Fresh starts.
Thanks to the calendar, they happen every year, just set your watch to January.
Our reward for surviving the holiday season is a new year, bringing on the great tradition of New Year’s resolutions. Put your past behind you and start over.
It’s hard to resist the chance at a new beginning. A chance to put the problems of last year to bed.
But, who get’s to determine when the old ends and the new begins. It’s not a day on a calendar, not a birthday, not a new year. It’s an event. Big or small. Something that changes us. Ideally, it gives us hope. A new way of living and looking at the world.
Letting go of old habits, old memories.
What's important is that we never stop believing we can have a new beginning.
But its also important to remember, that amid all the crap are a few things really worth holding on to.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
My Own Tribe
It is an urban myth that suicide rates spike at the holidays. Turns out... they actually go down. Experts think its becuase people are less likely to "off" themselves around family.
Ironically, that same "family togetherness" is thought to be the reason that depressions rates actually do spike at the holidays.
There's an old proverb that says, "you can't choose your family", you take what fate hands you. And like them or not, love them or not, understand them or not... you cope.
Then there's the school of thought that says the family you are born into is simply a starting point. They feed you, they clothe you, and they take care of you... until you are ready to go out into the world... and find your own tribe.
Happy Holidays.
Sandra, Suey, and I
Roommate Christmas Photo
Africa Mercy 2009
Ironically, that same "family togetherness" is thought to be the reason that depressions rates actually do spike at the holidays.
There's an old proverb that says, "you can't choose your family", you take what fate hands you. And like them or not, love them or not, understand them or not... you cope.
Then there's the school of thought that says the family you are born into is simply a starting point. They feed you, they clothe you, and they take care of you... until you are ready to go out into the world... and find your own tribe.
Happy Holidays.
Sandra, Suey, and I
Roommate Christmas Photo
Africa Mercy 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Numb - Last Day At Sea
A patient’s history is as important as their symptoms. Its what helps us decide if heartburn is a heart attack, if a headache is a tumor.
Sometimes, patients will try to re-write their own history: they will claim that they don’t smoke, or forget to mentions certain drugs… which, to some, can be the kiss of death.
We can ignore it all we want, but our history eventually comes back to haunt us. Some people think that without history: our lives would amount to nothing.
At some point, we all have to choose…
Do we fall back on what we know?
Or, do we step forward to something new?
Its hard not to be haunted by our past. Our history is what shapes us, what guides us. Our history resurfaces time after time after time, so, we have to remember that sometimes, the most important history is the history we are making today.
Physically, I am ready to go home – I have been packed for days!
But emotionally… well… I have a whirlwind of emotions right now. It is so much of a cluster that I can’t even put my thoughts and feelings into words.
The developed world is nearly upon me and so much anticipated, yet it is also a cut so deep that it doesn’t even bleed. It’s a cut so deep that it doesn’t even catch me off guard. So, I guess, one could say that, currently, I’m numb.
Sometimes, patients will try to re-write their own history: they will claim that they don’t smoke, or forget to mentions certain drugs… which, to some, can be the kiss of death.
We can ignore it all we want, but our history eventually comes back to haunt us. Some people think that without history: our lives would amount to nothing.
At some point, we all have to choose…
Do we fall back on what we know?
Or, do we step forward to something new?
Its hard not to be haunted by our past. Our history is what shapes us, what guides us. Our history resurfaces time after time after time, so, we have to remember that sometimes, the most important history is the history we are making today.
Physically, I am ready to go home – I have been packed for days!
But emotionally… well… I have a whirlwind of emotions right now. It is so much of a cluster that I can’t even put my thoughts and feelings into words.
The developed world is nearly upon me and so much anticipated, yet it is also a cut so deep that it doesn’t even bleed. It’s a cut so deep that it doesn’t even catch me off guard. So, I guess, one could say that, currently, I’m numb.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
And.... The Numbers Are In!
Lives were started...
Lives were changed...
Lives were improved...
Lives were touched... including the 400 crew members that work onboard the Africa Mercy. So much time, effort, and dedication went in to the 10 month field service in Benin. Here is what we accomplished...
996 reconstructive and plastic surgeries;
185 cleft lip and palate repairs;
1161 general surgeries;
2 local surgeons trained;
3,521 cataracts removed;
570 other eye surgeries (pterygia and stabismus);
2 local eye surgeons trained;
33,851 eye evaluations and other treatments;
7,083 pairs of sunglasses distributed;
5,689 pairs of reading glasses distributed;
18 community eye field workers trained;
154 obstetric fistulas repaired;
4 local surgeons trained in fistula repair;
231 orthopedic operations;
10,175 dental patients seen;
794 dental hygiene patients;
13,174 oral health education;
25 oral health teachers trained;
2 dental assistants trained;
28 patients received palliative home care;
6 Burkitt's Lymphoma patients received palliative support;
19 families trained in wound care;
10 agricultural staff trained;
23 local agricultural trainees;
1 hostel constructed for agricultural college;
19 mental health workers trained;
119 church & community leaders trained in mental health;
50 prison officers and workers trained in mental health;
2 church leaders conferences attended by 602 attendants;
and 12,000 people watched the Jesus Film and many made a commitment to Christ.
Nearly 80,000 directly reached!
Lives were changed...
Lives were improved...
Lives were touched... including the 400 crew members that work onboard the Africa Mercy. So much time, effort, and dedication went in to the 10 month field service in Benin. Here is what we accomplished...
996 reconstructive and plastic surgeries;
185 cleft lip and palate repairs;
1161 general surgeries;
2 local surgeons trained;
3,521 cataracts removed;
570 other eye surgeries (pterygia and stabismus);
2 local eye surgeons trained;
33,851 eye evaluations and other treatments;
7,083 pairs of sunglasses distributed;
5,689 pairs of reading glasses distributed;
18 community eye field workers trained;
154 obstetric fistulas repaired;
4 local surgeons trained in fistula repair;
231 orthopedic operations;
10,175 dental patients seen;
794 dental hygiene patients;
13,174 oral health education;
25 oral health teachers trained;
2 dental assistants trained;
28 patients received palliative home care;
6 Burkitt's Lymphoma patients received palliative support;
19 families trained in wound care;
10 agricultural staff trained;
23 local agricultural trainees;
1 hostel constructed for agricultural college;
19 mental health workers trained;
119 church & community leaders trained in mental health;
50 prison officers and workers trained in mental health;
2 church leaders conferences attended by 602 attendants;
and 12,000 people watched the Jesus Film and many made a commitment to Christ.
Nearly 80,000 directly reached!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The O.R.s
For thousands, the 60-second walk down the long hallway which runs through the Africa Mercy has been the final leg in a long quest for physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration. At the hallway's end is a pair of sealed doors which lead to a state-of-the-art operating suite, filled with teams of nurses and surgeons. Every day patients walk through the sealed doors, crossing a threshold of transformation, to receive life-changing free surgery. Over five thousand surgical procedures have already been performed on the Africa Mercy during the 2009 Field Service in Benin. Surgeries performed onboard include orthopedics, maxillofacial, plastics, general, vesico-vaginal fistula repair (VVF), and cataract removal.
The Africa Mercy has six operating theaters, predominately staffed by short-term crew who come from around the world to share their expertise with the forgotten poor. "Everyone stays for a very short period of time. Our entire operating room team consists of 50 people, and only five of us are long-term staff," said Operating Room Supervisor Alison Brieseman. "We bring in people who know what they are doing, so we can have a higher turnover. Short-term people come in, they scrub up, we point them towards a table, and they are fine. If you can work in the OR in one country, you can work in the OR anywhere else. "The Africa Mercy operating suite is a diverse and dynamic environment which Alison Brieseman thoroughly understands. She has served with Mercy Ships for five years. She first worked as an operating room nurse and has held the position of Operating Room Supervisor since the inauguration of the Africa Mercy in June 2007."Somehow it (the OR) work when it really shouldn't. People come from everywhere, and they all know different things. They speak different languages and do things different ways. The staff is constantly changing; everyone is new all the time. You would think there would be a really high stress level and that people disagree about everything. But it's just not like that. It's a fun place to be. It's a real testimony to the grace of God," said Brieseman.
