Children are resilient

I think what will stick with me the most from this trip is the resilience of the children. At home, we have a tendency to see images of children in developing countries and think "How sad. Poor children." The amazing thing about kids is that they are so adaptable to whatever situation they are in. They do not have a basis for comparison, when it comes to their economic or social standing. I bet some kids go to the hospital thinking this is a normal part of growing up. The hospital experience was probably harder for the parents who know that this is not normal and are scared. While this trip was not without some upsetting moments (i.e. having to turn families away, children waking up from surgery in tears), overall I was uplifted by their spirits. I only wish I could spend more time with them.

Edwin (above) was born with one leg.
But that didn't stop him from starting a game of chase with me.
I was not only out of breath, but I never did catch him!

Jerson 1 day post-op

Jerson 2 days post-op

Fari before surgery. Kids like him came into the operating room more curious than scared.

Fari leaving the hospital 1 day post-op and carrying his own suitcase.

Luis Gabriel putting Veronica's stethoscope on his own heart before surgery.

Luis Gabriel less than 24 hours after bilateral cleft lip surgery.
And no, this picture is not photoshopped...

All photos ©Annabel Clark 2007

Screening Day 9/23/07

First patients arrive at the hospital for screening

A 1 year old cleft lip patient accompanied by his grandmother

The crowded waiting area

Passing the time counting bottle caps

A local priest of Santa Marta performs a service for families in the waiting area of the hospital

Patiently waiting to be screened

Dr. Abraham examines 1 year old Luis Gabriel, while UNIMA volunteer Lina watches in the background

8 year old Jailenne having a benign tumor examined by Dr. Abraham

Pat plays around with a 1 year old cleft palate patient

7 year old Jerson having his blood pressure checked by Tamara and Byron

Finishing the day on a high note with 8 year old Jeison

All photos ©Annabel Clark 2007

How This Began

Growing up in Sri Lanka and Nigeria, I have witnessed the worst in humanity. I became a Facial Plastic Surgeon to help heal. With my training and experience, I can restore function, enhance appearance, and turn back the clock. There is no greater sense of satisfaction then making people feel better about themselves. http://www.nyfacemd.com/

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070921/VIDEO/70921037/1042/MULTIMEDIA

Because of my experiences, I have been driven to give back and have been involved in several humanitarian efforts, including with the CRISP foundation led by Dr. Ronald Strahan at UCLA. http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2006/02/communitynotebook/index.php


Earlier this year, Debbie Fritz, a nurse at the Fishkill Ambulatory Surgery Center asked me if I wanted to go on a mission with Healing The Children, a humanitarian organization run by her good friend Dana Buffin. http://www.htcne.org/

I jumped at the opportunity. Since so many of those in the local area had generously donated supplies and expressed interest in my previous trips, I offered to put together a team. We decided this would be an ENT/Facial Plastic Surgery mission, and picked the Hospital Fernando Troconis in Santa Marta, Colombia since a team has not visited in several years. Santa Marta is a large port city located on the coast of Colombia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Marta It serves a large indigenous population, many of them with scant access to health care. On my previous trips, parents would often trek for days to reach us, hoping their children would get care.

Six months, three date and location changes, several hundred phone calls and e-mails later, we are finally on the verge of departing. Trying to juggle 20 team members with their own schedules and obligations, and who are voluntarily donating their time and paying their way is certainly no picnic (similar to herding cats, I've been told :) Soliciting all of the equipment, medications, and supplies needed for this type of surgical mission has also been a challenge (though I am once again overwhelmed by the generosity of those in our community - more on this later). Debbie and I are planing on popping a bottle of champagne when we get back from Santa Marta!

The best part will be providing care for hundreds of patients, mostly kids, who would otherwise go untreated. We will perform 50-60 surgical procedures, many of these cleft lip and palate repair - this congenital deformity makes it difficult to eat and to speak, and is terribly disfiguring leaving those afflicted ostracized from their community. A photograph of a child before and after surgical correction is shown below.

Santa Marta, here we come!

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070921/VIDEO/70921037/1042/MULTIMEDIA