Children's Hospital Boston in Ghana

Reflections

Coincidence or Fate

Many times I think about our first mission and the first patient, Samara, that we operated on.  I will never forget the date, Oct. 14th, my husband's birthday.  My oldest daughter, Tara cams as our play therapist.  Since that mission, Samare was lost to follow-up.

Onmy second mission , one of our patients, Jessica, needed to stay in the ICU for vigorous respiratory therapy after we had left.  We kept in touch with her physicians until her dischared but she never returned for follow-up evaluation when we would come back.

On my fifth mission, my daughter, Emma came as our play therapist.  She met and played with many children, making balloon animals for them.  She recently wrote her college essay on her experience and the friendships that she made.

And now on my 6th mission, we started setting up in our usual fashion, evaluation, operating and caring for the children when suddenly Samara walked into the clinic with her mother and sister.  I was so surprised!  She was carying a folder which contained her photo mounte donto a picture frame that Tara had helped her make prior to her surgery.  The next day that i was scheduled to work, all of sa sudden Jessica walked down the hall towards the ICU.  She recognized us and smiled.  I couldn't believe my eies!

The last day of our mission, we had our kid's party.  After saying our goodbyes, all of a sudden, Mickey(a petient from our fifth mission) walked up to me and asked me "where is Emma?"  The friendships that we made, the lives that we have touched will remain with us always!

-Judy

 

We finished 2 legs of our journey home.  As I sit in the Dulles airport I am reflecting on the events of the past 12 days.  I find that I am already missing the children.  We first meet them in clinic where they are scared and sick.  After surgery the children are meeting us at the stairs with smiling faces and giving us high five's.  It is such a nice feeling to know that you have made a difference in someone's life.  I am very thankful and humbled to be a part of such a great team.

-Susan

A New Beginning

Our time is winding down in Ghana.  We have experienced some unexpected hurdles this trip.  The week before we arrived the doctors returned from a month stike.  The nurses have not been paid for a month and yesterday the blood bank, labs and pharmacy went on strike.  Despite all of this, the KATH and Hearts and Minds team worked together to make this a successful mission. Some of the KATH workers volunteered time without pay, to make sure our mission was a success.  It was a true team effort.

Today was filled with packing up the supplies at the hospital and taking inventory.  We then decorated for the patient party and made sure the parents were well educated on how to take care of their child before they left the hospital. 

We lined the halls as the patients walked to the party(Gallery).  It was like the red carpet, camera's were flashing and the children were smiling from ear to ear.  What a wonderful sight!

After a short celebration, one of the patient's mother spoke to the team conveying the gratitude of the families.  Then the time all the kids had been waiting for arrived, the soccer balls were handed out.

Most of the patients have been discharged and are heading home to begin a new life while the rest of us begin to pack to return home forever changed.  I have attempted to put into words our experiences since we arrived in Ghana.  Hopefully I have succeeded in making you feel like you were a part of this journey. Thank you for your comments and the participation answering the question of the day. 

Tonight we are going to have a small get together at the hotel for the people we worked closely with all week.  Then we will be leaving at 7am for the bus ride back to Accra, where we catch a late night flight home to our families and loved ones.

A special thank you to Bev, Judy and Christine for once again putting in countless hours planning this trip.  A big thank you to Francis, for without him the trip would not be possible.  Until next year!

 

 

Two Thumbs Up

Today was a very full day.  We were greeted by Abel this morning with two thumbs up, it was going to be a good day!

We were also greeted by Ken and Emma Wurah with a check for $2000.00  for the Hearts and Minds of Ghana mission.  Here is how it all began.  We evaluated Ken and Emma's child Kelli, on one of our first mission trips to Ghana.  He was not a surgical candidate in Ghana, but we were able to fly him to Boston for his surgery.  Since his surgery, Ken and Emma have been very supportive of our mission, greeting us every time we came to Ghana.  They were sent an invitation to our Sept. 2011,fundraiser at Fenway park.  Knowing they could not attend, they began a fundraising effort through Facebook called, "A Family and Friends 5 cedis fundraiser". They asked their friends and family to donate a minimum of 5 cedis towards the mission this year.  Their request stated, "Let us give; knowing we get back much more that we can every give."  Their friends met the challenge and raised a total of $2000.00.

A check for 1000.00 Cedis from the staff of Telemedia Communications Ltd. was presented at the Accra Airport upon our arrival.  We were met with a full television and media crew,  making us feel like true stars. The Hearts and Minds Team is truly humbled by their generosity!