For most of the 2009 Field Service in Benin, the OR has run at full capacity, utilizing all six operating rooms and maximizing the number of patients served. “Recently, I was going over the statistics from this field service. Compared to last year, by week 21, we had doubled the amount of procedures performed. So, many more people have received surgery. It's been a really exciting outreach," said Brieseman. She attributes this increase to better staffing and a more efficient use of resources. A major accomplishment of the OR during this field service has been the successful training of three Benin nurses in operating room procedures. "At the beginning of the year, they were registered nurses but had never worked in the operating room. One of our long-term OR nurses, Glenys Gillingham, has been working with them throughout the field service," said Brieseman. "Now, they all scrub, circulate, and inject anesthetic into the eye. They are now teaching the short-term staff what to do. When new staff comes, the Benin nurses are saying, 'This is what you do,' and 'Come here; I'll show you. It's really great to see. We've never trained local nurses, and it's been one of our coolest achievements."
For many years to come, the OR suite on the Africa Mercy will continue to be a place of healing and transformation for thousands of individuals. As the OR staff continues to grow in statistics and achievements, the focus of their work is still to impact the lives of individuals. Brieseman saw a poignant example of this principle earlier this year. "During our last round of VVF surgeries there was a debate about whether we should perform surgery on the last patient of the day. It was already 4 p.m. and if we did the case, we knew we wouldn't finish until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Everyone had just worked the past three days and three nights and was exhausted. As we stood around discussing it, someone just went, 'All right, that's it; we are doing it. I remember standing at the door, watching this patient waddle down through the hallway holding her gown. I saw her back, and it was all wet. We could have ended on time and had our dinner, but she would have stayed wet in her bed. Instead, her life was going to be transformed. There were three or four of us standing there saying, 'I'm really glad we made that decision.
The Africa Mercy has six operating theaters, predominately staffed by short-term crew who come from around the world to share their expertise with the forgotten poor. "Everyone stays for a very short period of time. Our entire operating room team consists of 50 people, and only five of us are long-term staff," said Operating Room Supervisor Alison Brieseman. "We bring in people who know what they are doing, so we can have a higher turnover. Short-term people come in, they scrub up, we point them towards a table, and they are fine. If you can work in the OR in one country, you can work in the OR anywhere else. "The Africa Mercy operating suite is a diverse and dynamic environment which Alison Brieseman thoroughly understands. She has served with Mercy Ships for five years. She first worked as an operating room nurse and has held the position of Operating Room Supervisor since the inauguration of the Africa Mercy in June 2007."Somehow it (the OR) work when it really shouldn't. People come from everywhere, and they all know different things. They speak different languages and do things different ways. The staff is constantly changing; everyone is new all the time. You would think there would be a really high stress level and that people disagree about everything. But it's just not like that. It's a fun place to be. It's a real testimony to the grace of God," said Brieseman.
For most of the 2009 Field Service in Benin, the OR has run at full capacity, utilizing all six operating rooms and maximizing the number of patients served. “Recently, I was going over the statistics from this field service. Compared to last year, by week 21, we had doubled the amount of procedures performed. So, many more people have received surgery. It's been a really exciting outreach," said Brieseman. She attributes this increase to better staffing and a more efficient use of resources. A major accomplishment of the OR during this field service has been the successful training of three Benin nurses in operating room procedures. "At the beginning of the year, they were registered nurses but had never worked in the operating room. One of our long-term OR nurses, Glenys Gillingham, has been working with them throughout the field service," said Brieseman. "Now, they all scrub, circulate, and inject anesthetic into the eye. They are now teaching the short-term staff what to do. When new staff comes, the Benin nurses are saying, 'This is what you do,' and 'Come here; I'll show you. It's really great to see. We've never trained local nurses, and it's been one of our coolest achievements."
For many years to come, the OR suite on the Africa Mercy will continue to be a place of healing and transformation for thousands of individuals. As the OR staff continues to grow in statistics and achievements, the focus of their work is still to impact the lives of individuals. Brieseman saw a poignant example of this principle earlier this year. "During our last round of VVF surgeries there was a debate about whether we should perform surgery on the last patient of the day. It was already 4 p.m. and if we did the case, we knew we wouldn't finish until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Everyone had just worked the past three days and three nights and was exhausted. As we stood around discussing it, someone just went, 'All right, that's it; we are doing it. I remember standing at the door, watching this patient waddle down through the hallway holding her gown. I saw her back, and it was all wet. We could have ended on time and had our dinner, but she would have stayed wet in her bed. Instead, her life was going to be transformed. There were three or four of us standing there saying, 'I'm really glad we made that decision.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Betrayal Is Inevitable
As medical professionals, we know everybody’s secrets…
Their medical history…
Their sexual history…
Confidential information that is as essential to a medical professional as a 10 blade, and, every bit as dangerous.
We keep secrets… we have to. But not all secrets can be kept. In some ways, betrayal is inevitable. When our bodies betray us, surgery is often the key to recovery. But when we betray each other… the path to recovery is less clear.
We will do whatever it takes to rebuild the trust that was lost.
And then, there are some betrayals that are so deep, so profound, that there is no way to repair what was lost.
When that happens, there is nothing left to do but wait…
Their medical history…
Their sexual history…
Confidential information that is as essential to a medical professional as a 10 blade, and, every bit as dangerous.
We keep secrets… we have to. But not all secrets can be kept. In some ways, betrayal is inevitable. When our bodies betray us, surgery is often the key to recovery. But when we betray each other… the path to recovery is less clear.
We will do whatever it takes to rebuild the trust that was lost.
And then, there are some betrayals that are so deep, so profound, that there is no way to repair what was lost.
When that happens, there is nothing left to do but wait…
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Trying Like Hell To Heal
Communication
It’s the first thing we really learn in life.
Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words, and really start talking – the harder it becomes to know what to say, or to ask for what we really need.
Some things we just don’t want to hear.
Some things we say because we just can’t be silent anymore.
Some things are more than what you say, they’re what you do.
Some things you say because there’s no other choice.
And some things… you keep to yourself.
As a medical professional, I am trained to look for disease. Sometimes, the problem is easily detected. Most of the time, you need to go step-by-step: first, probing the surface looking for any sign of trouble – a mole, a lesion, or an unwelcome lump. Most of the time, you can’t tell what’s wrong with somebody just by looking at them… after all, they can look perfectly fine on the outside, while their insides tell you a whole other story.
Not all wounds are superficial; most wounds run deeper than we can imagine, you can’t see them with the naked eye.
And then, there are the wounds that take us by surprise.
The trick with any kind of wound or disease is to dig down and find the real source of injury… and once you’ve found it – try like hell to heal that sucker, and say what you need to say.
It’s the first thing we really learn in life.
Funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words, and really start talking – the harder it becomes to know what to say, or to ask for what we really need.
Some things we just don’t want to hear.
Some things we say because we just can’t be silent anymore.
Some things are more than what you say, they’re what you do.
Some things you say because there’s no other choice.
And some things… you keep to yourself.
As a medical professional, I am trained to look for disease. Sometimes, the problem is easily detected. Most of the time, you need to go step-by-step: first, probing the surface looking for any sign of trouble – a mole, a lesion, or an unwelcome lump. Most of the time, you can’t tell what’s wrong with somebody just by looking at them… after all, they can look perfectly fine on the outside, while their insides tell you a whole other story.
Not all wounds are superficial; most wounds run deeper than we can imagine, you can’t see them with the naked eye.
And then, there are the wounds that take us by surprise.
The trick with any kind of wound or disease is to dig down and find the real source of injury… and once you’ve found it – try like hell to heal that sucker, and say what you need to say.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Blind Spot
Many people don’t know that the human eye has a blind spot in it’s field vision. There is a part of the world that we are literally blind to.
The problem with this is: the blind spot sometimes shields us from things that shouldn't be ignored.
Sometimes, our blind spots keep our lives bright and shiny.
When it comes to our blind spots: maybe our brains aren’t compensating… maybe they’re protecting us.
A new blind spot has been revealed to me lately.
At 13h00 my time, the ship needs to do another blackout. This is something you are required to do twice a year by Maritime law... and we have already completed our two this outreach. Problem: every time the big white Jesus ship comes to Benin (the voodoo (Satan) capital) we have "technical" issues upon both arrival and departure. (Its fine if you do not acknowledge that spiritual warfare exist - but, I live IN it... and there is a big spiritual battle happening onboard right now.)
We have to do another blackout (turn everything off) so that we can attempt to fix our problems that have all of sudden arose... things that are checked on weekly basis - will not turn on - example: the radar! There are many issues, apparently, all being ship related (and therefore, I have no idea what people are saying when they talk to me...) that need to be fixed.
