a patient in a bed, on a gurney or being carried in someone's arms, you will see them with a colorful quilt. These are given to each patient as a gift from Rotaplast. The quilts serve several functions: they are a means to cheer them up; give them a bit of security; and most importantly keep them warm.They will also be a lasting memory of a day in their lives that they were made better in many ways by a group of strangers.

This quilt program is not unique to the Cumana mission but is done for all the Rotaplast missions around the world. The quilts are made by volunteers via the "Wrap A Smile" organization:
Wrap-A-Smile. Over 400 quilts have been given away so far in 2015.

 

2015 Cumana, Venezuela - July 22 - Surgery Day 1

The day started like any other day: early breakfast and a bus ride to the hospital.  Once we got to the hospital things turned into controlled chaos as everyone found their place and got set up. The 1st surgeries began at roughly 10:00 am.

The schedule was for 13 surgeries as we only had 2 OR's. We scheduled the easier, simpler patients first so all the Docs and volunteers could make sure all the systems and procedures worked and were appropriate. The medical team also went over  various emergency scenarios with the entire team before the surgeries begin.

Like all surgeries everywhere the day starts for the patient putting on the gown that opens in the back. Some of them had to be cut shorter to fit the younger patients.

  When the surgeries are completed they are brought to post-op for observation prior to going to the recovery room where most will spend the night and be discharged the following day.

The whole Rotaplast team is well cared for by the Rotary Cumanagoto Club and the Sponsor organizations  (Toyota  and Chevron) at the hospital. We all get a terrific lunch every day.

The schedule was for the surgeries to be completed so most of the team could be on the bus to the hotel by 7:00 pm. We all made it except for a few post-op nurses and pediatricians that were taking care of the final patients.

Another tiring but successful day!

2015 Cumana, Venezuela - July 21 - The Clinic

The purpose of the clinic is to register and examine all the potential patients. At the end of the day lucky patients will be selected for surgery.

The day starts early again with breakfast at 6:00 am followed by a bus ride to the clinic hospital which is a different hospital from the one where we will do the surgeries. We were greeted by the staff and numerous volunteers upon arrival. Again more carrying boxes.

Many of the families wanting to register their children were already waiting. Many were bussed in the day before from the countryside surrounding Cumana.

The 1st hour or so was spent getting organized and figuring out the patient flow in the hospital. This would not be at all possible without the many local Rotarians and sponsor volunteers that support the mission.

For the potential patients the day begins with registration, i.e. filling out lots of forms and getting pictures taken. Each patient has a folder with their number and all the forms which follow them everywhere. The number is also written on their arms.

  The next stop is the measurement of their vital signs including lab work.

Throughout the day the kids and the adults were entertained to help break up the long long day.

Vitals are followed by an examination by a surgeon to determine the type of surgery required and if it is feasible with the resources available. The surgeons were assisted by Mission nurses and volunteer translators.

To assure the overall health is adequate the children are next examined by a pediatrician.

Finally they receive a dental exam to determine if a cleaning, devices or other dental services are necessary. If needed this will be done before any surgery.

Decisions are made throughout this process in which patients can or cannot be treated by the Rotaplast team. Each folder is given a colored sticker indicating the final outcome: green for acceptable and red for not acceptable.

The final patient was seen at roughly 7:00 pm and we left the hospital at 8:30 pm. It had been a very successful day. We registered and examined 246 potential patients. Of those 13 lucky patients were selected for surgery the next day. A simple preliminary schedule was created that evening and converted to a computer spreadsheet the following day. 

The Team all felt it was as very successful Clinic and which will lead into a very successful surgical program beginning Wednesday.

2015 Cumana, Venezuela - The Journey There

The San Jose contingent for the Cumana Rotaplast Mission arrived at SFO and were joined by others from various locations around States.The work began when 35 boxes arrived and needed to be brought into the terminal. It was great to have a couple spouses there to help. We needed most of the time allotted by arriving at 1:45 pm.

  We made a plane change in Houston where we joined with more of the team from other locations. The actual lay-over time was short (1 hr). They held the plane long enough for all the boxes to be loaded on the plane.

We landed in Caracas in the very early morning and were met by Roberto. Our trip through customs and immigration was very easy once we got the suitcases due to Roberto's organization of the process.

  After a short bus ride to another area of the airport and waiting for the military plane to arrive we boarded the transport plane. First came the loading of the 35 boxes. The plane was a Chinese-copy of the classic USA C130. It was noisy and hot but smooth enough that, thankfully, no one got air sick.

 

After a 1 hour flight we were greeted by a large gathering of local dignitaries, sponsors, and Rotarians. We were entertained by a band and dancers as we entered the terminal. Some of the team even were asked to join in the dance. Following this we were escorted into the terminal building where a welcoming ceremony was held. This turned into a bit of a press conference for the local media.

After another bus ride we arrived at our hotel. We had a late lunch after which many of the team went to check out the hospitals where the clinic and surgeries would be held. After that folks had time to get a bit of rest before the dinner celebration that evening. It made of a long but eventful day. Everyone was looking forward the clinic the next day.

Welcome to Closing Clinic

 

A little bit of chaos starts the morning as the Rotaplast team organizes closing clinic among the patients waiting to be seen by the surgeons one last time.Sarah, the organizer of a rehabilitation facility called The Plaster House arrives on the scene.  Rotaplast operated on some of the clients of Plaster House.  Sarah will also facilitate follow-up for a number of our patients - specifically burn contracture release patients.Dr. Anne examines a burn release contracture patient.Dr. Sandy and Sarah explain instructions to the mother of one of our babies.Parents, grandparents, family members and of course patients are extremely grateful.  Here, Ryan's grandmother gives a gift to Dr. Tina who performed the surgery for Ryan.   Willison comes back, proud and happy. His lip is still a little sore and swollen which will subside in a matter of days. We exchanged the traditional Tanzanian hand shake that he taught me a few days ago.While families wait for their name to be called, Karen hands out hats and toys for the children to keep them entertained. 