Mid morning two of our previous patients arrived for evaluation at the clinic.  Porche and Jessica.  They were both greeted with hugs and kisses along with camera shots from everyone.  It was a true paparozzi moment, they felt like stars!  It was not long until the nurses were fitting Porche with a new pair of shoes.

Porche

Jessica

 

The doctors had a conference from 8-12. while our nurses gave free classes for the Ghanian nurses from 10 - 4.  We instructed 22 nurses in Basic Life Support and gave classes on basic cardiac anatomy, respiratory, cardiac defects and bypass surgery to the Ghanian nurses.  While the Ghanian nurses attended classes, the Children's nurses attended their patients.  The classes were will attended and well received.

At 1:30pm we started the first of 2 surgeries for the day.  We had some team members starting to pack supplies, nurses taking care of children post operatively and volunteers playing with the children and visiting a local daycare (Gallery) for hospital employees.

 

But the one story I know people are wondering about is Toni and Esther.  I will let you be the judge!

The week is winding down.  Tomorrow we will have the patient party to celebrate the children we operated on this week.  Then we will pack up our supplies and store them until our next mission. We have all had our own challenges and experiences over the last few weeks.  Here are a few thoughts from Mary:

"Where do I begin?  Who would have thought that my fifth mission to Ghana could be at all difficult.  I began this mission with a very heavy heart.  Leaving my family behind was a very difficult decision.  Thinking that I would have unlimited internet access made my decision to come easier.  Was I ever dissappointed to realize that our internet access (something we take for granted at home), was almost non existent.  I have nevery felt so disconnected from my family!    On the flip side, I realize how lucky we are that we are always able to contact our loved ones at home.  Internet service and our phones have become part of our lives.  Life without email, phone, and facebook is actually very lonely.  All that being said, I am again proud to be a part of another successful mission.  The difference we have made in the lives of these children is amazing.  We see this year to year when the children come back to visit us. This mission is one of the most rewarding and defining experiences of my life and nursing career."

Random Musings

We are nearing the end of our eight day in Ghana with only three days remaining.  The team has had some incredible experiences already.  A few people wanted to share how the trip has touched them.

Wow! Speechless, heartfelt, angry, astonished and unexplainable were the very first feelings I felt when I walked into the hospital in Kamasi.  I could not believe what I saw.  The lobby was full of sick patients just left on hospital beds with no privacy, in what felt like 110 degrees.  The smell will be something that I will never forget.  Patients waited and waited and waited for someone to take care of them, but 10 hours later they were still there. As I journeyed upstairs to the unit, all I could think about was how grateful I was for my life.  The very next thought was, what can I do to help raise money to make this a better place. This is my eight day here and I still feel the same way I did the first day I walked in.

-Jackie

 The thing I most realized was the incredible will and the unbreakable spirit of the Ghanian people.  The conditions that they live in, which in almost all cases are below almost all human standards have failed to break them and abandon the good will for your neighbor that we all strive to possess.  Every bus ride is met with smiling faces and waves of hello and our team is truly made to feel welcome into their land.

The only hope is that missions like this and the ones in the future with continued exposure can really call to attention the severe need for aid in parts of the world like these, from the ones who are more fortunate.  And also to provide perspective in our own lives that no matter how great ones troubles might seem at home, we  in America are "truly blessed" if only by birth.

-Dwayne

This year, Christmas has come early to Ghana as the children receive dolls, trucks and stuffed animals post open heart surgery.  Each toy was hand picked by Santa (Donors) which these kids will continue to hold onto after they leave the hospital in Kumasi.

Each girl received a handmade quilt and doll after surgery.

Each boy received a handmade quilt and a bus.

Mary using donated stethescope

 

I remember when my mom would deliver dolls to children in need on the Christmas Eve's in New Hampshire.  And these memories of the past remind me of the good we are doing here by giving these kids dolls and cars to have after surgery. These dolls mean so much to me because each one symbolizes the joy and comfort they bring to each child who has the opportunity to receive them.   To watch these kids name their dolls American names such as Mary, and imitate how their mothers took care of them brings a smile to my face.  With the surgery and care we were able to offer children, they too will grow up and be able to have a family of their own.   Thank you Santa!

-Bev

I am back again and feel priviledged to be part of this great team.  Last year was a wonderful time.  Over the past year I was able to reflect about the whole experience.  One thing I discovered is the organizing that goes on that makes this trip such a success.  There are three nurses; Bev, Christine and Judy that organize, pay attention to detail, make sure all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted, so this year my applause goes to them.

