Spreading the wealth and goodwill

[Bazza]

Well, this is very frustrating. After several month's effort, my wife and I found a doctor in Saigon that could help the girl walk, and would accept payment from us. We also have been in contact with the local school to pay for the two girls' tuition. That is acceptable to the school official. The mother has rejected that strategy and only wants to receive the money directly. This we will not do. Via my wife's friend who lives in the neighborhood, this mother uses her kids as props for her panhandling. Having one daughter's legs fixed and having both kids in school would deprive her of the sympathy factor. There is no doubt that any money we would give the mother would not be spent on a doctor's services or schooling. So we are stuck, unable to effectively help. It is very upsetting.

Too bad the funds couldn't be sent directly to the doctor. The doctor does the procedure(s), sends you the bill, you pay.

I truly hope things can get worked out somehow.

Bless you and yours, Bodhi, for trying anyway.....

 

[Bodhisattva]

Too bad the funds couldn't be sent directly to the doctor. The doctor does the procedure(s), sends you the bill, you pay.

I truly hope things can get worked out somehow.

Bless you and yours, Bodhi, for trying anyway.....

Yeah, we were already set up to send the necessary money to my wife's friend, who would pay the doctor as needed. Same arrangement with the school. But, the girl's mom wouldn't agree to it. We'll keep trying to get her to change her mind and think of the welfare of her children.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Lan, Lily, and I are driving to Ft. Lauderdale after I get off work today. We have a direct flight in the morning from there to Honduras. (I exchanged the extra drive for not having to do connecting flights. I didn't want to risk delays that screw up our arrival time. And I just not a big fan of flying and will do direct whenever possible.) We will be there a week. This will be my first medical mission, Lily's second, and Lan's fourth. Looking forward to the experience (except the lack of air conditioning).

 

[Bodhisattva]

Just got back from Honduras earlier today. After a week without air conditioning, hot showers, or a comfortable bed, I'm a little scruffy - physically and mentally. And yet, this place is apparently a resort compared to the usual conditions on medical missions. I'm in the middle of about six loads of laundry and hundreds of unreviewed emails. And I have a lot of information to share. I'll have to do this in a few posts, as I have to get ready to go back to work tomorrow.

Here's a little background on the "ranch" where we stayed. It is fortified with walls and gates topped with razor wire and armed guards, who also accompanied us on the two-hour bus ride to/from the airport. Several nights we heard fireworks and wondered what was the occasion. Not fireworks. Gunshots.

The 2000-acre ranch started as an orphanage about 30 years ago. Twenty years ago Peter and Lulu Daly became involved and eventually started building out a medical compound. Peter is from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. His connections with other medical organizations allowed the project to get started and expand. What they have accomplished, doing so with humility and pure compassion is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

This link has the history of the ranch and medical compound, as well as the story of Angela, the little girl who inspired everything. There's also a video clip at the end of the link.

About us - One World Surgery

RECOGNIZING CHALLENGES SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS

oneworldsurgery.org

I'll follow up in a day or two to talk about this specific trip. I need a hot shower and as many hours in my own bed as possible.

 

[Bazza]

I watched the video - man - talk about heart warming......people doing God's work.....

 

[Padreruf]

This is what the church should be known for...thanks for sharing and continued prayers for this incredible mission.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Continuing the story ...

We flew into Palmerola International Airport (XPL), about 45 miles outside of Tegucigalpa, around lunchtime last Saturday after a 2.5-hour flight from Ft. Lauderdale. The airport is very new and replaces Toncontin Airport in Tegucigalpa. Not sure if Toncontin became too old or is too limited by geography to handle modern air traffic, but XPL is a nice enough airport, with modern terminals and the usual shops and restaurants to help us pass the time while we waited for the rest of the team (40-50 people) to arrive.

