In 2008,' Friends of Rotaplast in Rotary International District 6330' changed the lives of many people in Venezuela! Would you like the opportunity to help make a difference to 100 children in Bangladesh this year? To donate or apply to be a volunteer, please contact PDG Tanya Wolff pdgTanya@gmail.com

1. BARQUISIMETO, VENEZUELA
AND

2. Mission: Barquisimeto, Venezuela
July, 2008
A Rotary International Project
sponsored by:
Rotary Area #5, District 6330
ROTAPLAST
in affiliation with
ROTARY
“MAKING DREAMS REAL”
through
SERVICE ABOVE SELF

3. What is Rotaplast?
• a non-profit organization
• founded in 1992 to facilitate a surgical program in Chile to
treat children with the cleft lip and palate anomaly
• for children who would not otherwise get treatment
• a team of medical and non-medical volunteers travel to
places in need of this service
• since 1993, more than 115 missions have been completed
serving more than 10,000 children.
• more than 1000 children have been treated in
Barquisimeto -7 missions

4. Barquisimeto, Venezuela
• 5 hours by bus from Caracas
• a city of 1.2 million people

5. Mission Directors and Quartermaster
Surgeons, Pediatricians, Anesthesiologists
Members of the Mission Team
Nurses

6. Non-Medical Volunteers from
Canada and the U.S.A.

7. The 26 Member Team

8. Many local volunteers helped out – Rotarians and teenagers
They were a great help with interpreting - Spanish - for us

9. Meeting Point – Fort Worth, Texas
Meeting
many
team members
for the first
time

10. A five hour flight
to Caracas and
then a 5 hour bus
ride to
Barquisimeto

11. Accommodations
at
Hotel Circular Militar

12. Most dinners were eaten together at the
hotel

13. The hospital in which we worked

14. First day at the hospital…
Getting instructions
and un-packing many of the
35 boxes of supplies

15. Ready for Clinic Day

16. Team members are ready :
Patients will be seen by
surgeons, anesthesiologists,
nurses for weight and height,
dentist, and photographer
CLINIC DAY

17. Waiting to see the doctors…
Will their dreams of
surgery come true?

18. Approximately 150 patients
arrived
75 patients will have surgeries
during the next 5 days

19. Surgeries…
With an early start – 6:15 am.
The team is set to go!

20. Waiting for surgery,
patients arrive the night before
Volunteers keep children busy

21. Patients are brought down from the Ward to the Operating Rooms

22. Meanwhile … our Recreation Therapist is getting ready to entertain
our young patients… relieve their anxieties about their surgeries

23. Some are happier than others

24. It’s time to make those dreams real..
Ready to go!

25. Each patient is given a gift of a quilt
(made in Canada)

26. All set to for surgery

27. Entering the Operating Rooms

28. And the surgeries start…

29. Everyone is busy…

30. 71 surgeries are performed
in 5 days – some taking more
than 4 hours

31. The Recovery Room is a busy place

32. Back to the Ward to recuperate over night

33. After 5 days of surgery,
all patients have to
come back
for a check-up
Clinic Day again…
By 8:00 am. the line is long

34. They are pleased with the results
Many “Gracias” are heard

35. Dreams are becoming real..

36. On this special day, many media people are present

37. One last lunch with pizza and
a special cake for dessert

38. Much time was spent at the
hospital but we did get a chance
to see a bit of the city.

39. Visiting museums, parks and
a church

40. An hour was also spent at
a village with many craft
vendors.

41. A visit to the Rotary Hospital which is still
under construction.
At this time it has one operating room and
one ward in use.

42. Members from our sponsoring
Barquisimeto Club joined us for
a late dinner one night.
Banners were exchanged.

43. And more banners…

44. On another evening, 9 Rotary team
members joined another Rotary Club
for dinner.
This is the club which is building
the Rotary Hospital, as funds
become available

45. Our last evening in Barquisimeto – A special Volunteer Appreciation
Dinner

46. Everyone is thanked for their commitment to the Barquisimeto Mission

47. We’re on our way back home.
Thank you, Rotaplast,
for giving us a chance to
MAKE DREAMS REAL
for many children and
their families.
It was truly an awesome
experience!

48. Barquisimeto Mission
July, 2008
 26 team members
16 medical
10 non-medical
Numerous local Rotary
members and volunteers
35 boxes of supplies
(medical equipment , etc.)
5 days of surgery
71 patients, 120 procedures
Many DREAMS CAME TRUE!

49. Rotaplast and Rotary
Medical Volunteers
• P. Schnur Med. Director
• C. Beltran Surgeon
• A. Capozzi Surgeon
• D. Schnur Surgeon
• J. Giraldo Anesthesiologist
• S. Budac Anesthesiologist
• K. Kim Anesthesiologist
• M. Mattos Dentist
• L. Kovich CRNA
• M. Moffatt Pediatrician
• L. Borie Head Nurse
• M. Beristain OR Nurse
• V. Leendertse OR Nurse
• M. Ralston OR Nurse
• J. Farrington PACU Nurse
• J. Weinstein PACU Nurse
Non-Medical Volunteers
• M. Fish Mission Director
• B. McLeran Asst. Mission Director
• L. Lachapelle Quartermaster
• J. Moffatt Patient Transfer
• J. Johansen Photo Journalist
• T. Pook Sterilizer
• T. Wolff-Molson Recreation Therapist
• R. Tjoelker Med. Records Keeper
• D. Coleman Patient Ward Coord.
• M. Moffatt Recovery Room Asst.
• O. Mendoza interpreter
To find out more about Rotaplast or how to apply
to be a volunteer, go to www.rotaplast.org