-Leslie

Thank You!  As we wrap up our 6th mission, a feeling of gratitude overcomes me once again.  I am thankful for the work of our team as well as our counterparts at KATH.  I am thankfrul to my family for allowing me the opportunity to continue with my work without even batting an eyelash.  And I am thankfrul to all of the Ghaniaan families who have opened up their hearts (some literally) and allowed us to carry on with our dream.

Happy Thanksgiving Teresa!

-Judy

 

This year is all about the teaching!  This is my 4th mission trip to Ghana working in the Cardiac Operating Room.  We have been fortunate to have some of the same nurses working with us each year that we have come.  We have watched them gain skill and confidence as Cardiac OR Nurses (OR Gallery).  This year we have been able to move from teaching skill sets to more understanding of cardiac defects and repairs.   I remember looking up during one of the cases and realizing that each of us, surgeon, nurses, perfusionist and anesthesiologist had a Ghanian peer taking the reins of each of our particular roles.  Isaac, the cardiac surgeon in training did his first pump case skin to skin. 

Francis and Isaac shaking hands after the case was completed.

Our nurses Faustina and Stella, each scrubbed a case solo.  Sure it takes extra time and effort to instruct someone how to do something rather than doing it yourself, but it is all worthwhile in the end when they are able to perform the skills themselves.

Ellen and Faustina

Bob and Elizabeth monitoring the by-pass machine

Tomorrow Karen and I are teaching the Ghanaian nurses Basic Life Support with the help of manikins donated by the BLS department at Children's Hospital Boston.  I look forward to teaching these classes as I have looked forward to each day we have been able to spend helping develop this pediatric cardiac program here at KATH.

 -Lisa

We completed three cases today; Frederick, Maria and Edith. 

Frederick

Maria

Edith

We also discharged our first patient today, Fati.  We went her home in style with freshly painted fingernails.  She was so happy!

Jackie painting Fati's nails.

Fati with her mother and grandmother as they were leaving.

Many of our patients started writing and drawing thank you notes for the staff.

Jackie and Hassim writing thank you notes.

The trip would not be complete without a trip to take donated items to the Sisters of Charity, Mother Teresa's Orphanage.  The sisters gratefully accepted our gifts and gave us a tour of the building to visit with the children.  At one point in the nursery, everyone was holding a baby!  It was such a heart warming site.  The sisters ask us to respect the privacy of their residence so we do not take any photographs within the building.  I did take 2 photos outside where they dried their food and washed their dishes.

 Much of our time though was spent getting the children out of bed and moving around.  We blew bubbles, played with cars, walked the halls and had a great time.  Even the children that had surgery yesterday were in the hallway catching bubbles.  We had a great day!

Richmond mastered the talent of catching a bubble.

Katie playing with Fati and Hassim

Frantz and Abel running the halls.

We also had a visit from a patient we operated on last year, Bishop.  He looked as handsome as ever!

I am sure all of you are wondering about Toni and Esther.  They did visit each other from time to time today, but we also caught Abel looking after Esther!  So we are not sure where her loyalties lie, we will keep you posted.

 

Tomorrow, the nurses and doctors are having a conference  which will include classes and lectures presented by our team throughout the day. We plan on doing two surgeries tomorrow afternoon, starting around 1pm.  Then we will begin preparing for the patient party on Sat.  We have one additional field trip planned to the hospital employee day care then it will be time to begin to pack our supplies.

-Susan

Question of the Day: What does the word Ghana mean?

Love is in the Air

As we begin day four of surgery, we are hoping to successfully repair the hearts of Richmond and Esther.  As members of this mission, we are witness to the development and growth of the cardiac program in Ghana.  The collaboration between  physicians, nursing, pharmacy, OR staff, biomed, Respiratory and volunteers continues to grow with each mission.

We have also been witness to the development of a friendship (possible relationship) between two patients, Tony Blaire and Esther.  They met in pre op clinic and became fast friends over crayons and paper.  They were both admitted preoperatively and were often seen stolling the halls hand in hand.  Tony Blaire had surgery yesterday and Esther visited him.  She held his hand and offered him water when he was thirsty.  This morning she was sitting at his bedside with his parents holding his hand, while awaiting her surgery.  Prior to being given her anesthetics, Esther told the team she would marry Tony Blaire.  We can only hope that Tony Blaire will be as good to Esther post operatively as she has been to him.  This budding romance gives new meaning to our "Hearts" and Minds mission.