Our wait time became extended well into the late afternoon while waiting on the last of the team to arrive and then get through customs. This group was one of the surgical teams and a group of reps from a medical device company. These guys were donating the artificial joints and other supplies that were to be used in the following weeks surgeries. Like most countries in the world, the government controls practically everything in Honduras. The point of government is to fleece, so a good portion of the medical supplies were confiscated for reasons. And the supplies have probably already been sold on the black market or to China. The theft was planned for, so extra equipment was brought. There was still enough for the patients.

Our first full day there was an orientation of the ranch … Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) currently has about 260 kids living there, including a couple of dozen with special needs. The orphanage is not set up to adopt the kids out. The rare exception would be if grandparents or aunts/uncles lately received new of the kids’ situation and wanted to take them in. There are several reasons for this arrangement. One is that Honduras is a basket case economically; more than half the population lives in dire poverty. The average income is about $600/year. At NPH, the kids are likely far better off than the overwhelming number of children in the rest of the country. They have regular meals, go to school (in Spanish and English), learn a vocation, have access to health care, etc. Incredibly sad that one has to lose their parents to have a chance at a decent life.

Another reason for the lack of adoption is that the community is a family. It’s not designed to be a temporary arrangement. It is stressful for a child to lose a sibling or a friend to adoption. The ranch wants the kids to have a stable upbringing. The “dorm parents” and teachers and administrators live at the ranch. It’s a full commitment to the well-being of the kids.

For most of the children outside NPH, hunger is regular. Education, if at all, ends at age 12. (For girls, the ending of a formal education usually gives way to pregnancy at age 14 and motherhood by age 15. And the cycle of ignorance and poverty begins again.) Access to health care – much less surgical care - for most of the population, is extremely rare. And what can be found is likely substandard.

NPH is largely self-sufficient. They grow their own fruits and vegetables. They have pigs, cows, and goats for meat, milk, cheese, and butter. Many of the buildings have solar panels. They have a quarry for stone to construct the buildings. They were working on a water filtration system while we were there. Many of the adults that work there grew up at the orphanage and use their learned vocational skills (carpenters, electricians, stone masons, etc.) to maintain and expand the ranch.

The surgical center is an impressively modern small hospital. I think it is safe to say it is the most modern facility in the country with the exception of what the political elite have. There are three operating rooms with most every piece of equipment needed. Most every drug that would be used in the US is available here also. And the hospital has air conditioning!

Oh, a little more about a couple of adults who were raised at NPH. Merlin Antúnez grew up to be a doctor. He is now an orthopedic surgeon and the medical director at the hospital. He’s a fascinating guy. “Everything I am is because of this place. NPH gave me a life. One World Surgery gave me a purpose. So, I will stay here and give back everything I can to help the community.” Merlin and his local team keep the hospital serving the locals when there is not a mission coming through.

And, then there is Angela, the little girl who inspired this amazing hospital. I met her, and she is as sweet and humble as one can imagine. She still lives at NPH and works as a tech at the hospital, in charge of sterilizing the surgical tools after cases are done. Like Merlin, she says her purpose in life is to stay and help the community.

More later about what Lan, Lily, and I did during the mission …

 

[Bazza]

Thanks for sharing this story with us, Bodhi! Very inspirational but at the same time sad to hear about the state of the culture in that country.

I smiled when you commented that the hospital is air conditioned. Seems to be something to be very grateful for this time of year.

Looking forward to hearing more about your time there!

 

[Bodhisattva]

Continuing the story ...

When we signed up for this medical mission, it was kind of random. Lan has to schedule her time off for the year the previous December. Some dates we knew ahead of time that we needed/wanted off. The rest was guesswork, and she just picked a week in the summer. Once we decided that mid-July would end up being a good time for us to do a medical mission, Lan searched various opportunities and we picked Honduras. That we kind of backed into our first experience with this organization turned into a blessing.

The various medical teams on this trip are quite impressive as professionals and people. As mentioned earlier, Peter and Lulu Daly, the cofounders, are from Mayo in Minnesota. He is an orthopedic surgeon, and she is a nurse. They come to Honduras twice/month. Of note, the Dalys were just named Humanitarians of the Year by the Mayo Clinic.