Ok, so getting to the point. A scheduled blackout is for 8-12 hours. This blackout is NOT "scheduled"... it has to be done so that maybe we can get the heck out of this country! We will be without power until the problem is solved. This has the possibility to make us go without power AND TOLIETS is 36 hours.
Welcome to my recently discovered blind spot.
The problem with this is: the blind spot sometimes shields us from things that shouldn't be ignored.
Sometimes, our blind spots keep our lives bright and shiny.
When it comes to our blind spots: maybe our brains aren’t compensating… maybe they’re protecting us.
A new blind spot has been revealed to me lately.
At 13h00 my time, the ship needs to do another blackout. This is something you are required to do twice a year by Maritime law... and we have already completed our two this outreach. Problem: every time the big white Jesus ship comes to Benin (the voodoo (Satan) capital) we have "technical" issues upon both arrival and departure. (Its fine if you do not acknowledge that spiritual warfare exist - but, I live IN it... and there is a big spiritual battle happening onboard right now.)
We have to do another blackout (turn everything off) so that we can attempt to fix our problems that have all of sudden arose... things that are checked on weekly basis - will not turn on - example: the radar! There are many issues, apparently, all being ship related (and therefore, I have no idea what people are saying when they talk to me...) that need to be fixed.
Ok, so getting to the point. A scheduled blackout is for 8-12 hours. This blackout is NOT "scheduled"... it has to be done so that maybe we can get the heck out of this country! We will be without power until the problem is solved. This has the possibility to make us go without power AND TOLIETS is 36 hours.
Welcome to my recently discovered blind spot.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
"Got On A Plane"
My friend, Nadine, wrote this song awhile back. I feel as though it is requiring me to share it with you all. I believe it entirely holds the understanding of; the departure that takes place for Africa, existing in Africa, and the exit of Africa that happens when one decides to return home.
I will arrive home in 22 days, and until then, 10 days will be spent at sea sailing. Home is within sight… its bittersweet. Emotions are high onboard this large white vessel, yet emotions are unable to be put into words. The people I have grown to love, the people who accept me for me – genuinely… we will all part, heading off into the world in our own directions.
Its been a heck of a 22 month ride with Mercy Ships. As the song states, “life will never be the same.” Enjoy.
"Got On A Plane"
It’s a long way
From me to you
It’s been a long time
Since I saw your face
And I cry
Knowing that I can’t be with you
Please understand,
God told me to take a stand
It’s tough sometimes for me to understand
So please, don’t try to take my hand
Cause I, got on a plane
And flew away
Never knowing that
Life would never be the same
And I, wasn’t running away
On that day
I was just taking a chance
And testing my aim
Now it’s been a long time
Since I said goodbye
Living here
Sometimes I ask why
But I’ll be alright
If you’re on my side
Please understand,
I needed to take a stand
It’s tough sometimes for me to understand
So please, don’t try to take my hand
Cause I, got on a plane
And flew away
Never knowing that
Life would never be the same
And I, wasn’t running away
On that day
I was just taking a chance
And testing my aim
At how far I could go
Even if the world said no
Even if everything was against me
I didn’t know how high I could fly
But I’ve made it so far
I’m on my way home now
And I’ll, get on a plane
And fly away
Knowing full well that
Life will never ever be the same
And I’m, coming home
On my own
I’ve taken a chance
Taken my stance
- Nadine Schroeder
I will arrive home in 22 days, and until then, 10 days will be spent at sea sailing. Home is within sight… its bittersweet. Emotions are high onboard this large white vessel, yet emotions are unable to be put into words. The people I have grown to love, the people who accept me for me – genuinely… we will all part, heading off into the world in our own directions.
Its been a heck of a 22 month ride with Mercy Ships. As the song states, “life will never be the same.” Enjoy.
"Got On A Plane"
It’s a long way
From me to you
It’s been a long time
Since I saw your face
And I cry
Knowing that I can’t be with you
Please understand,
God told me to take a stand
It’s tough sometimes for me to understand
So please, don’t try to take my hand
Cause I, got on a plane
And flew away
Never knowing that
Life would never be the same
And I, wasn’t running away
On that day
I was just taking a chance
And testing my aim
Now it’s been a long time
Since I said goodbye
Living here
Sometimes I ask why
But I’ll be alright
If you’re on my side
Please understand,
I needed to take a stand
It’s tough sometimes for me to understand
So please, don’t try to take my hand
Cause I, got on a plane
And flew away
Never knowing that
Life would never be the same
And I, wasn’t running away
On that day
I was just taking a chance
And testing my aim
At how far I could go
Even if the world said no
Even if everything was against me
I didn’t know how high I could fly
But I’ve made it so far
I’m on my way home now
And I’ll, get on a plane
And fly away
Knowing full well that
Life will never ever be the same
And I’m, coming home
On my own
I’ve taken a chance
Taken my stance
- Nadine Schroeder
Thursday, November 26, 2009
To Simply Be Human
Gratitude.
Appreciation.
Giving thanks.
No matter what words you use, it all means the same thing: happy.
We are supposed to be happy… grateful… for friends, and family. Happy to just be alive, whether we like it or not.
But, maybe we’re not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy.
Maybe being grateful is recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating the small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human.
Maybe we are thankful for the familiar things that we know, and maybe we are thankful for the things we will never know.
At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing, I think, is reason enough to celebrate.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Appreciation.
Giving thanks.
No matter what words you use, it all means the same thing: happy.
We are supposed to be happy… grateful… for friends, and family. Happy to just be alive, whether we like it or not.
But, maybe we’re not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy.
Maybe being grateful is recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating the small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human.
Maybe we are thankful for the familiar things that we know, and maybe we are thankful for the things we will never know.
At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing, I think, is reason enough to celebrate.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Clouds Over Josué Are Lifted
For Cécile, a 26-year-old tailor, the birth of her second son, Josué, was a momentous occasion. The tragic memory of the death of her first-born child was slightly alleviated by the arrival of a second, joyful baby boy. Yet, after only six weeks, Josué’s health, too, deteriorated, and Cécile became fearful of losing another child.
A milky layer began to form over both of Josué’s eyes, affecting his vision. Cécile did not understand what was happening to her newborn son. Her husband and family were also baffled. Her in-laws decided that the only possible explanation was that Cécile was cursed. Because this was the second of Cécile’s children to experience health problems, her in-laws were convinced that she had brought evil into their house. So, they told Cécile to leave and return to her own parents.
Distraught and confused, Cécile left the house with Josué. “I became very anxious and felt completely helpless and depressed,” she said. “My in-laws accused me, but never did they question that, if this was a curse, could it possibly come from their own son – my husband?”
But Cécile did not return to the house of her parents. Instead, she remembered an advertisement she had seen on the television about an organization called Mercy Ships. Deep down, she believed that somebody onboard the “big ship” in Cotonou could help her. And she was right!
After a four-hour journey in a taxi to the busy streets of Cotonou, Cécile and Josué ventured onboard the Africa Mercy where Dr. Glenn Strauss, Senior Vice President of Health Care Initiatives and a renowned ophthalmic surgeon, assessed Josué’s tiny, clouded eyes. The conclusion was that Josué had bilateral congenital cataracts and would require surgery in order to save his sight. “The cataracts were not grossly obvious, but they were certainly there from birth,” said Dr. Strauss.
Josué is the youngest patient to receive cataract surgery in the history of Mercy Ships. At only three months old, there were certain risks in attempting the surgery. “Children under one year of age have an increased risk in eye surgery, particularly relating to the cornea and the inflammation of the eye,” Dr. Strauss explained. “It’s a microsurgical procedure, and an eye that is half the size of an adult eye increases the challenge of surgical manipulation.” He continued, “But it’s better to do this surgery sooner rather than later to decrease the chance of amblyopia (lazy eye).”
A few days later, Cécile sat with Josué in her lap as Dr. Strauss examined the results of the delicate procedure he had performed to remove the cataracts. The outcome was extremely positive. “Josué was in very good health, which is important because congenital cataracts are often associated with many other congenital complications – such as heart, lung, and neurological problems,” said Dr. Strauss. “His eyes were properly aligned, and there was no involuntary movement. It looked like he would gain good vision during recovery.”
Now that Josué’s cataracts have been removed, Cécile says the family is happy again, adding, “This situation has surprised them and made them realise that it was not definitely a curse.”
The clouds that covered Josué’s eyes have lifted. The work of Mercy Ships has given a young boy a bright future and has restored his mother’s hope. “My heart is refreshed and calm,” Cécile said with a smile. “I pray that this child will become a great man and care for me in my old age.”