The echo clinic continues to run daily while the surgeries are underway.  Marga, Terry and Judy continue the screening process and to echo children who had surgery on past visits.  This morning we were greated by Samira, the first patient to under go Cardiac Surgery by this mission in 2007.  She was smiling and appeared as regal as she did five years ago.  It is so rewarding to see the difference we can make in a child's life.

Shortly after the first surgery settled into the ICU (Gallery), the team was interviewed by hospital officials and local news, verifying the local and hospital support of our mission.  The timing was so that they could interview Samira and video Isaac performing his first pump case.

 After lunch a group of us took a trip to one of the local villages to visit the Anikroma school(Gallery) about 45min. outside of Kamasi.  This is my third visit to this school and I have noticed slow improvements each time.  They still do not have electricity but they have started to run the wiring and actually installed ceiling fans in anticipation.  They also do not have running water.  The children were filling up buckets in the back as we toured the school.  We participated in the traditional welcome ceremony just like we did at the Trede School yesterday.  The tribal elders and children were very excited and grateful for the school supplies and laptop that we gave them. I feel like we are slowly making a difference, one child at a time.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting the Sisters of Charity Orphanage and the local daycare at the hospital.  The clinic will continue to evaluate patients and we will continue teaching and doing surgeries.

I have an update regarding Tony Blaire and Esther.  As we were leaving the hospital tonight, Mary had Tony walking the hall after his surgery and he made his way to see Esther.  How cute is this!

Answer to yesterday's Question of the Day: Mount Afadjato, 885m.  This is according to the CIA World Fact Book

I must say I like Len and Jackie's answer better though, "The highest point in Ghana is the joy from the families of the children you are operating on"

Today I am going to give you something to ponder:  Uses for your outdoor furniture...

From Heartbreak to Hope

Today has been an emotional rollercoaster.  We arrived at the hospital around 7:20am and were greeted with news that two of the children scheduled for surgery today had Malaria.  The news had to be broken to the parents that they would not be able to have surgery during this trip.  They were understandably devastated because unlike in the United States we cannot just reschedule the case when they are better.  They will have to wait a year until we return to get reevaluated,  we can only hope they survive until our next mission.

The children from yesterday are doing very well.  Abdul was adorable this morning sleep with his hands behind his head, looking like he did not have a care in the world.

Since two of our patients were canceled, we had to call additional families to come in a day early.  We ended up doing two surgeries today, Abel and Tony Blaire(that is his real name).

Abel

Tony Blaire

The first bit of good news will be well received by anyone that went on the mission last year.  One of the children that we saw in clinic that absolutely stole our hearts was Luciano.  We were unable to operate on him last year, which was devastating to his family as well as the team.  We were so excited to see him walk through the door this morning. 

The second thing that happened to lighten up the day was Kwabna, the patient from yesterday, wrote a very cute letter to Dr. Fynn-Thompson.

 

This afternoon a group of us went to the Trede school to present the computers that were donated by Children's Hospital.  As we pulled into the school, you could see and feel the excitement building.  The children were setting up their drums and gathering around to present us with a ceremonial welcome dance.  Soon the tribal elders appeared and we were asked to sit for the ceremony.  The children were amazing!  We took pictures as well as video, so I will include some pictures now, but the video will have to wait until we return home. After the dance, in accordance with Ghanian tradition, I went in front of the elders to state the purpose of our visit.  The elders talked amongst themselves, then accepted our gift with a handshake.  The children helped us unload the computers from the bus and unbox one for a formal presentation.   Then we went to the new computer lab and installed the computers.  The children were peering through the windows with excitement and anticipation as we set everything up.  It was a good day!

  

 

 

Some people had to return to the hospital, while others were free to go to the Kamasi Childrens Home  to present them with donated clothes, school supplies and soccer balls.  After the second presentation of the day, we toured the grounds.  Some of the children observed from a distance, while others eagerly sought our attention and candy we had in our pockets.  It was difficult to say goodbye knowing that these children did not have parents to tuck them in at night.

When we returned to the hospital the second case of the day was ending.  Tomorrow we have three cases scheduled, so we will be leaving for the hospital at 6:45AM.  Today there were tears of saddness as well as tears of celebration.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring? 

-Susan

Answer to Yesterdays Question of the Day:  The King and Queen are not married but they are related.  A number of you got the answer correct but Jay is the only person that mentioned their relation.

Question of the Day:  What is the highest point in Ghana?