The team from Texas included a father and two sons, all orthopedic surgeons. The wife and daughters-in-law are nurses. Several grandchildren (and likely future surgeons) in their teens and early 20s made the trip.

There were also teams (surgeons, nurses, techs) from Colorado and Nevada.

And then there were the strays – an anesthesiologist from New York, two sisters (one a CRNA, one an accountant) and their sons from Pennsylvania, and my family from Florida. All total about 50 people, including families.

Our day started about 5:30 a.m. and went until we were done (usually around 6:00 p.m.). Lan, of course, implemented her anesthesia skills all week. The hospital has three operating rooms. OR 1 was designated for hip and knee. OR 2 was for shoulder and elbow. Lan was in OR 3 which did the whole range of orthopedic surgeries, including compound fractures and complications from previous surgeries at government facilities.

I played the role of general labor monkey. We had a morning and afternoon shift, so we could pick two different roles/day. One day I worked in the kitchen, which was quite an impressive set up (except for the lack of air conditioning). Lulu’s brother is a chef and designed the kitchen to allow the team to prepare a hundred or so meals three times a day for the staff and volunteers. Another day, I worked in the laundry. I worked in the pharmacy and in the warehouse. I mixed cement and lugged stones from the quarry to the construction site. (I didn’t make it out to the farm, but some kids had fun milking cows and washing pigs.) Just general, sweaty labor for a good cause. It felt good.

Across several shifts, I was at the hospital helping with OR turnover. After one case is done, the room has to be cleaned and restocked asap for the next case. Mopping up blood, tissue, and bone fragments takes a little getting used to. I was also allowed to observe the surgeries, which also took some time to be able to “take it all in.” Seeing an open joint being dislocated like a chicken wing so it can be repaired/replaced using saws, drills, and hammers is not my normal routine. I’m kind of surprised at myself for getting comfortable with the arrangement so quickly. I guess my appreciation for the skill of the various members of the medical teams and the realization that these patients are getting their only chance at being pain free overcame my wussiness at seeing the gore.

Lily had the best time of anyone on the mission. She spent almost her entire time doing various tasks in the hospital. She was by far the most enthusiastic of the kids there, wanting to know everything about everyone’s job. She talked to pre-op and post-op nurses, the techs, the anesthesia team, and the surgeons. Lily took dozens of pages of notes. Everyone took a liking to Lily. One anesthesiologist showed her how to do the various blocks for shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip. And Lily assisted with the procedures.

She witnessed every kind of surgery and, while most every other kid there made a “check the box” appearance, Lily stayed the entire time. The procedures took longer than usual because the surgeons were also teaching two Honduran and one Dominican surgical fellow on the finer points of the procedures. Lily was able to learn a lot by being in the rooms.

Lily was like a nerd at Comic-Con. In addition to her notes on the various medical procedures, she kept a diary about her mission experience. And, every night after Lan and I had to yell at her to go to sleep, she would be under the cover with her iPhone light on and reading Anna Karenina. Total nerd in the best way possible.

More to follow ...

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

Continuing the story ...

When we signed up for this medical mission, it was kind of random. Lan has to schedule her time off for the year the previous December. Some dates we knew ahead of time that we needed/wanted off. The rest was guesswork, and she just picked a week in the summer. Once we decided that mid-July would end up being a good time for us to do a medical mission, Lan searched various opportunities and we picked Honduras. That we kind of backed into our first experience with this organization turned into a blessing.

The various medical teams on this trip are quite impressive as professionals and people. As mentioned earlier, Peter and Lulu Daly, the cofounders, are from Mayo in Minnesota. He is an orthopedic surgeon, and she is a nurse. They come to Honduras twice/month. Of note, the Dalys were just named Humanitarians of the Year by the Mayo Clinic.