“I’m very thankful for Mercy Ships. What the enemy said about my baby was stopped. God changed things. He used a specialist to help my baby. May God be glorified, and may this work continue and be a blessing to many people. I believe that this ship is the glory of God,” Cécile concluded.
A milky layer began to form over both of Josué’s eyes, affecting his vision. Cécile did not understand what was happening to her newborn son. Her husband and family were also baffled. Her in-laws decided that the only possible explanation was that Cécile was cursed. Because this was the second of Cécile’s children to experience health problems, her in-laws were convinced that she had brought evil into their house. So, they told Cécile to leave and return to her own parents.
Distraught and confused, Cécile left the house with Josué. “I became very anxious and felt completely helpless and depressed,” she said. “My in-laws accused me, but never did they question that, if this was a curse, could it possibly come from their own son – my husband?”
But Cécile did not return to the house of her parents. Instead, she remembered an advertisement she had seen on the television about an organization called Mercy Ships. Deep down, she believed that somebody onboard the “big ship” in Cotonou could help her. And she was right!
After a four-hour journey in a taxi to the busy streets of Cotonou, Cécile and Josué ventured onboard the Africa Mercy where Dr. Glenn Strauss, Senior Vice President of Health Care Initiatives and a renowned ophthalmic surgeon, assessed Josué’s tiny, clouded eyes. The conclusion was that Josué had bilateral congenital cataracts and would require surgery in order to save his sight. “The cataracts were not grossly obvious, but they were certainly there from birth,” said Dr. Strauss.
Josué is the youngest patient to receive cataract surgery in the history of Mercy Ships. At only three months old, there were certain risks in attempting the surgery. “Children under one year of age have an increased risk in eye surgery, particularly relating to the cornea and the inflammation of the eye,” Dr. Strauss explained. “It’s a microsurgical procedure, and an eye that is half the size of an adult eye increases the challenge of surgical manipulation.” He continued, “But it’s better to do this surgery sooner rather than later to decrease the chance of amblyopia (lazy eye).”
A few days later, Cécile sat with Josué in her lap as Dr. Strauss examined the results of the delicate procedure he had performed to remove the cataracts. The outcome was extremely positive. “Josué was in very good health, which is important because congenital cataracts are often associated with many other congenital complications – such as heart, lung, and neurological problems,” said Dr. Strauss. “His eyes were properly aligned, and there was no involuntary movement. It looked like he would gain good vision during recovery.”
Now that Josué’s cataracts have been removed, Cécile says the family is happy again, adding, “This situation has surprised them and made them realise that it was not definitely a curse.”
The clouds that covered Josué’s eyes have lifted. The work of Mercy Ships has given a young boy a bright future and has restored his mother’s hope. “My heart is refreshed and calm,” Cécile said with a smile. “I pray that this child will become a great man and care for me in my old age.”
“I’m very thankful for Mercy Ships. What the enemy said about my baby was stopped. God changed things. He used a specialist to help my baby. May God be glorified, and may this work continue and be a blessing to many people. I believe that this ship is the glory of God,” Cécile concluded.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Damage, Harm, Guilt
We all go through life like bulls in a china shop: a chip here, a crack there… doing damage to ourselves, to other people.
The problem is trying to figure out how to control the damage that’s been done, or the damage that’s been done to us.
Sometimes the damage catches us by surprise...
Sometimes we think we can fix the damage...
And sometimes, the damage is something we can’t even see.
We’re all damaged it seems, some of us more than others. We carry the damage with us from childhood, then, as grown-ups: we give as good as we get.
Ultimately, we all do damage, and then, we set about the business of fixing it... whatever we can, because “First, do no harm.”
Doctors pledge by this oath. But the truth is, harm happens, and not only from doctors, from everyone. Harm is then followed by guilt, and when guilt happens – there’s no oath on how to deal with that.
Guilt never goes anywhere on its own, it brings its friends: doubt and insecurity. “First, do no harm”, easier said than done.
We can take all the oaths in the world, but the fact is – most of us do harm all the time. Sometimes, even when we’re trying to help, we do more harm than good. And then... guilt rears it’s ugly head.
What you do with that guilt is up to you.
We are left with a choice: with can let the guilt throw us back into the behavior that got us into trouble in the first place, or… learn from the guilt – and do our best to move on.
The problem is trying to figure out how to control the damage that’s been done, or the damage that’s been done to us.
Sometimes the damage catches us by surprise...
Sometimes we think we can fix the damage...
And sometimes, the damage is something we can’t even see.
We’re all damaged it seems, some of us more than others. We carry the damage with us from childhood, then, as grown-ups: we give as good as we get.
Ultimately, we all do damage, and then, we set about the business of fixing it... whatever we can, because “First, do no harm.”
Doctors pledge by this oath. But the truth is, harm happens, and not only from doctors, from everyone. Harm is then followed by guilt, and when guilt happens – there’s no oath on how to deal with that.
Guilt never goes anywhere on its own, it brings its friends: doubt and insecurity. “First, do no harm”, easier said than done.
We can take all the oaths in the world, but the fact is – most of us do harm all the time. Sometimes, even when we’re trying to help, we do more harm than good. And then... guilt rears it’s ugly head.
What you do with that guilt is up to you.
We are left with a choice: with can let the guilt throw us back into the behavior that got us into trouble in the first place, or… learn from the guilt – and do our best to move on.
Monday, November 9, 2009
To Write Love On Her Arms
November 13th is worldwide "To Write Love On Her Arms" day. Its a day to remember that Hope and Healing ARE real. This Friday, worldwide, people will be writing the word "Love" on their arms. Join me in participating in this great event. But first, here is the story, the reason behing TWLOHA was founded.
"Pedro the Lion is loud in the speakers, and the city waits just outside our open windows. She sits and sings, legs crossed in the passenger seat, her pretty voice hiding in the volume. Music is a safe place and Pedro is her favorite. It hits me that she won't see this skyline for several weeks, and we will be without her. I lean forward, knowing this will be written, and I ask what she'd say if her story had an audience. She smiles. "Tell them to look up. Tell them to remember the stars."
I would rather write her a song, because songs don't wait to resolve, and because songs mean so much to her. Stories wait for endings, but songs are brave things bold enough to sing when all they know is darkness. These words, like most words, will be written next to midnight, between hurricane and harbor, as both claim to save her.
Renee is 19. When I meet her, cocaine is fresh in her system. She hasn't slept in 36 hours and she won't for another 24. It is a familiar blur of coke, pot, pills and alcohol. She has agreed to meet us, to listen and to let us pray. We ask Renee to come with us, to leave this broken night. She says she'll go to rehab tomorrow, but she isn't ready now. It is too great a change. We pray and say goodbye and it is hard to leave without her.
She has known such great pain; haunted dreams as a child, the near-constant presence of evil ever since. She has felt the touch of awful naked men, battled depression and addiction, and attempted suicide. Her arms remember razor blades, fifty scars that speak of self-inflicted wounds. Six hours after I meet her, she is feeling trapped, two groups of "friends" offering opposite ideas. Everyone is asleep. The sun is rising. She drinks long from a bottle of liquor, takes a razor blade from the table and locks herself in the bathroom. She cuts herself, using the blade to write "FUCK UP" large across her left forearm.
The nurse at the treatment center finds the wound several hours later. The center has no detox, names her too great a risk, and does not accept her. For the next five days, she is ours to love. We become her hospital and the possibility of healing fills our living room with life. It is unspoken and there are only a few of us, but we will be her church, the body of Christ coming alive to meet her needs, to write love on her arms.
She is full of contrast, more alive and closer to death than anyone I've known, like a Johnny Cash song or some theatre star. She owns attitude and humor beyond her 19 years, and when she tells me her story, she is humble and quiet and kind, shaped by the pain of a hundred lifetimes. I sit privileged but breaking as she shares. Her life has been so dark yet there is some soft hope in her words, and on consecutive evenings, I watch the prettiest girls in the room tell her that she's beautiful. I think it's God reminding her.
I've never walked this road, but I decide that if we're going to run a five-day rehab, it is going to be the coolest in the country. It is going to be rock and roll. We start with the basics; lots of fun, too much Starbucks and way too many cigarettes
more
Thursday night she is in the balcony for Band Marino, Orlando's finest. They are indie-folk-fabulous, a movement disguised as a circus. She loves them and she smiles when I point out the A&R man from Atlantic Europe, in town from London just to catch this show.
