By Frank Peterson | President
Marcelo lives near the village of Purula in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. He is basically a subsistence farmer who supports his family of eight by growing corn, beans and broccoli. In 2014 he became concerned about a growing mass on the side of his neck and went to a nearby medical evaluation clinic organized by our Guatemalan partner, Companero para Cirugia. He needed surgery but unfortunately no team was available in 2014 or 2015 with the required surgical capabilities to deal with his complex tumor.
Everyone could see Marcelo was becoming desperate since the movement of his head was now significantly affected. He knew that soon he would not be able to work in his field and provide for his family. Fortunately, Dr. Elwood McMullin agreed that his 2016 Cape Breton Nova Scotia team could provide the surgery when they came to Guatemala. With the skills of this Canadian volunteer team and the support we provided for Marcelo’s transportation, lodging and post-operative care, the procedure was a big success. Immediately after the surgery he looked in a mirror and said “IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I HAD A SMILE ON MY FACE. TODAY I CAN SMILE AGAIN. I AM THE MARCELINO FROM BEFORE THIS MASS”.
There have been 201 other examples of individuals receiving needed critical surgical care since our report three months ago. Of these, 50 patients received a corrective procedure for a cleft defect by the Faces of Hope surgical team and, once again, the team commented on how healthy the children were because of our Cleft Infant Nutrition program. Over these last three months two teams of medical volunteers went to eight rural villages and, from 1021 medical evaluations, 434 individuals were identified who needed surgery. Also during these village clinics, 481 cervical cancer prevention exams and 144 breast mass evaluations were provided.
All these rural evaluations and surgical procedures are done by volunteer doctors from the USA and Canada who pay their own expenses. However, preparations for rural clinics, scheduling and escorting patients, post-operative care, team logistics and record keeping is done with your financial support. This medical care allowing thousands of individuals to be independent is only possible when we combine financial resources with the willing volunteerism of so many in North America. We hope you will consider continuing your support. More information can be found on our website: www.partnerforsurgery.org.
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