" I am writing to you in order to extend my sincere thanks. My name is Mishell Carolina Villavicencio Camacho. I'm 17 years old and I'm about to tell you how you completely changed my life.

 

When I was 10 years old I got Juvenile Dermatomyositis, which caused my muscles to shrink. Because of this I was in a wheel chair.  After undergoing many treatments I was able to stand on my feet again when I was 14 years old. Little by little I was able to take my first steps with difficulty using plastic supports. The supports were made of hard plastic. They hurt my feet and caused painful sores. Each day I would walk less, as the pain was stronger each time.

 

In  2014 CAMTA doctors examined me and came to the conclusion that I needed surgery.

I was a little scared but at the same time I felt a lot of enthusiasm for the operation date to arrive. My family was also very happy. We are a family with little resources and could not count on having sufficient money to have the surgery, since it was very expensive.

 

Thursday February 27th was the day of my surgery. I was very tranquil and at the same time full of happiness. The surgery took several hours and meanwhile my mom was outside anxious and asking God that everything would go well.

 

After Mishells's surgery in 2014

I remember that when I woke up I had casts on my 2 feet, pink and purple, and they were very pretty, I was moved to my room and my mother was informed that the operation was a success. My mother cried, but from happiness.

 On Friday at noon I was forced to stand up to see if I could walk.  Even I could not believe it - my heels has been fully stretched and after seeing this I began to cry from happiness. After seeing that everything was good they discharged me from the hospital. I was sad to leave because everyone treated me well and with much affection.

 

Mishell models her comfy boots while visitng Pediatric Ward Nurse Dianne Cortez in 2015

Six weeks went by and it was time to take off my casts. After that, my parents bought me boots and very nice shoes because now it was not necessary for them to be orthopedic shoes.

 

I felt very safe being on my own feet, because this way is a lot easier to move around and I don't have pain.

 

Last June I entered a course in beauty school and in August of this year I will get my professional title. I wouldn't have been able to do this if you wouldn't have operated on me. I've been studying English for a year and a half one day per week for 4 hours, and I will continue studying with a lot of enthusiasm, so one day I can go as a volunteer and help you translate.

 

I will go to university and study medicine because I want to become an excellent doctor just like you all are.

 

On behalf of all the people who have benefited from the CAMTA Project I give you a wholehearted thanks. Just like you all changed my life, you have changed the lives of thousands of poor people.  The only way we can pay you is through our own prayers to God, asking Him to enlighten your lives and to continue to give you the strength so you don't fall into bad times; that He takes care and blesses you always; thank him for the enormous hearts he has given you. God sent you like angels to change our lives and to make them much better. Because of this I will say again THANK YOU. NEVER CHANGE!

 Every year many people in Ecuador will be waiting with open arms and full of happiness. We Love you very much."

MISHELL VILLAVICENCIO

Ryan Wright

Francisco Gallardo

Heather Perl

CAMTA's Board of Directors welcomes Dr. Ryan Wright as our new Vice President. Dr. Wright practices Family Medicine in Edmonton and has been to Quito with CAMTA on the last two missions. Francisco Gallardo joins the Board as Secretary. He is a trained MD from El Salvador, who has acted as translator for both weeks of each Mission since 2013. O.R. RN Heather Perl has joined the Board as OR Representative. Heather is a veteran of seven CAMTA Missions!

We truly appreciate the time and talent that outgoing Board members V.P. Dr. Gayle Hiebert Brown, Secretary Jim Raso, and O.R. Representative Cori Dysart gave to our group. The Board will continue to rely on their help and expertise.

We recently received the proceeds from the casino CAMTA volunteers manned back in April 2014 - $80,772.21! 

Many thanks  to Wendy Read, who takes on the task of recruiting and scheduling about 30 volunteers for the two day event, and to those volunteers who worked the shifts.

We plan to use some of the funds to replace O.R. instruments for pediatric and adult surgeries, and to purchase some of the items on each department's "Wish List".