She is in good seats when the Magic beat the Sonics the next night, screaming like a lifelong fan with every Dwight Howard dunk. On the way home, we stop for more coffee and books, Blue Like Jazz and (Anne Lamott's) Travelling Mercies.
On Saturday, the Taste of Chaos tour is in town and I'm not even sure we can get in, but doors do open and minutes after parking, we are on stage for Thrice, one of her favorite bands. She stands ten feet from the drummer, smiling constantly. It is a bright moment there in the music, as light and rain collide above the stage. It feels like healing. It is certainly hope.
Sunday night is church and many gather after the service to pray for Renee, this her last night before entering rehab. Some are strangers but all are friends tonight. The prayers move from broken to bold, all encouraging. We're talking to God but I think as much, we're talking to her, telling her she's loved, saying she does not go alone. One among us knows her best. Ryan sits in the corner strumming an acoustic guitar, singing songs she's inspired.
After church our house fills with friends, there for a few more moments before goodbye. Everyone has some gift for her, some note or hug or piece of encouragement. She pulls me aside and tells me she would like to give me something. I smile surprised, wondering what it could be. We walk through the crowded living room, to the garage and her stuff.
She hands me her last razor blade, tells me it is the one she used to cut her arm and her last lines of cocaine five nights before. She's had it with her ever since, shares that tonight will be the hardest night and she shouldn't have it. I hold it carefully, thank her and know instantly that this moment, this gift, will stay with me. It hits me to wonder if this great feeling is what Christ knows when we surrender our broken hearts, when we trade death for life.
As we arrive at the treatment center, she finishes: "The stars are always there but we miss them in the dirt and clouds. We miss them in the storms. Tell them to remember hope. We have hope."
I have watched life come back to her, and it has been a privilege. When our time with her began, someone suggested shifts but that is the language of business. Love is something better. I have been challenged and changed, reminded that love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions. Don Miller says we're called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.
We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love. I have seen that this week and honestly, it has been simple: Take a broken girl, treat her like a famous princess, give her the best seats in the house. Buy her coffee and cigarettes for the coming down, books and bathroom things for the days ahead. Tell her something true when all she's known are lies. Tell her God loves her. Tell her about forgiveness, the possibility of freedom, tell her she was made to dance in white dresses. All these things are true.
We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called home.
I have learned so much in one week with one brave girl. She is alive now, in the patience and safety of rehab, covered in marks of madness but choosing to believe that God makes things new, that He meant hope and healing in the stars. She would ask you to remember."
http://www.twloha.com/index.php
"Pedro the Lion is loud in the speakers, and the city waits just outside our open windows. She sits and sings, legs crossed in the passenger seat, her pretty voice hiding in the volume. Music is a safe place and Pedro is her favorite. It hits me that she won't see this skyline for several weeks, and we will be without her. I lean forward, knowing this will be written, and I ask what she'd say if her story had an audience. She smiles. "Tell them to look up. Tell them to remember the stars."
I would rather write her a song, because songs don't wait to resolve, and because songs mean so much to her. Stories wait for endings, but songs are brave things bold enough to sing when all they know is darkness. These words, like most words, will be written next to midnight, between hurricane and harbor, as both claim to save her.
Renee is 19. When I meet her, cocaine is fresh in her system. She hasn't slept in 36 hours and she won't for another 24. It is a familiar blur of coke, pot, pills and alcohol. She has agreed to meet us, to listen and to let us pray. We ask Renee to come with us, to leave this broken night. She says she'll go to rehab tomorrow, but she isn't ready now. It is too great a change. We pray and say goodbye and it is hard to leave without her.
She has known such great pain; haunted dreams as a child, the near-constant presence of evil ever since. She has felt the touch of awful naked men, battled depression and addiction, and attempted suicide. Her arms remember razor blades, fifty scars that speak of self-inflicted wounds. Six hours after I meet her, she is feeling trapped, two groups of "friends" offering opposite ideas. Everyone is asleep. The sun is rising. She drinks long from a bottle of liquor, takes a razor blade from the table and locks herself in the bathroom. She cuts herself, using the blade to write "FUCK UP" large across her left forearm.
The nurse at the treatment center finds the wound several hours later. The center has no detox, names her too great a risk, and does not accept her. For the next five days, she is ours to love. We become her hospital and the possibility of healing fills our living room with life. It is unspoken and there are only a few of us, but we will be her church, the body of Christ coming alive to meet her needs, to write love on her arms.
She is full of contrast, more alive and closer to death than anyone I've known, like a Johnny Cash song or some theatre star. She owns attitude and humor beyond her 19 years, and when she tells me her story, she is humble and quiet and kind, shaped by the pain of a hundred lifetimes. I sit privileged but breaking as she shares. Her life has been so dark yet there is some soft hope in her words, and on consecutive evenings, I watch the prettiest girls in the room tell her that she's beautiful. I think it's God reminding her.
I've never walked this road, but I decide that if we're going to run a five-day rehab, it is going to be the coolest in the country. It is going to be rock and roll. We start with the basics; lots of fun, too much Starbucks and way too many cigarettes
more
Thursday night she is in the balcony for Band Marino, Orlando's finest. They are indie-folk-fabulous, a movement disguised as a circus. She loves them and she smiles when I point out the A&R man from Atlantic Europe, in town from London just to catch this show.
She is in good seats when the Magic beat the Sonics the next night, screaming like a lifelong fan with every Dwight Howard dunk. On the way home, we stop for more coffee and books, Blue Like Jazz and (Anne Lamott's) Travelling Mercies.
On Saturday, the Taste of Chaos tour is in town and I'm not even sure we can get in, but doors do open and minutes after parking, we are on stage for Thrice, one of her favorite bands. She stands ten feet from the drummer, smiling constantly. It is a bright moment there in the music, as light and rain collide above the stage. It feels like healing. It is certainly hope.
Sunday night is church and many gather after the service to pray for Renee, this her last night before entering rehab. Some are strangers but all are friends tonight. The prayers move from broken to bold, all encouraging. We're talking to God but I think as much, we're talking to her, telling her she's loved, saying she does not go alone. One among us knows her best. Ryan sits in the corner strumming an acoustic guitar, singing songs she's inspired.
After church our house fills with friends, there for a few more moments before goodbye. Everyone has some gift for her, some note or hug or piece of encouragement. She pulls me aside and tells me she would like to give me something. I smile surprised, wondering what it could be. We walk through the crowded living room, to the garage and her stuff.
She hands me her last razor blade, tells me it is the one she used to cut her arm and her last lines of cocaine five nights before. She's had it with her ever since, shares that tonight will be the hardest night and she shouldn't have it. I hold it carefully, thank her and know instantly that this moment, this gift, will stay with me. It hits me to wonder if this great feeling is what Christ knows when we surrender our broken hearts, when we trade death for life.
As we arrive at the treatment center, she finishes: "The stars are always there but we miss them in the dirt and clouds. We miss them in the storms. Tell them to remember hope. We have hope."
I have watched life come back to her, and it has been a privilege. When our time with her began, someone suggested shifts but that is the language of business. Love is something better. I have been challenged and changed, reminded that love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions. Don Miller says we're called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.
We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love. I have seen that this week and honestly, it has been simple: Take a broken girl, treat her like a famous princess, give her the best seats in the house. Buy her coffee and cigarettes for the coming down, books and bathroom things for the days ahead. Tell her something true when all she's known are lies. Tell her God loves her. Tell her about forgiveness, the possibility of freedom, tell her she was made to dance in white dresses. All these things are true.
We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called home.
I have learned so much in one week with one brave girl. She is alive now, in the patience and safety of rehab, covered in marks of madness but choosing to believe that God makes things new, that He meant hope and healing in the stars. She would ask you to remember."
http://www.twloha.com/index.php
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Angels Amongst the Sons of Men
This has made its way around the ship for about 2 months now... wanted to send it to all of you, so that you could be included in being angels. Without you, I would not be here... thank you for your support, and for being "angels".
The following poem was written by Prince Eddie Daniels from Ghana, a patient aboard having skin grafts on his hands. I is a descriptive of how he see’s Mercy Ship’s work here.
Angels Amongst the Sons of Men
The day the Big White Whale landed on the black shores of Africa was a blessed day to the Sons of Men.
It came with Angels to walk amongst the Sons of Men.
Why do I call them Angels? Let me tell you of my time with them.
I came on board the White Whale with rooms filled with
the lame
the maimed
the formed
the deformed
the wrong
and the rough.
