COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!

All my hopes for this mission were realized with an opportunity to helicopter to a remote community for a MEDCAP. I worked in the pediatric clinic and saw some things that are heart wrenching and can't be helped, but then there are others that bring great joy and satisfaction to be a part of making significant improvements to quality of life. I missed the photo op, but one incident that is embedded in my mind is the lady (said she was 60, but looked more like 80) - she was blind from cataracts and used a stick for a cane. When she was given a real cane with the hook/handle, her face lit up and she reached out and grabbed everyone's hand, saying 'thank you, thank you!' Unfortunately we were leaving her community the next day, so we were unable to get her on the ship for surgery on the cataracts. Here are some other things I saw that day - a lady that had broken her legs and they had healed badly - she was thrilled to get crutches. The little girl with crooked spine - we'll send referral, but most likely nothing can be done. A woman with goiter. A 15 year old severely weakened and wasting away from TB - we gave her a cane to assist walking. A little boy with club foot. Unfortunately we were at this site on our last day in the area and there was not time to bring the cases that could be fixed to the ship. Maybe someday - We have to have the 'Starfish Difference' philosophy here. We are thrilled with the things we can do and try not to get too depressed about the things we can't help. We do quite a few cataract surgeries, cleft lips and palates, and hernia repairs. Then there are things like removing lipomas, ganglion cysts, and goiters. One 44 year old woman was 'delivered' from an 8 lb. 4 oz. fibroid uterus. I saw the photos of her uterus - UGLY!!!