The team from Texas included a father and two sons, all orthopedic surgeons. The wife and daughters-in-law are nurses. Several grandchildren (and likely future surgeons) in their teens and early 20s made the trip.

There were also teams (surgeons, nurses, techs) from Colorado and Nevada.

And then there were the strays – an anesthesiologist from New York, two sisters (one a CRNA, one an accountant) and their sons from Pennsylvania, and my family from Florida. All total about 50 people, including families.

Our day started about 5:30 a.m. and went until we were done (usually around 6:00 p.m.). Lan, of course, implemented her anesthesia skills all week. The hospital has three operating rooms. OR 1 was designated for hip and knee. OR 2 was for shoulder and elbow. Lan was in OR 3 which did the whole range of orthopedic surgeries, including compound fractures and complications from previous surgeries at government facilities.

I played the role of general labor monkey. We had a morning and afternoon shift, so we could pick two different roles/day. One day I worked in the kitchen, which was quite an impressive set up (except for the lack of air conditioning). Lulu’s brother is a chef and designed the kitchen to allow the team to prepare a hundred or so meals three times a day for the staff and volunteers. Another day, I worked in the laundry. I worked in the pharmacy and in the warehouse. I mixed cement and lugged stones from the quarry to the construction site. (I didn’t make it out to the farm, but some kids had fun milking cows and washing pigs.) Just general, sweaty labor for a good cause. It felt good.

Across several shifts, I was at the hospital helping with OR turnover. After one case is done, the room has to be cleaned and restocked asap for the next case. Mopping up blood, tissue, and bone fragments takes a little getting used to. I was also allowed to observe the surgeries, which also took some time to be able to “take it all in.” Seeing an open joint being dislocated like a chicken wing so it can be repaired/replaced using saws, drills, and hammers is not my normal routine. I’m kind of surprised at myself for getting comfortable with the arrangement so quickly. I guess my appreciation for the skill of the various members of the medical teams and the realization that these patients are getting their only chance at being pain free overcame my wussiness at seeing the gore.

Lily had the best time of anyone on the mission. She spent almost her entire time doing various tasks in the hospital. She was by far the most enthusiastic of the kids there, wanting to know everything about everyone’s job. She talked to pre-op and post-op nurses, the techs, the anesthesia team, and the surgeons. Lily took dozens of pages of notes. Everyone took a liking to Lily. One anesthesiologist showed her how to do the various blocks for shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip. And Lily assisted with the procedures.

She witnessed every kind of surgery and, while most every other kid there made a “check the box” appearance, Lily stayed the entire time. The procedures took longer than usual because the surgeons were also teaching two Honduran and one Dominican surgical fellow on the finer points of the procedures. Lily was able to learn a lot by being in the rooms.

Lily was like a nerd at Comic-Con. In addition to her notes on the various medical procedures, she kept a diary about her mission experience. And, every night after Lan and I had to yell at her to go to sleep, she would be under the cover with her iPhone light on and reading Anna Karenina. Total nerd in the best way possible.

More to follow ...

Great Story and awesome project. My Grandfather was from Trujillo, Honduras. UFC.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Great Story and awesome project. My Grandfather was from Trujillo, Honduras. UFC.

It is a beautiful country. We were in the mountains west of Tegucigalpa. We considered going to Roatan for a few days afterwards but just really couldn't make it work with our schedule. Hopefully next summer. If not Roatan, then somewhere else on the coast. Trujillo looks very pleasant.

 

[Bodhisattva]

A few of the notable patients … One of the cases Lily and I saw involved a guy who had broken his humerus 10 or 15 years ago and had a rod inserted in it. A few months ago, he broke the same bone (and rod) in two places. How can one tolerate that pain for months? I guess when the only option is to wait for an orthopedic surgical mission team to rotate in at the hospital, that’s what you have to do. Watching the surgeon pull screws and a broken rod from a splintered bone and then use the range of carpentry tools to repair the bone and secure with a plate and screws and a bone graft taken from the patent’s thigh bone … I wasn’t sure in the beginning that I could tolerate all that I saw. Lily watched in fascination. She’ll make a great medical professional (or serial torture killer) one day.