And deep into the darkest part of the night, I saw men and brethren,
maidens and ladies, though flesh as us, yet with hearts as Angels.
Sleeplessly and tirelessly they toiled through the night,
through the pains and aches of men;
they with hands to heal and mend,
bringing from above the Father's love to the Sons of Men.
Some they cut. Some they tie.
Some they seal, and yet others
they fix with tools untold.
Like messengers of the Most High they came.
Not thinking of their own, they risked their lives
and sailed the seas to lands beyond the endless world,
to shores of Men afflicted and in pain.
Their hearts and lives they came to share,
as Angels walking amongst the Sons of Men.
Some in this life are born to pass,
and some are born in life to live,
yet these Angels are born to preserve humanity.
Though some may see lives as waste,
yet with speed they move to save.
With words of love and touch of peace,
they endlessly toil to make right the wrong.
You were born as Men to your lands,
and yet as Angels you served the earth.
Gold is digged from earth beneath.
Treasures are hunted on high seas.
But love so pure and true
can only in hearts like yours be found.
Your labor in the Lord shall not be in vain.
For every life you touch and every soul you save,
For every bone you mend and every face you straight,
The Lord of Life and Light will light your path and guide your life.
For you are truly Angels amongst the Sons of Men.
The following poem was written by Prince Eddie Daniels from Ghana, a patient aboard having skin grafts on his hands. I is a descriptive of how he see’s Mercy Ship’s work here.
Angels Amongst the Sons of Men
The day the Big White Whale landed on the black shores of Africa was a blessed day to the Sons of Men.
It came with Angels to walk amongst the Sons of Men.
Why do I call them Angels? Let me tell you of my time with them.
I came on board the White Whale with rooms filled with
the lame
the maimed
the formed
the deformed
the wrong
and the rough.
And deep into the darkest part of the night, I saw men and brethren,
maidens and ladies, though flesh as us, yet with hearts as Angels.
Sleeplessly and tirelessly they toiled through the night,
through the pains and aches of men;
they with hands to heal and mend,
bringing from above the Father's love to the Sons of Men.
Some they cut. Some they tie.
Some they seal, and yet others
they fix with tools untold.
Like messengers of the Most High they came.
Not thinking of their own, they risked their lives
and sailed the seas to lands beyond the endless world,
to shores of Men afflicted and in pain.
Their hearts and lives they came to share,
as Angels walking amongst the Sons of Men.
Some in this life are born to pass,
and some are born in life to live,
yet these Angels are born to preserve humanity.
Though some may see lives as waste,
yet with speed they move to save.
With words of love and touch of peace,
they endlessly toil to make right the wrong.
You were born as Men to your lands,
and yet as Angels you served the earth.
Gold is digged from earth beneath.
Treasures are hunted on high seas.
But love so pure and true
can only in hearts like yours be found.
Your labor in the Lord shall not be in vain.
For every life you touch and every soul you save,
For every bone you mend and every face you straight,
The Lord of Life and Light will light your path and guide your life.
For you are truly Angels amongst the Sons of Men.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Alba's Tears
Ankosua was outside carefully mixing herbs and water to create a concoction prescribed by a traditional doctor in her village. It was mid-afternoon, and her daughter, eight-year-old Alba, was sitting alone in their home. “She should be at school right now,” she thought. Struggling to hold back tears, she poured boiling water over the crushed herbs and sieved the mixture into a cup.
Two years earlier, an outgoing and vivacious Alba was attending school with her friends. Now, she spent her days hiding in a dark room, too insecure to look people in the eyes.
When the drink had cooled, Ankosua walked inside the home and handed Alba the cup. Taking the cup, Alba tilted her head back, creating a small gap between her cheek and the large tumor that filled her mouth. Slowly, she poured the liquid into the small gap and swallowed in intervals.
While she watched her daughter struggle, Ankosua thought back to the day she first spotted the small bulge on Alba’s gum line. Never could she have imagined the fear and discouragement it would cause her heart.
After Alba had drunk the entire cup, she began crying.
Ankosua couldn’t bear looking into the tear-stained eyes of her daughter. Slowly, she wrapped her arm around Alba, who then buried her head on Ankosua’s chest. As Alba’s tears collected on her shirt, Ankosua did her best to be strong.
But Ankosua was depressed. Alba had performed this routine hundreds of times, but the tumor hadn’t gone away. In fact, it was growing. At times, it felt like it was shooting out of her mouth, causing her great pain. Ankosua realized the traditional herbs were not working. There were no other options. All she could do was keep trying and pray the herbs would begin to work.
***********
“When the tumor first appeared, my husband and I took Alba to the hospital, but we didn’t have money to pay for it, so they wouldn’t treat her. We had to use traditional medicine,” said Ankosua. Alba was taken out of school so her mother could give her the traditional medicine daily.
When asked how the community treated Alba, Ankosua stared at the floor and remained silent. After a 10-second pause, she looked up, her eyes filled with tears, and she painfully replied, “Some people received Alba with good hands. They prayed for her and encouraged me. But others shunned her. They said, ‘Go away, we don’t want to see you.’”
Whenever it was time to eat or drink, Alba hid herself from other people. If she went out in public, she kept the tumor covered with a rag. It served as a disguise and caught the foul-smelling and constant drainage.
After two years of watching her daughter struggle, a woman in her village told Ankosua of a hospital in Benin that was performing free surgery. Finally – a glimmer of hope! They scrounged to get enough money for transportation and traveled to the hospital, which was hours away.
However, Ankosua’s new-found hope quickly morphed into deep disappointment.
“We were there for two days, and nobody attended to us. I asked a woman who worked there why we weren’t being helped. She said, ‘They don’t do surgery for free, you have to deposit money.’ I trembled when she told me that. I had come with nothing,” said Ankosua sadly.
After Ankosua explained that she had no money for treatment, the woman told her about Mercy Ships. “This woman had heard Mercy Ships was in town, helping people and healing people for free. She gave me directions to the Africa Mercy, and I immediately went,” Ankosua added.
****
Still attached to noisy monitors and IV fluids, Alba had been dozing in and out of sleep since returning to the Africa Mercy ward. Finally, a few hours after surgery, she opened her eyes and sat up. Seeing she was awake, Becca, her nurse, came to Alba’s bedside and handed her a small mirror.
Alba looked down, paused in a state of bewilderment, and began touching the empty space on her mouth. The tumor was gone. After 20 seconds of staring, a single tear rolled down her cheek. With great determination, she tried not to cry. But another and then another tear soon followed. Finally, she gave up trying to hold them back and cried freely. Alba’s tears were earned through years of heartache and rejection. They were mature and raw – heavy tears for an eight-year-old to cry.
Ankosua stood next to her bed the entire time, carefully observing her daughter. When Alba began crying, she turned away. Ankosua couldn’t bear looking into her tear-stained eyes. After two hopeless years of discouragement and depression, healing had finally come. The mixture of joy and pain in that moment expressed itself in tears.
When Alba regained her composure, Ankosua returned to the bedside. Carefully, she wrapped her arm around Alba, who then buried her head on Ankosua’s chest. As Alba’s tears collected on her shirt, Ankosua did her best to be strong. But her heart was too overwhelmed with joy. Tears of relief and joy flooded her eyes as well.
They sat and cried together, each tear serving as a testimony to the transforming power of God’s mercy.
Two years earlier, an outgoing and vivacious Alba was attending school with her friends. Now, she spent her days hiding in a dark room, too insecure to look people in the eyes.
When the drink had cooled, Ankosua walked inside the home and handed Alba the cup. Taking the cup, Alba tilted her head back, creating a small gap between her cheek and the large tumor that filled her mouth. Slowly, she poured the liquid into the small gap and swallowed in intervals.
While she watched her daughter struggle, Ankosua thought back to the day she first spotted the small bulge on Alba’s gum line. Never could she have imagined the fear and discouragement it would cause her heart.
After Alba had drunk the entire cup, she began crying.
Ankosua couldn’t bear looking into the tear-stained eyes of her daughter. Slowly, she wrapped her arm around Alba, who then buried her head on Ankosua’s chest. As Alba’s tears collected on her shirt, Ankosua did her best to be strong.
But Ankosua was depressed. Alba had performed this routine hundreds of times, but the tumor hadn’t gone away. In fact, it was growing. At times, it felt like it was shooting out of her mouth, causing her great pain. Ankosua realized the traditional herbs were not working. There were no other options. All she could do was keep trying and pray the herbs would begin to work.
