Economic Growth United States Project #9238

Leadership Development -EQ Training

by Duncan Tree Ventures

Project Report | Dec 27, 2013
How you have helped change 26 lives

By Ouida Duncan | Project Leader

Sabrina, 13 yrs old moments before spine surgery

Dear Donors,

Duncan Tree Foundation would like to thank you for your continued support through Global Giving. Because of donors and sponsors like you, Duncan Tree continues to reach major milestones in our mission to provide complex spine surgery to the underserved in Jamaica. We recently completed our fourth scoliosis mission trip where, in addition to operating on 7-8 adolescents at Kingston Public Hospital we also conducted 2 surgeries in Montego Bay.

While at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, the DTF team made history by successfully performing the first spine surgeries ever to take place at Cornwall Regional Hospital. Both patients (13 year old Sabrina Campbell and 16 year old Monecia Lawrence) are doing very well after surgery. Prior to this mission trip, all scoliosis surgeries had been performed at Kingston Public Hospital where all of the surgical equipment and talents were.

When we spoke to the mothers of two surgery recipients; Sabrina Campbell and Monecia Lawrence we were reminded why we pushed so hard to ensure the mission to Cornwall Regional Hospital moved forward (a month before our mission trip, which was 18 months in the making, the hospital administrators informed DTF that the trip might need to be postponed).

Dawn Lawrence pictured here, (mother of Monecia) told us about how difficult it was to know that she couldn't afford to pay for implants for her daughter's surgery because she didn't have have a job. She told us that if her daughter's surgery was done in Kingston, she would have to struggle to find bus fare to travel 3.5-4 hrs from Montego Bay and not have money to pay for a hotel room. Without financial support Ms. Lawrence said she would have to sleep on the benches at Kingston Publich Hospital until her daughter was well enough to be released from the hospital.

Not having the money to afford implants for their daughter's surgeries, Sabrina's and Monecia's mothers were praying for a miracle, and the miracle came in the form of implants donated by Medtroinc, spinal cord monitoring donated by Biotronic and the visiting DTF team (Dr. Ken Paonessa, Dr. Jim Damato, Dr. Mark Lee, Wesley Tanaka, Bob Smith, Meredith Connell, Tracy D'Amato, Christina Regan, and Nat Valentine) who gave of their compassion, time and talents.

Duncan Tree could not have accomplished these things without continued support from donors, sponsors and partners. Since the inception of our complex spine program in March 2012, Duncan Tree has provided free scoliosis surgery to 26 young people in Jamaica.

In March of 2014, Duncan Tree travels to Davao City, Philippines to assist 5 young people who need scoliosis surgery with spinal cord monitoring. We then return to Jamaica in the Spring and Fall of 2014 to assist a total of 20 patients.

We continue to look forward to partnering with you for upcoming surgical visits!

Dawn Lawrence giving her testimony

Sabrina, her mom and Dr. Paonessa, day of surgery

patients awaiting pre-surgery exam by DTF team

Monecia Lawrence and her mom Dawn

Sabrina walking 1 day after scoliosis surgery

Links:

Jamaica Observer article

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