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Mexico

Scenes of Hope: Guadalajara Medical Mission

Mexico

Scenes of Hope: Guadalajara Medical Mission

The program coordination team for Operation Smile’s February 2019 medical mission in Guadalajara, Mexico, works together to guarantee that every detail of the mission is executed correctly so patients and their families receive the best possible care.   

Brian Mejia, left, was a nursing volunteer in 2011 when an Operation Smile medical mission came to the hospital where he was working. He said, “I had never seen a child with a cleft before. I was surprised and asked, ‘what is this?’. I knew from that moment that I could help.” After earning his nursing degree, Brian began working at our care center in Nicaragua. Two years ago, he moved to Mexico and has worked as a program coordinator ever since.

Mauricio Rojas, center, has worked with us for six years as the program coordinator for Mexico. “What you want to offer to the patients is the best quality of care possible. That means you have to pay a lot of attention to the small details, which is a lot of work, but at the end of the week, it’s all worth it,” he said.

Kristina Grossman, right, has been a member of our international program coordination team for less than a year, but she has already helped execute missions in India, Madagascar and Mexico. “I find that it’s a privilege and honor to serve our patients,” she said. “They deserve the best medical care we can provide, and it is a joy to serve such resilient individuals.” Photo: Laura Gonzalez.

 

Operating room nurse Carol Blackler of Canada checks a patient’s vitals on screening day. During the screening process, volunteers from Honduras, Venezuela, Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Bolivia, Spain, the U.S. and Canada came together and screened 196 patients. Photo: Laura Gonzalez.

 

Eight-year-old Norma arrives at the medical mission with her dad, Rafael. She had never received surgery to repair her cleft lip because her mom and dad didn’t know that free surgery was available. Norma and her family are members of an indigenous group of people of Mexico living in the Sierra Madre Occidental range in Jalisco known as the Huichol people. Thanks to Operation Smile Mexico’s partnership with the local government, patient recruitment efforts are being implemented and successfully bringing more children like Norma to our missions. Rafael told us that having to travel far from home to reach the hospital made him feel worried. But after he saw the way the medical volunteers treated Norma, he quickly forgot his fears. “After I got to know the hospital and the people, I felt relieved,” he said. Photo: Laura Gonzalez.

 

On patient announcement day, a group of moms whose children passed their comprehensive health evaluation listens as they are told what they can expect and what precautions they will need to take to ensure that their child is prepared for surgery the following day. Photo: Laura Gonzalez.

 

An incredible a group of local women called Las Mamás Gallinas – “mother hens” – provide compassion and support for children waiting to receive surgery. These women also look after our medical team by preparing snacks and drinks for the team so that they can take breaks quickly and get back to treating patients. Photo courtesy of Iván Ramírez.

 

While they wait to see a doctor, children have fun at a crafts station set up by Mama Gallinas in order to keep them entertained on screening day. Not only do these dedicated women create an enjoyable experience for the children, but they also calm worried families by reaching out and explaining what to expect when it's their child’s turn to receive surgery. Mama Gallinas truly bring joy, energy and warmth to each day of the mission. Photo courtesy of Iván Ramírez.

 

Patient imaging technician and Mama Gallina Rebeca Flores and patient imaging technician Andrea Duhcan with an infant patient. Photo courtesy of Iván Ramírez.

 

Three-year-old Luna arrives at the hospital with her grandmother, Rocío, who took her in as her own daughter when she was born. “Luna, as you can see, is so sweet and caring. She is so smart, and everyone really likes her,” Rocío said. Luna has faced many hardships during her short life, including being born with a cleft lip and palate, conjoined fingers and without two toes on one of her feet. After receiving cleft lip surgery from Operation Smile when she was 2 years old, Luna returned to receive care for her cleft palate. In August, Luna will start school and hopes to join the girls’ soccer team so that she can make friends with her new classmates. Rocío and Luna’s aunts and uncles have joined together to make sure that she lives a life full of opportunity and happiness. Photo courtesy of Osvaldo Godina.

The story continues in “Scenes of Healing: Guadalajara Medical Mission.” 

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