***********
“When the tumor first appeared, my husband and I took Alba to the hospital, but we didn’t have money to pay for it, so they wouldn’t treat her. We had to use traditional medicine,” said Ankosua. Alba was taken out of school so her mother could give her the traditional medicine daily.
When asked how the community treated Alba, Ankosua stared at the floor and remained silent. After a 10-second pause, she looked up, her eyes filled with tears, and she painfully replied, “Some people received Alba with good hands. They prayed for her and encouraged me. But others shunned her. They said, ‘Go away, we don’t want to see you.’”
Whenever it was time to eat or drink, Alba hid herself from other people. If she went out in public, she kept the tumor covered with a rag. It served as a disguise and caught the foul-smelling and constant drainage.
After two years of watching her daughter struggle, a woman in her village told Ankosua of a hospital in Benin that was performing free surgery. Finally – a glimmer of hope! They scrounged to get enough money for transportation and traveled to the hospital, which was hours away.
However, Ankosua’s new-found hope quickly morphed into deep disappointment.
“We were there for two days, and nobody attended to us. I asked a woman who worked there why we weren’t being helped. She said, ‘They don’t do surgery for free, you have to deposit money.’ I trembled when she told me that. I had come with nothing,” said Ankosua sadly.
After Ankosua explained that she had no money for treatment, the woman told her about Mercy Ships. “This woman had heard Mercy Ships was in town, helping people and healing people for free. She gave me directions to the Africa Mercy, and I immediately went,” Ankosua added.
****
Still attached to noisy monitors and IV fluids, Alba had been dozing in and out of sleep since returning to the Africa Mercy ward. Finally, a few hours after surgery, she opened her eyes and sat up. Seeing she was awake, Becca, her nurse, came to Alba’s bedside and handed her a small mirror.
Alba looked down, paused in a state of bewilderment, and began touching the empty space on her mouth. The tumor was gone. After 20 seconds of staring, a single tear rolled down her cheek. With great determination, she tried not to cry. But another and then another tear soon followed. Finally, she gave up trying to hold them back and cried freely. Alba’s tears were earned through years of heartache and rejection. They were mature and raw – heavy tears for an eight-year-old to cry.
Ankosua stood next to her bed the entire time, carefully observing her daughter. When Alba began crying, she turned away. Ankosua couldn’t bear looking into her tear-stained eyes. After two hopeless years of discouragement and depression, healing had finally come. The mixture of joy and pain in that moment expressed itself in tears.
When Alba regained her composure, Ankosua returned to the bedside. Carefully, she wrapped her arm around Alba, who then buried her head on Ankosua’s chest. As Alba’s tears collected on her shirt, Ankosua did her best to be strong. But her heart was too overwhelmed with joy. Tears of relief and joy flooded her eyes as well.
They sat and cried together, each tear serving as a testimony to the transforming power of God’s mercy.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Final Countdown (insert 80's music)
15 More Operating Days18 Days Until PACU Closes
25 Days Left With The Translators
36 Days Until The Sail
46 Days Until Tenerife
50 Days Until I Fly Home
51 Days Until I Arrive Home
52 Days Until Christmas Eve
53 Days Until Christmas
59 Days Until New Year's Eve
60 Days Until New Year's
25 Days Left With The Translators
36 Days Until The Sail
46 Days Until Tenerife
50 Days Until I Fly Home
51 Days Until I Arrive Home
52 Days Until Christmas Eve
53 Days Until Christmas
59 Days Until New Year's Eve
60 Days Until New Year's
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Too Much?
As medical professionals, we usually fantasize about wild and improbable situations: someone collapses in a restaurant – we splice them open with a butter knife, replace a valve with a hollowed our stick of carrot.
Most of our fantasies dissolve when we wake, banished to the back of our mind. But sometimes, we’re sure, if we try hard enough – we can live the dream.
The fantasy is simple, pleasure is good, and twice as much pleasure is better. That pain is bad, and no pain is better.
When you were a kid, it was Halloween candy. You hid it from your parents and ate it until you got sick.
In college, it was the heady combo of you, tequila, and… well… you know.
But the reality is different, the reality is that pain is there to tell us something. And there’s only so much pleasure we can take without getting a stomachache… and that’s ok. Maybe some fantasies are only supposed to live in our dreams.
As a medical professional, you take as much of the good as you can get, because it doesn’t come around nearly as often as it should. Because good things aren’t always what they seem. Too much of anything, even love, is not always a good thing.
How do you know how much is too much?
Too much too soon?
Too much information?
Too much fun?
Too much love?
Too much to ask?
And when is it all just too much to bear?
Most of our fantasies dissolve when we wake, banished to the back of our mind. But sometimes, we’re sure, if we try hard enough – we can live the dream.
The fantasy is simple, pleasure is good, and twice as much pleasure is better. That pain is bad, and no pain is better.
When you were a kid, it was Halloween candy. You hid it from your parents and ate it until you got sick.
In college, it was the heady combo of you, tequila, and… well… you know.
But the reality is different, the reality is that pain is there to tell us something. And there’s only so much pleasure we can take without getting a stomachache… and that’s ok. Maybe some fantasies are only supposed to live in our dreams.
As a medical professional, you take as much of the good as you can get, because it doesn’t come around nearly as often as it should. Because good things aren’t always what they seem. Too much of anything, even love, is not always a good thing.
How do you know how much is too much?
Too much too soon?
Too much information?
Too much fun?
Too much love?
Too much to ask?
And when is it all just too much to bear?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Crossing The Line
As medical professionals, we are trained to be skeptical – because our patients lie to us all the time. The rule is: every patient is a liar, until proven honest.
Lying is bad, or so we’re told, constantly, from birth. Honesty is the best policy, “I chopped down the cherry tree”… whatever.
The fact is: lying is a necessity. We lie to ourselves because the truth… well… the truth freaking hurts. No matter how hard we try to ignore it, or deny it, eventually the lies fall away – whether we like it, or not.
But, here’s the truth about the truth… it hurts. So, we lie.
In surgery, there is a red line on the floor that marks the point where the hospital goes from being accessible to being “off limits” to all but a special few. Crossing the line is not tolerated.
In general, lines are there for a reason; for safety, for security, for clarity. If you choose to cross the line, you pretty much do so at your own risk.
So why is it that the bigger the line, the greater the temptation to cross it?
We can’t help ourselves, we see a line – we want to cross it. Maybe it’s the thrill of trading the familiar with the unfamiliar, a sort of personal dare. Only problem is – once you’ve crossed, its almost impossible to go back.
But, if you do manage to make it back across that line, you find safety in numbers.
Lying is bad, or so we’re told, constantly, from birth. Honesty is the best policy, “I chopped down the cherry tree”… whatever.
The fact is: lying is a necessity. We lie to ourselves because the truth… well… the truth freaking hurts. No matter how hard we try to ignore it, or deny it, eventually the lies fall away – whether we like it, or not.
But, here’s the truth about the truth… it hurts. So, we lie.
In surgery, there is a red line on the floor that marks the point where the hospital goes from being accessible to being “off limits” to all but a special few. Crossing the line is not tolerated.
In general, lines are there for a reason; for safety, for security, for clarity. If you choose to cross the line, you pretty much do so at your own risk.
So why is it that the bigger the line, the greater the temptation to cross it?
We can’t help ourselves, we see a line – we want to cross it. Maybe it’s the thrill of trading the familiar with the unfamiliar, a sort of personal dare. Only problem is – once you’ve crossed, its almost impossible to go back.
But, if you do manage to make it back across that line, you find safety in numbers.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Benin - 161
Human Development is a development paradigm that is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the choices people have to lead lives that they value. And it is thus about much more than economic growth, which is only a means —if a very important one —of enlarging people’s choices.
Fundamental to enlarging these choices is building human capabilities —the range of things that people can do or be in life. The most basic capabilities for human development are to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living and to be able to participate in the life of the community. Without these, many choices are simply not available, and many opportunities in life remain inaccessible.
This way of looking at development, often forgotten in the immediate concern with accumulating commodities and financial wealth, is not new. Philosophers, economists and political leaders have long emphasized human wellbeing as the purpose, the end, of development. As Aristotle said in ancient Greece, “Wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking, for it is merely useful for the sake of something else.”
In seeking that something else, human development shares a common vision with human rights. The goal is human freedom. And in pursuing capabilities and realizing rights, this freedom is vital. People must be free to exercise their choices and to participate in decision-making that affects their lives. Human development and human rights are mutually reinforcing, helping to secure the well-being and dignity of all people, building self-respect and the respect of others.