A second case involved a guy who had broken his forearm years ago and had a plate inserted at a government hospital. The surgery was not done properly, and the wound became infected. No follow-up medical care was done, and the infection eventually pushed part of the plate through his skin. Quite the disgusting open wound. I was not around to witness this surgery, but Lily, of course, was. The bone was eaten up with infection and had now had the firmness of butter. The damaged area was too big for a bone graft to work. (If done in the U.S., maybe a cadaver bone replacement would have been the norm? But that was not an option here.) The team used a cement to firm up the bone. A replacement plate will be needed once the initial surgery heals.

The final notable case was a guy (Jose) in his early 20s that broke his tibia and fibula a few months ago. (Lily relayed the story to me.) No medical care was obtained and the boned obviously healed way out of line. Again, I can’t imagine the pain endured while waiting for the bones to heal on their own. The guy had a severe limp now, lost his construction job, and was homeless. Dr. Merlin (the former orphan raised at NPH that I mentioned above) found the guy and brought him to the hospital. His leg was repaired, and he should be back to normal in a couple or three months. Jose said he would try to get his construction job back. Lan, Lily, and I asked around and learned that the guy had no family left to take care of him. How would he get by in the meantime? He had nothing.

We talked to Peter and Lulu. Jose would be allowed to stay at the hospital for several weeks while recovering. I contributed $200 (about four month’s salary) to the cause to help with Jose’s transportation costs to/from wherever he needed to go until he got healed up, buy a cell phone so he could communicate with an employer, some clothes and personal items, some apartment rent starter money, etc. Lulu arranged for the money to be handled by the social worker staff at the hospital to make sure the funds are wisely spent. Lily and I (Lan was still in the OR) watched from a distance as the arrangement was relayed to Jose. Lily started to cry when Jose did. “Daddy, I want to be able to help people like this all the time.” “You can, baby.” Godspeed, Jose.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Danged old onions…..

 

[crimsonaudio]

Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this, @Bodhisattva - can't wait to buy you dinner and hear more about it!

 

[Bodhisattva]

Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this, @Bodhisattva - can't wait to buy you dinner and hear more about it!

Much appreciated, my friend. So many incredible stories packed in a short period of time. We are already looking to coordinate the next mission.

Funny thing. My family has been doing serious charity work for many years now. There are a few people we know who are great at talking. They always criticize those that they think have too much and how much sympathy they have for the poor. Yet, whenever we give them a chance to contribute to one of our efforts, they always have an excuse not to. Lan and Lily went out to a musical Saturday night, and one of these all-talk bleeding hearts was there. She seemed put out that Lan and Lily were getting some attention from the rest of the group on this girls-night-out. Lan point blank asked this woman if she wanted to go with us next Spring or Summer.

"Absolutely not. I don't do vacations without air conditioning or hot water."

Lan responded, "We don't see it as a vacation. It's an opportunity to help those that are desperately poor and in dire need of medical help. The focus really is about easing a lot of people's pain, not our brief discomfort. Besides, we'd feel a little awkward having such amenities when virtually no one else in the country does."

"It's just gross. No way would I ever go somewhere like that!"

Yeah, talking is easy. I'm sorry poor people are such an inconvenience for you. Yet, I have no doubt she's still on social media slamming people of means for not doing enough in her opinion. IMO, either help or don't help. It's your choice. But, I have no tolerance for those who just talk so they can check the "concern" box. Useless person.

 

[Bazza]

Much appreciated, my friend. So many incredible stories packed in a short period of time. We are already looking to coordinate the next mission.