 

 

 

 

Power is Under Appreciated

 The day started out really well.  We had power, water and a nice breakfast.  The only thing missing was the internet.  It has been down for the last three days, so that is why you have not received emails from your loved ones and friends.  I have been able to post the blog thanks to a satellite card provided by the Children's Hospital Information Services Department.  Thank you...thank you!

We arrived at the hospital at 7:30am and were greeted by the smiling faces of Bev and Judy!  The two patients from yesterday looked great.  By end of the day Hassim had been discharged from the ICU.

The staff received report and the first patient for the day was consented for surgery.  The three patients for today were Kwabna, Abel and Fati.  Kwabna has TOF, Abel has a VSD and Fati has a PDA. 

Kwabna

Fati

Abel

The first case went well until the power went out.  Our first indication of trouble was when the lights started to flicker.  Soon the lights were off for ten minute intervals. then they went out completely.  The halls in the OR were so dark a flashlight was needed.  We had one hour of battery life for the pump that was keeping the patient alive and the back up generator was only guaranteed for one hour.  Only one outlet in the OR was receiving backup power so we did not have power for suction and some of our electrical equipment.  Needless to say we finished the case as quickly as was safely possible.  Over the next two hours, the power was very intermittent, with no back up generator support for the ICU.  With the unstable power situation we decided to postpone the cases for an hour and have lunch, then reevaluate the situation.  We ultimately decided to postpone the pump case, which was Abel, until tomorrow.  We went ahead and operated on Fati and she did very well.

 

During the downtime, some of the team went on a tour of the old hospital wards while the others took this oportunity to do some additional teaching.

The tour of the old hospital went to the Cardiac and the general wards.  The first time you see the conditions of the hospital it is very eye opening. So I thought it would be best to have one of the new volunteers write a few words.

“The sight of this hospital was just and still is so hard to fathom. In ways it doesn’t even seem real. There was no privacy, the air quality was thick and humid, and beds upon beds were just crammed into a unit with their families on top of each other. These poor children just don’t have access to the health care which we do in the U.S and it is so hard to just walk through the unit and watch. When it is so clear the child needs to be bathed, you just want to walk over and give him a bath. I feel like my words can’t even do justice to what I witnessed today.”

-Katie 

 

Later in the afternoon the volunteers went through all of the donated supplies and made gift boxes for three schools, two orphanages and one daycare.  Tomorrow we will go to the Trede school, where we will set up a computer lab for the children, with computers donated by the Children's Hospital of Boston.  These will be the first computers in the schools history.  Then we will go to the Kamasi Children's Home to drop off the donated supplies and play with the children.

After bragging about the internet, it has been down for me as well this evening so I am going to post the photo galleries tomorrow.  It has been an emotional day, but we are comforted by the fact that we are helping one child at a time.

It seems like the internet has been just fine at home, since everyone has been able to use Google for the question of the day!  A number of people got the correct answer yesterday, Jerry, Leah and Lily.  Answer: The Muslim holiday was Eid al Adha, The Feast of Sacrifice. 

Question of the Day:  Are the Aschanti King and Queen married?

-Susan

 

Let the Surgery Begin

The trip is never without challenges that make you appreciate the solid infrastructure at home.  Yesterday we had some power issues at the hospital for a few hours and last evening we lost water at the hotel.  At least most of us had taken our showers before the water disappeared.

Today the bus was a little late, so we did not arrive at the hospital until 8:30.  The patients were waiting with anticipation as we came through the door.  Today is the day their lives will change!  The staff met to discuss the plans for the day.  We had two patients scheduled for surgery, Abdul and Hassim.  Both were having their Ventricular Septal Defects repaired.  Even though  surgeries started, clinic continued evaluating patients by doing 12 echos.

Hassim

Abdul

Hassim was our first case of the day.  Dr. Fynn-Thompson and Isaac met with the mother to go over the surgery and sign the consent(PhtotoGallery) forms.  Since she could not read or write, we used her thumb print as her signature.  Hassim's surgery went very well and was completed by 1:30pm and extubated by 3pm.  Abdul was back in the recovery room by 6:30pm.  Both patients were doing well.

While the first surgery was taking place, the rest of the staff used the opportunity to teach.  Christine and Lauren  worked with the Ghanian ICU nurses to adapt their flow sheets and Medication charts that were going to be used for the week.  Instead of using the ones we use at Children's, we want to work with the Ghanian nurses and doctors to use the paperwork that they are used to using.  Once we leave they can begin to use what they have learned from our team in their own practice. 

Frantz also used this time to work with the local biomedical engineers to get the equipment we are going to need for the week in working order.

