Obstetrician Joella Morrow works at Mt. Sanai  in New York and is volunteering at the Hospitalito for three weeks as part of a program called Saving Mothers. Samantha is a nurse who works with Dra. Joella.

Hospitalito Atitlán, Guatemala

Michael Oswald CRNA, MNA (Anesthesia)

Teresa Oswald

One afternoon during a lunch break, my wife Teresa and I decided to visit a local school in Santiago.  In the past, we have had great success in finding children at various schools in Guatemala who have an eye condition known as strabismus or crossed eyes.  This school visit was particularly successful because we were able to meet Manuel.  With the assistance of the school director, we climbed the stairs up to the second level and met with Manuel and his teacher.  His teacher spoke of Manuel’s double vision related to his crossed eye.  Previously she had spoken with Manuel’s mother and asked that he be seen by a local Doctor.  Money was hard to come by in Manuel’s family, so his mother simply accepted Manuel as he was instead of seeking medical attention.  His teacher also explained that many families simply do not understand that certain vision conditions or eye aesthetics can be corrected. She described to us how she has taught her students to be accepting of all people and to not judge or ridicule another based upon appearance.

            After speaking with Manuel about his condition and how it limited his abilities in the classroom, we then asked if we could call his mother and find out if she could bring him to our clinic.  Right about then she appeared out of nowhere.  I described the surgery that her son would need as the director translated my Spanish into Tsutujil.  Manuel smiled as we described the potential outcome of his surgery.  We told them to meet us at the clinic the next morning at 0800.

         The next morning as we hiked up to Hospitalito, our thoughts were with Manuel.  Would his mother take this opportunity to improve the life of her son?  Or would the fear of the unknown prevent her from coming?To our surprise Manuel was outside the clinic doors waiting with his family to be seen at 0800.  He had been asking for Miguel (me!).  His smile of anticipation will forever be in our mind’s eye.  He was not afraid.  He was simply excited to have his eye corrected.  

           After meeting with Dr. Stormogipson, the surgical plan was put into place.  On Thursday he would have strabismus surgery on his right eye.

           On Thursday morning, Manuel was the second case of the day. In the preoperative area, he had Teresa and all of the nurses laughing hysterically because of his contagious laugh.   I then brought him into the operating room and asked him to be my helper.  The nurses had given him a large bulldog stuffed animal that he jokingly named after me, “Miguel”. He climbed onto the operating room table without fear, smiling all the while.  Gently I placed the anesthesia mask over his mouth and said to him, “respirá profundo amigo” as he drifted off to sleep.  After a successful surgery, we took Manuel into the recovery room where his nurse Denise sweetly spoke to him in English, but with a tone of love and compassion that anyone could understand.

         Manuel spent that night in the hospital as he cuddled with Miguel the bulldog by his side.  His mother had gone out to get him some Horchata to drink and was, as most are after surgery in Guatemala, concerned about his diet.  I could see in her eyes the love of a mother for her son as she tried to help him through the process in her own way.

       The next day, Teresa and I excitedly hiked up to the hospital and found Manuel in the screening room in a chair ready to be seen.  After his eye patch was taken off, we saw that his eyes were perfectly aligned.  He smiled again with joy upon hearing how he looked.  

       If Manuel had been the only general anesthetic I had given the entire two weeks while in Guatemala, I would have been satisfied.  I am content with the work that I do in Guatemala not based upon the number of surgeries, but rather the effect we have as a group upon  individuals.  As Manuel hugged my wife and I goodbye, he walked out of the hospital with Miguel in his arms and an unforgettable smile on his face.

     This is why my wife and I come to Guatemala.  There is nothing more satisfying to us than serving one of God’s precious children.  This trip was an honor and a blessing to Teresa and I.  We hope to return again soon.

HA continues to donate supplies to the community healthcare workers that were received in the Medshare container that arrived last month.  The local volunteer rescue workers (Bomberos) and ambulance company picked up latex gloves and other supplies… and were told when they need more to contact us again.

 The mother in this family is able to see for the first time in many years. Her son cried tears of joy and she is very happy.

Mamie Guidera presented the donation to Lyn Dickey. Lauren Danella and Candace Freeman are students in the Nursing School.

There is an article in the recent newsletter http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5707448b923bc5d4fda1f77e7&id=c2c11c9e90

telling how these solar panels came to cross the Pacific to be installed on the roof of Hospitalito Atitlán. The donation of 1200 panels from SunGrid of Australia arrived the end of February and the installation began last month. Thanks very much to Phil Livingston, owner of SunGrid. We expect to save $100,000 on our electric bill over the next ten years.  If you look closely in the reflection of the panels you can see the solar water heaters on the roof. These produce all the hot water at HA, and substantial savings too.

Part of the WDF project includes the design of educational materials for people with type II diabetes.  Project coordinator Victor Ramirez has been working with Santiago Atitlán artist Angelika Bauer to create a ten page booklet using illustrations, text and key phrases in Tz’utujil. Today nurses and medical staff had an opportunity to review the drawings and layout and give input over the booklet.

Hospitalito Atitlán, Smile Network International and Tess Unlimited have been planning and working all year to prepare for a week of surgeries that will change the faces and futures of thirty children.

The SNI team includes a plastic surgeon, a pediatrician, nursing and support staff that starts work today as they evaluate 39 patients and schedule cleft lip surgeries that will start on Monday.

The patients come from the far reaches of Guatemala, Huehuetenengo, the Peten, Coban, Mazatenango, and the department of San Marcos.  They arrived tired by chicken buses and by water.

The Hospitalito found housing for all the families, and is happy about the local collaboration. The Posada de Santiago housed 16 patients and their families and the new mayor Tomas Chiviliu rented the entire Pension Rosita for 15 families. Others are staying at the Catholic Church and Las Milpas, which is managed by the Hospitalito.

This is the second Smile Network International team to work at HA.  Last year 28 patients received surgeries.

Tess Unlimited of Antigua is responsible for locating patients from around the country. Six patients are from the Lake Atitlán area. The day of the evaluations a baby boy was born in Santiago Atitlán who will need the surgery in the future.