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Summer: June - August, 2010 Medical missions in impoverished rural areas, patients escorted to surgical teams, kids in the PfS infant nutrition program, women receiving cervical cancer screening and youth participating in PfS radio programs - all make for an exciting, rewarding summer serving Guatemala's neediest.
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Year to Date - Lives Changed
5 Medical Mission Teams Visited 20 Rural Communities
2,143 Received Medical Attention
900 Referred for Surgery
376 Received Surgery
17 Guatemalan Nurses Trained in Cervical Cancer Prevention
1,340 Women Screened for Cervical Cancer
16 Surgical Teams Supported with Patients
5 Rural Youth Teams Hosted Radio Programs |
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Nutrition Program
10 cleft children received surgery
17 added to the program
42 Infants with cleft lips received nutrition
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A Challenging New Locale for Medical Missions
In June, Partner for Surgery traveled for the first time to the Ixcan, an area bordering Mexico. A refugee area for indigenous Guatemalans fleeing the 36 year Civil War, many waiting patiently in line had never seen a doctor, much less considered the possibility of life changing surgery. The team was small - two U.S. doctors and a minimal PfS staff - and the distance, 10 hours over mostly dirt roads from PfS offices in Antigua. The major town looked like a picture out of the American Wild West with only a few old trucks and automobiles signifying modern times. Food and accommodations were basic throughout, as witnessed by our breakfast restaurant preparation! But no one got sick and over 400 patients were seen during the four day period. |
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Lester's Story: A Baby Beats the Odds! 
In July, PfS brought 35 cleft lip and palate patients to the California based Faces of Hope surgical team-- our seventh year of collaboration. Most children were accompanied by anxious parents but some were brought through the kindness of others, like Lester, whose parents abandoned him at a hospital extremely malnourished when he was just three months old. Doctors thought he would surely die but Lester pulled through due to the loving attention of the hospital staff and formula from the Partner for Surgery nutrition program.  Despite other complications, by his first birthday, Lester was healthy enough for surgery and Lilian, his chief caretaker at the hospital, traveled with him for eight hours to reach Faces of Hope. Lilian gave up a week's salary to bring in Lester, but wanted no attention for herself. She is grateful for Partner for Surgery and the Faces of Hope team who made Lester's new life possible. |
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August - Veteran Doctors Return
 In August, Drs. Don Asp and Mary Margaret O'Neill volunteered for a Medical Mission in the Polochic valley. This was Don Asp's sixth trip with Partner for Surgery and Mary Margaret's third. As Don said in an early Partner for Surgery video, "Being with Partner for Surgery reminds me of why I went to medical school." Over the four day period, 245 patients were given medical care and 192 identified for surgery. Dr. O'Neill even unexpectedly delivered a baby! |
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Ending on a Happy Note
 Grateful thanks goes to Dr. Khem Fatimi, who saw the need for a camper top on the PfS pickup (donated by Faces of Hope last fall) during a rainy May Medical Mission. Khem wrote a check and by our June mission, the top was installed. No more wet supplies!
We Need and Welcome Donations!
Partner of Surgery would like to express deep appreciation to those of you who have financially supported our organization. Please continue to contribute and ask others to consider a gift by check or online at www.partnerforsurgery.org so that the work can keep going on..... |
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Have you looked at our Website?
Check us out at www.partnerforsurgery.org. Several short videos about our mission can be viewed as well as information about PfS programs, volunteer opportunities, how to donate and more. |