The OR staff(PhotoGallery) is training an aspiring perfusionists, anesthesiologist and 2 OR nurses.  The hope is that they will become self sufficient and be able to perform some of the procedures independently.

Tomorrow we will be leaving for the hospital at 7am because we have 3 surgeries scheduled.   Hopefully Bev and Judy will not be too crabby when we arrive after they have worked all night.  The volunteers will be packing boxes to deliver to area schools and orphanages later in the week.

 Answer to yesterdays Question of the Day :  The answer was Calabash.  The Ghanians use it as a vessel for drinking.  Cathy and Lily got the correct answer!  Come on Jerry, you have to step it up;)  Lily...are you cheating?

Question of the Day: What is the Ghana Muslim holiday that is observed tomorrow?

-Susan

 

A Day of Hope

Today everyone arrived at breakfast refreshed and ready to start the last clinic(Gallery) day before surgeries begin tomorrow.  Sixteen of us left for the hospital at 7:30am while the other ten people went to the Cape Coast(Gallery).  We evaluated another 20 patients and finished setting up the OR and ICU and making sure everything was in working order.

The power was a little unreliable this morning for a few hours.  It went out frequently for a few minutes at a time for about 2 hours before lunch.  We were just thankful we were not operating at the time.  We saw a two patients that we operated on last year, Everlove and Lillian.

Everlove

Lillian

Once all of the patients had been evaluated, we had a team meeting to discuss the candidates for surgery tomorrow.

It is such a hard decision to make.  If we were home, most of these children would be surgical candidates.  So it is heartbreaking that we have to decide who we can help during our short visit.  After much discussion, we decided on two patients for tomorrow.  Unlike home, most patients are admitted the night before because they have such a long way to travel to get to the hospital.  So both children were admitted today and their families were bringing their dinner to them as we left.  Which brings up another difference in hospitals in Ghana and the United States.  Patient families must provide all food for the patient while they are in the hospital.  The hospital only provides meals for the staff.

After all of the work was completed today we walked over to the Cultural Center to get a little shopping done while we had a few extra minutes.  I visited 3 of my favorite shops and was surprised that the shop owners recognized me from last year.  I did not think I spent that much money! 

Tomorrow we will have further discussions and the final decisions will be made regarding the schedule for the remainder of the week.  We will continue to do echo's and see patients from past missions in the clinic.  I think Emily Dickenson said it best when she wrote "If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain".

  Answer to Yesterday's Question of the Day

So Lily, Len and Jackie got the question of the day correct.  Ghana does not observe daylight savings time and we are 4 hours ahead.

Today Question of the Day

What fruit is used in Ghana as a drinking vessel and used to make instruments?  Here is a hint....

Let the Clinic Begin

 Today we arrived at the hospital at 7:45AM, excited to begin our first day.  The hallway was already full of anxious parents and children waiting to be evaluated.

 

The team immediately split into groups and like a well oiled machine we had the clinic (Gallery) up and running within an hour.  We had an assembly line of patients getting their vital signs taken, evaluations by the doctors and echo's.  When the day ended, we had evaluated 60 patients.  We saw some familiar faces and many new ones.  Clement and his father arrived shortly after 8AM.  He was the patient from last year that we arranged to go to Jacksonville, Fl. for his surgery.  He looked wonderful and was very excited to see everyone.  I wrote an update on Clement in June if you want to read the details of his journey.

 

Tomorrow we will run the clinic again for new patients and then we will need to make the hard decisions of who we will operate on the remainder of the mission.  We hope to do 2 surgeries on Sunday.

 

 

The OR team spent the day organizing the OR and making preparations for the surgeries for the week.  The room had just been vacated by another group, CardioStart, that had spent the week putting in pacemakers for adult patients.  That is the group that we borrow a sternal saw from every trip so Bob, Lisa and Ellen spent many hours searching through endless boxes looking for their equipment.

 

 

 Organization of the ICU suite is ongoing while patients recovering from pacemaker surgery occupy the space.  All areas will  be up and running by the end of the day tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow ten people will be taking a ride to the Ivory Coast to visit the Slave Castle and Canopy walk, while the remainder of the team finishes last minute details.

So Lily got the answer to the Question of the Day yesterday!  There were some great guesses though!

Answer:  We were served egg rolls, which were boiled eggs cut in half, wrapped in dough and fried!  They really took us literally when we asked for egg roll!. They actually were not bad, but next time we are going to ask for spring rolls and see what that brings.

Question of the Day

Does Ghana recognize Daylight Savings time and what is the time difference?

-Susan