Once again, our trip was blessed with unusually good weather for the rainy season in Honduras. Our Team was robust and excited. Last year we had only two physicians and three nurses; this year we had five physicians and four nurses. Our Team also included our amazing Honduran dentist, Claudia Berrios, and was bolstered by our four Honduran medical students. Fernando Ugarte, once again, provided us with Honduran drivers who provided safe passage down the treacherous mountains and who helped with the registration of the 1300 patients we served.
Much of the work is redundant, but it also is vital and rewarding. Each year we provide fluoride varnish to the children’s teeth; we make sure that pregnant and nursing mothers have adequate vitamins and nutrition; we provide folate to all reproductive age women; all children get iron-fortified vitamins. The patients with diabetes and hypertension get a year’s supply of their medications.
We have chronic patients, with special needs, who also get a year’s supply of medications—Seily, who has congenital hypothyroidism, gets her thyroid medicine; Beatriz, who has rheumatoid arthritis, gets her Methotrexate; Maria Gabriela, who has Parkinson’s Disease, gets her Sinemet.
Every year we see old friends whose special needs have been addressed and whose special care has been completed. Josue and Reynaldo, who we helped get their cleft lip and palate repairs, are beautiful children who are growing and thriving. Marinano, who broke his arm while working in the fields, is back to work and providing for his family. Every year we also identify new health problems that we try to address. Aurelia Michelle, who is 9 years old, came to us with a foreign body in her eye. Three of the doctors on the team attempted to remove it, but we were unsuccessful. With the help of Fernando Ugarte and his father, Dr. Raul Ugarte, we were able to get Aurelia Michelle to San Pedro Sula to see an eye specialist. The offending injury in her eye was addressed successfully, and her vision is protected.
Jose Jaime is 8 years old and has Cerebral Palsy; his mother, Maria Christina, carries him everywhere and asked for help with getting a wheelchair. Thanks to the generosity of Sandy Gale, a Missouri native who herself has a disabled child, we have now provided a wheelchair for Jose Jaime and his mother.
We anticipate that, next year, our annual mission trip will be in August. Our bilingual medical student partners will be graduating from school and will have to move on for their required further training. We are so very grateful for the partnership and friendship of all our Honduran friends—both in the Villages and also on our Medical Team.