Funny thing. My family has been doing serious charity work for many years now. There are a few people we know who are great at talking. They always criticize those that they think have too much and how much sympathy they have for the poor. Yet, whenever we give them a chance to contribute to one of our efforts, they always have an excuse not to. Lan and Lily went out to a musical Saturday night, and one of these all-talk bleeding hearts was there. She seemed put out that Lan and Lily were getting some attention from the rest of the group on this girls-night-out. Lan point blank asked this woman if she wanted to go with us next Spring or Summer.

"Absolutely not. I don't do vacations without air conditioning or hot water."

Lan responded, "We don't see it as a vacation. It's an opportunity to help those that are desperately poor and in dire need of medical help. The focus really is about easing a lot of people's pain, not our brief discomfort. Besides, we'd feel a little awkward having such amenities when virtually no one else in the country does."

"It's just gross. No way would I ever go somewhere like that!"

Yeah, talking is easy. I'm sorry poor people are such an inconvenience for you. Yet, I have no doubt she's still on social media slamming people of means for not doing enough in her opinion. IMO, either help or don't help. It's your choice. But, I have no tolerance for those who just talk so they can check the "concern" box. Useless person.

I have found the biggest the hypocrites are the ones doing most of the finger-pointing at others. The irony is almost beyond belief.....

 

[Bodhisattva]

I forgot to mentioned an amusing aside ...

When Lily was in kindergarten (or maybe fist grade), I got call at work one day that she had become sick at lunch and needed to be picked up. Lily wasn't at all ill when I dropped her off at school. Maybe it was food poisoning at lunch.

When I arrived at school to pick up Lily, I asked her what was wrong. "I saw a squashed grape on the floor."

"Ok. And?"

"It made me sick."

It was then I figured that Lily would in no way be able to pursue a career in the medical field. At the time, Lan was working in ICU. Lan said, "Yeah, I don't think this will be Lily's career path. If she reacts this way to a squashed grape, she'll be constantly throwing up on her patients in ICU."

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and Lily is witnessing surgeries - and all the splintered bones and blood and gore that goes with it. No problem; she loves it.

So, one of those evenings, as we are walking back to our dorm, I remind Lily of her grape reaction. As soon as I mentioned "squashed grape on the floor" she starts to gag. Really? After all that she's seen, a squashed grape is her kryptonite? Apparently yes. LOL! Goofy kid.

 

[Bazza]

I forgot to mentioned an amusing aside ...

When Lily was in kindergarten (or maybe fist grade), I got call at work one day that she had become sick at lunch and needed to be picked up. Lily wasn't at all ill when I dropped her off at school. Maybe it was food poisoning at lunch.

When I arrived at school to pick up Lily, I asked her what was wrong. "I saw a squashed grape on the floor."

"Ok. And?"

"It made me sick."

It was then I figured that Lily would in no way be able to pursue a career in the medical field. At the time, Lan was working in ICU. Lan said, "Yeah, I don't think this will be Lily's career path. If she reacts this way to a squashed grape, she'll be constantly throwing up on her patients in ICU."

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and Lily is witnessing surgeries - and all the splintered bones and blood and gore that goes with it. No problem; she loves it.

So, one of those evenings, as we are walking back to our dorm, I remind Lily of her grape reaction. As soon as I mentioned "squashed grape on the floor" she starts to gag. Really? After all that she's seen, a squashed grape is her kryptonite? Apparently yes. LOL! Goofy kid.

I can relate. When I was very young and considering what I'd like to do career-wise, I ruled out medicine myself - because I didn't like the idea of dealing with "blood and guts"!

Looking back now - I wish I had given it more consideration because I really feel I have the right mindset to conduct that type of work. Starting with being very analytical in how I approach challenges in life. I realize there's more to it than that but that's a quality I observe to be very prevalent in the medical field.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Lan and I have been working on this for a while ... It looks like we are going back to Honduras next July for another medical mission. Same organization. Orthopedic surgeries. In addition to Lily, a few kids of friends of ours are interested in going. They are all in late high school or early college and are interested in becoming doctors. This experience will be invaluable for them. Still a few details to work out, but I'm optimistic we can get this coordinated.