  Closing Clinic is also the time when we say good-bye to those that we've come to know and love. Connections grow during the two weeks we are here, getting to know, not only the patients, but also their families. There is work still to be done in Tanzania.  Some of our babies with beautiful lips will need their palate closed in a year or so.  More babies are out there who didn't make it to this mission.  We operated on over 60 patients.  Their gratitude and that of their families shone throughout our stay here.  Arusha, Tanzania was a new site for Rotaplast.  We hope to be able to continue our work saving smiles, changing lives.

Are you interested in donating to Rotaplast to support volunteer medical missions and change lives?  You can donate online via Rotaplast's secure payment system. You can also call the Rotaplast office at (415) 252-1111.

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Surgical Day Seven - Operations Continue

 The last day of surgery is often a busy day as the team continues to help as many patients as possible. We arrived at the hospital with walk-in patients waiting for us.  As luck would have it, we were able to add two walk-ins to today’s schedule.Throughout the mission, schedules are adjusted on an on-going basis.  Here, head nurse Carol and Karen, our records keeper juggles things around so that we are as efficient as possible.Inside the OR, local Interns and scrub nurses assist the Rotaplast medical team. Above, Dr. Charles, from Tanzania assists Dr. Sandy with a skin graft.Mount Meru Hospital scrub nurses have assisted the medical team every step of the way in the OR, while others are helping Terry with the instruments as she handles sterilizing.Rotaplast transports our own instruments and equipment, such as the autoclave, to each mission.

 

Are you interested in donating to Rotaplast to support volunteer medical missions and change lives?  You can donate online via Rotaplast's secure payment system. You can also call the Rotaplast office at (415) 252-1111.

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Surgical Day 6 & 7 - Dramatic Results

Two month old, Richard Rian was the first operation of surgical day six.  The next day, during rounds with the doctors, his mother was slightly concerned by the blood around his nose.Dr. Brian assured her that it was normal and showed her how to gently clean around Richard's nose. Elinyru, 35 has lived with her cleft lip and all the teasing and tormenting that goes along with it her entire life.  She said that her father would not let her get the surgery but did not say why.  We can only guess that the reason might have been that it was too expensive. Not long ago, Elinyu's father passed away.  She tells us that now that her father has died, she came to Rotaplast hoping she could receive the surgery that would change her life.Elinyru looks at herself after surgery and was very pleased with the results.Elinyru is taken back to the ward along with a relative.   

A young 14 year old Maasai woman settles in the evening before surgery.Linda accompanies her from the ward to the surgical unit after waking her up from a nap.After surgery, the results are dramatic.Joshua, 20 the evening before surgery.Joshua, a little groggy after surgery, is wheeled back to his bed.Jackson with his mother before  Jackson is discharged and heads for home with his mother the next day.  Clinic is tomorrow and we hope to see everyone for one last check before the team departs.

Are you interested in donating to Rotaplast to support volunteer medical missions and change lives?  You can donate online via Rotaplast's secure payment system. You can also call the Rotaplast office at (415) 252-1111.

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Meet Willison

  Willison, 47, was born with a bi-lateral cleft lip.  One side was corrected when he was a child. The same hospital offered to correct the other side at a later date.  However, that never happened so Willison grew up with people teasing and taunting him.  Willison was raised by his grandfather and never went to school due to the torment he suffered at the hands of others.  He did get married, had one child and is now divorced.  He lives in Kiserian about an hour away from Arusha. Willison came in as a walk-in on surgical day two. He heard about Rotaplast on the radio. Although he is Maasai, he prefers life in the city and lives accordingly. After Rotaplast checked him into the hospital he often lent a helping hand to other patients.“People look down on me because of this,” he says as he motions to his face.  I asked him what he thought his life would be like after the operation. “People won’t look down on me anymore.  I’ll have to find a new wife,” he says with a laugh. When we told him we’d give him a mirror after the operation so that he could look at his face, he sat back, quietly, contemplating, his eyes drifting as if he was lost in a dream.Ted escorts Willison into the operating room to prepare him for surgery.The next morning, as Willison was being discharged he pointed to his new lip.  Through a congratulatory atmosphere and banter, Willison covered his eyes to wipe away tears of joy.Before he left, he shared what remained in his thermos with the other patients.  Tomorrow is clinic day. We hope to see Willison one last time to wish him well.

Are you interested in donating to Rotaplast to support volunteer medical missions and change lives?  You can donate online via Rotaplast's secure payment system. You can also call the Rotaplast office at (415) 252-1111.

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Surgical Day 5 - Sometimes the Wait is Long

 Six year old Temba greets our team with all smiles on the morning of her surgery and readily cooperates with Dr. Tina who takes a look at her cleft palate.

The surgery was long, as is the case with many palate surgeries.  As anyone can imagine, Temba's mother was relieved when called in to sit with Temba during recovery.  It's always a good sign when the child drinks some water or juice.Upendo, 11 is a stunning girl who calmly waited all day, only to be told that her surgery will need to be postponed to the next day due to a longer than expected previous palate surgery.  She and her mother understood and were given something to eat and drink by our team.Upendo's finger is fused to the side of her hand.  The surgery will release her finger providing mobility.The next day, Upendo was first on the schedule. She and her mother are all smiles while the sit in the surgical unit waiting area.

Are you interested in donating to Rotaplast to support volunteer medical missions and change lives?  You can donate online via Rotaplast's secure payment system. You can also call the Rotaplast office at (415) 252-1111.

Donate Now