2. Rotaplast Saving smiles … changing lives Provides surgery to treat children with the cleft lip and palate anomaly who would otherwise not receive surgical intervention. 15 missions/year 2009 Egypt mission treated 127 patients
3. The cost of sponsoring a full Rotaplast mission ranges from $65,000 to $100,000 depending upon the site. Local Rotary Clubs in host country provide local support Cost of 2009 mission = 2010 District 5000 goal =
4. To pay for 2009 trip Rotary District 5190 paired up with District 5000 to first allow Rotaplast to make their initial visit to Egypt. District 5190 encompasses the California Mother Lode, Northeastern California and the vast area of Northern Nevada. The District size is roughly 80,000 square miles and includes a wide diversity of terrain and climates.
5. 2009 mission threatened by decline in stock market and District 5000’s matching grant application was returned to Hawaii. District 5000 funds the trip without the matching grant. Participants from Hawaii were Ayman and his daughter, Amanda, as translators and Lin McIntosh as Assistant Medical Records.
6. Departure from SFO Participants were leaving for the mission from the US (both east and west coasts), Uruguay, Birmingham, England. The SFO contingent was limited to 1 bag in order to take a Rotaplast box as baggage. There were 37 boxes leaving SFO and fewer members; so the bill for baggage was extensive … $150/box before leaving the airport!
7. Leaving SFO Heather Merriam, EO of Rotaplast, and Warehouse Manager, and Chief Medical Officer negotiating additional baggage fees with British Airways
8. A not too good (because I reduced the size for blog) photo of the baggage from the other end of the bags Look at all the boxes!
14. All potential patients and their families had to come through the former emergency entrance, up 5 steps, to meet Medical Records Director Louise Capozzi First step, fill out paperwork via interpreter. Second step was to move right to Asst Medical Records Director (Lin) Clinic Day
15. Clinic Day Here’s Ingrid from Germany, the Patient Recreation Therapist trying to maintain some entertainment during a difficult time of day. The people were afraid we would cut off interviews; MD Fish finally had to make personal promise, through an interpreter, that we would not leave until we had seen everyone. And ee didn’t leave until about 10 PM Step #2 – I write patient # on patient’s inside left arm, write patient info on file folder, and send patient to photography. File follows patient throughout
18. Kissing Mother #2 – “I hated Americans, but you come anyway, fix my son, give him a blanket – I now think Americans are good people.” Obama Ears
19. Mom held her son head up so I could get a good photo … then grabbed & kissed, saying thank you, thank you. Kissing Mother was so intimidating I hesitated to ask if I could take a photo, but her son had such a sparkle in his eye during clinic I had to follow him throughout!
21. Surgery Actual scorecard of flies and mosquitoes killed in the 2-table surgical suite! The beginning of the “sterile” area
22. Surgery Evelyn Adad, Head Nurse, is a full time volunteer. Each color = surgeon Each piece of paper = surgery Old style but back up to be sure computer system is right
23. Surgery A palate procedure; local surgeon on left; local nurse in black with back to camera 2-table suite; local surgical nurse in red
24. Recovery Room All patients came from surgery to the recovery room until they were awake and comfortable. Surprisingly, we heard very little crying, and we were right next door in Medical Records
25. Window for document passing to Asst Med Dir Command station for 8-room ward & recreation center Medical Records. Ms. Capozzi in front desk; Lin at rear desk. Window to pass files.
26. The Conference The mission was as much about teaching the University of Sohag medical school as the surgery An all-day conference was held with each of the US specialties making a presentation
28. Sohag Lin in front of oldest mosque in Sohag Sohag taxi cab, complete with curtains!
29. Luxor/Valley of the Kings High fashion at Temple of Karnak @ 120 degrees Why walk a lot in the sun .. Every souvenoir you want is right outside the bus!
30. Last night/Local Rotary Meeting This young girl was sitting at adjacent table and, uninvited, brought me the red flower in my hair. I gave her a book about Aloha in return. Receiving the local club’s flag
34. Changing how the world views America – one person at a time Sohag 2010 June 27 – July 11 Fly directly into Luxor eliminating 8 hour bus ride between Cairo and Sohag Different hospital, eliminating 1.5 hour bus ride (each way) to and from the hospital Better working conditions Total needed - $ ____________________
