The Trip There

"A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS"

...

Gathering at Vassar Brothers Medical Center to catch the bus to JFK at 3 AM - we have the care packs from New Century Medical, but where's Manoj's wallet?

Loading up the "big yellow bus" at Debbie's place - who knew there would be traffic on the GW at 5 AM.

Packed in like sardines (Byron provided medical care to a couple of passengers even before we got to Colombia!)

Looking for that elusive bag #14 - it reappeared miraculously in Santa Marta.

6 hour layover in Bogota, getting used to delicious new cusine - how many ways can you cook corn?

Boarding for Santa Marta - it's the next night already!

Welcomed by Cecilia and the increadibly gracious women of UNIMA in Santa Marta

The First Day, Screening Patients

Arriving at the hospital - we were impressed with the modern facilities.

Patients waiting outside the hospital since early morning. We were expecting about a hundred patients, but ended up seeing close to two hundred!

Many had traveled great distances from outlying areas so their kids could be seen. They slept on mattresses on the floor of the hospital.

Say "ahhh"

Patiently waiting.

For me, the most gut wrenching part of this whole mission was turning away patients after our operating room schedule was completely booked.

Please refer to Annabel's post below on October 1 Screening Day 9/23/07 for more photos of screening day.

18 Hour Days

Setting up

.

Who wouldn't want to wake up here? The rest of the team was amazed by how the recovery room was creatively transformed

.

Art setting up the microscope (a.k.a. "girlfriend" :), with local physician Alba Bettancourt looking on

.

Pat putting a child at ease

.

Hard at work.

Everyone chipping in - when was the last time you saw a CEO cleaning instruments?

.

Annabel with her wonderful photos .... and the internet connection

.

Can we add just one more...

Taking a knee

.

Dinner brought at 10 PM to the operating room

.

Comfort

Exhaustion...

Staying until the last patient was safely discharged from the recovery room.

What Makes It All Worthwhile

Rounding on patients the morning after surgery.

Before...

and after ... a sleeping angel.

That Mona Lisa smile.

Please refer to Annabel's post below on October 18 Children are resilient for more photos of patients recovering.

Some R & R

Byron translating for the Governor - but we don't speak Spanish, Byron :)

Who knew Art could move like that (and Byron too!)

Dinner at the Mayor's Mansion - was he trying to outdo the Governor :) We were all deeply honored to be recognized for our work.

The local entertainment was extraordinary!

The team with ours hosts, the remarkable women of UNIMA.

Our ever present military escort, keeping us safe.

Our last day, a chance to unwind and appreciate the natural beauty of Colombia.

An appropriate metaphor for our mission - a line of carpenter ants carrying neatly cut leaves nearly ten times their size.

To be continued...

A Montage of Memories

• Veronica's breakfast tea
• What are those double yellow lines for anyway?
• Art dancing with the octogenarian (breaking the ice)
• Byron dancing with everyone! The Mambo King!
• Byron translating
• Finding the one spot where the air conditioning worked
• Taking cold showers. We learned to love them!
• I couldn't eat another bite. Oh, there's dessert?
• SUCK IT UP CRYBABY
• No UNIMA, you cannot keep Anond.
• Do you think we could do one more kid?
• The colorful,okay gross, descriptions of Granadilla
• Manoj finishing the rum
• Veronica saying"I'll be OK, just dance around me."
• The late night bus ride--Joel saying "This is just like a video game!"
• No one leaves here without Bilateral Myringotomy Tubes!!
• The horror on Pat's face when he thought he lost his wedding band.
• The relief we all felt when he had it safely back on.
• Cliff's gracious sharing of his lap-top. God bless the Internet.
• Debbie always ready for anything! Her contagious laugh.
• Chikila--our rock and our inspiration.
• Nick-- Manoj called you the heart and soul of this mission and you were.
• Maybe we could get an earlier start... did I just say that?!
• The best room-mates possible
• Annabel becoming a Godmother
• The poor airport security dog who had to sniff my dirty laundry
• My version of Spanish: speak loudly, use short English sentences but end most words in "o", smile and use alot of hand gestures... I'll work on my Spanish for next year. Hey, what do they speak in Madagaskar?
• The beauty of the Columbian mountains and coasts.
• The warm generosity of our hosts.
• Learning something new every day from every one of you.
• Looking forward to working with this exceptional team next year!

Another Voice Heard From

Hello my Santa Marta mission amigos. I go to this spot often to see if anyone has added anything new and I am so appreciative of those of you who have written such beautiful and heartfelt entries. Its been three weeks and I can't seem to let go of this experience. Nor do I want to.

I will add a few of the entries from my personal journal in the hopes that you'll be encouraged to share your feelings and stories as well...

We are screening patients for surgery. He is 15 years old. He looks about 10. He smiles shyly,
giving me a sidelong glance. He says something in Spanish to his Aunt. She translates, "He thinks you are beautiful." I am flattered and respond, "Ooooh, how sweeet." She continues...
"He thinks everyone who doesn't have a cleft lip is beautiful." I am humbled. My heart is aching. I see a beautiful human being in front of me. I am thrilled that, with our help, this 15 year old young man will look in a mirror and finally see himself as beautiful too.