The 2009 Human Development Report
1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Netherlands
7. Sweden
8. France
9. Switzerland
10. Japan
11. Luxembourg
12. Finland
13. United States
14. Austria
15. Spain
16. Denmark
17. Belgium
18. Italy
19. Liechtenstein
20. New Zealand
21. United Kingdom
22. Germany
23. Singapore
24. Hong Kong, China (SAR)
25. Greece
26. Korea (Republic of)
27. Israel
28. Andorra
29. Slovenia
30. Brunei Darussalam
31. Kuwait
32. Cyprus
33. Qatar
34. Portugal
35. United Arab Emirates
36. Czech Republic
37. Barbados
38. Malta
39. Bahrain
40. Estonia
41. Poland
42. Slovakia
43. Hungary
44. Chile
45. Croatia
46. Lithuania
47. Antigua and Barbuda
48. Latvia
49. Argentina
50. Uruguay
51. Cuba
52. Bahamas
53. Mexico
54. Costa Rica
55. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
56. Oman
57. Seychelles
58. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
59. Saudi Arabia
60. Panama
61. Bulgaria
62. Saint Kitts and Nevis
63. Romania
64. Trinidad and Tobago
65. Montenegro
66. Malaysia
67. Serbia
68. Belarus
69. Saint Lucia
70. Albania
71. Russian Federation
72. Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of)
73. Dominica
74. Grenada
75. Brazil
76. Bosnia and Herzegovina
77. Colombia
78. Peru
79. Turkey
80. Ecuador
81. Mauritius
82. Kazakhstan
83. Lebanon
84. Armenia
85. Ukraine
86. Azerbaijan
87. Thailand
88. Iran (Islamic Republic of)
89. Georgia
90. Dominican Republic
91. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
92. China
93. Belize
94. Samoa
95. Maldives
96. Jordan
97. Suriname
98. Tunisia
99. Tonga
100. Jamaica
101. Paraguay
102. Sri Lanka
103. Gabon
104. Algeria
105. Philippines
106. El Salvador
107. Syrian Arab Republic
108. Fiji
109. Turkmenistan
110. Occupied Palestinian Territories
111. Indonesia
112. Honduras
113. Bolivia
114. Guyana
115. Mongolia
116. Viet Nam
117. Moldova
118. Equatorial Guinea
119. Uzbekistan
120. Kyrgyzstan
121. Cape Verde
122. Guatemala
123. Egypt
124. Nicaragua
125. Botswana
126. Vanuatu
127. Tajikistan
128. Namibia
129. South Africa
130. Morocco
131. São Tomé and Principe
132. Bhutan
133. Lao, People's Dem. Rep.
134. India
135. Solomon Islands
136. Congo
137. Cambodia
138. Myanmar
139. Comoros
140. Yemen
141. Pakistan
142. Swaziland
143. Angola
144. Nepal
145. Madagascar
146. Bangladesh
147. Kenya
148. Papua New Guinea
149. Haiti
150. Sudan
151. Tanzania, U. Rep. of
152. Ghana
153. Cameroon
154. Mauritania
155. Djibouti
156. Lesotho
157. Uganda
158. Nigeria
159. Togo
160. Malawi
161. Benin
162. Timor-Leste
163. Côte d'Ivoire
164. Zambia
165. Eritrea
166. Senegal
167. Rwanda
168. Gambia
169. Liberia
170. Guinea
171. Ethiopia
172. Mozambique
173. Guinea-Bissau
174. Burundi
175. Chad
176. Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
177. Burkina Faso
178. Mali
179. Central African Republic
180. Sierra Leone
181. Afghanistan
182. Niger
Mercy Ships 2009: Benin - 161
Mercy Ships 2010: Togo - 159
Mercy Ships 2011: DR Congo - 176
(or) Angola - 143
(or) Ivory Coast - 163
(The three countries listed for 2011 all being rumors... nothing is set in stone for 2011 as of yet.)
Just one more reason to be here, doing what we're doing, living the dream.
Human Development Reports. (2009, Oct 23). Human Development Report 2009, Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development. Statistics of the Human Development Report. Retrieved from http://www.hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
Fundamental to enlarging these choices is building human capabilities —the range of things that people can do or be in life. The most basic capabilities for human development are to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living and to be able to participate in the life of the community. Without these, many choices are simply not available, and many opportunities in life remain inaccessible.
This way of looking at development, often forgotten in the immediate concern with accumulating commodities and financial wealth, is not new. Philosophers, economists and political leaders have long emphasized human wellbeing as the purpose, the end, of development. As Aristotle said in ancient Greece, “Wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking, for it is merely useful for the sake of something else.”
In seeking that something else, human development shares a common vision with human rights. The goal is human freedom. And in pursuing capabilities and realizing rights, this freedom is vital. People must be free to exercise their choices and to participate in decision-making that affects their lives. Human development and human rights are mutually reinforcing, helping to secure the well-being and dignity of all people, building self-respect and the respect of others.
The 2009 Human Development Report
1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Netherlands
7. Sweden
8. France
9. Switzerland
10. Japan
11. Luxembourg
12. Finland
13. United States
14. Austria
15. Spain
16. Denmark
17. Belgium
18. Italy
19. Liechtenstein
20. New Zealand
21. United Kingdom
22. Germany
23. Singapore
24. Hong Kong, China (SAR)
25. Greece
26. Korea (Republic of)
27. Israel
28. Andorra
29. Slovenia
30. Brunei Darussalam
31. Kuwait
32. Cyprus
33. Qatar
34. Portugal
35. United Arab Emirates
36. Czech Republic
37. Barbados
38. Malta
39. Bahrain
40. Estonia
41. Poland
42. Slovakia
43. Hungary
44. Chile
45. Croatia
46. Lithuania
47. Antigua and Barbuda
48. Latvia
49. Argentina
50. Uruguay
51. Cuba
52. Bahamas
53. Mexico
54. Costa Rica
55. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
56. Oman
57. Seychelles
58. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
59. Saudi Arabia
60. Panama
61. Bulgaria
62. Saint Kitts and Nevis
63. Romania
64. Trinidad and Tobago
65. Montenegro
66. Malaysia
67. Serbia
68. Belarus
69. Saint Lucia
70. Albania
71. Russian Federation
72. Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of)
73. Dominica
74. Grenada
75. Brazil
76. Bosnia and Herzegovina
77. Colombia
78. Peru
79. Turkey
80. Ecuador
81. Mauritius
82. Kazakhstan
83. Lebanon
84. Armenia
85. Ukraine
86. Azerbaijan
87. Thailand
88. Iran (Islamic Republic of)
89. Georgia
90. Dominican Republic
91. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
92. China
93. Belize
94. Samoa
95. Maldives
96. Jordan
97. Suriname
98. Tunisia
99. Tonga
100. Jamaica
101. Paraguay
102. Sri Lanka
103. Gabon
104. Algeria
105. Philippines
106. El Salvador
107. Syrian Arab Republic
108. Fiji
109. Turkmenistan
110. Occupied Palestinian Territories
111. Indonesia
112. Honduras
113. Bolivia
114. Guyana
115. Mongolia
116. Viet Nam
117. Moldova
118. Equatorial Guinea
119. Uzbekistan
120. Kyrgyzstan
121. Cape Verde
122. Guatemala
123. Egypt
124. Nicaragua
125. Botswana
126. Vanuatu
127. Tajikistan
128. Namibia
129. South Africa
130. Morocco
131. São Tomé and Principe
132. Bhutan
133. Lao, People's Dem. Rep.
134. India
135. Solomon Islands
136. Congo
137. Cambodia
138. Myanmar
139. Comoros
140. Yemen
141. Pakistan
142. Swaziland
143. Angola
144. Nepal
145. Madagascar
146. Bangladesh
147. Kenya
148. Papua New Guinea
149. Haiti
150. Sudan
151. Tanzania, U. Rep. of
152. Ghana
153. Cameroon
154. Mauritania
155. Djibouti
156. Lesotho
157. Uganda
158. Nigeria
159. Togo
160. Malawi
161. Benin
162. Timor-Leste
163. Côte d'Ivoire
164. Zambia
165. Eritrea
166. Senegal
167. Rwanda
168. Gambia
169. Liberia
170. Guinea
171. Ethiopia
172. Mozambique
173. Guinea-Bissau
174. Burundi
175. Chad
176. Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
177. Burkina Faso
178. Mali
179. Central African Republic
180. Sierra Leone
181. Afghanistan
182. Niger
Mercy Ships 2009: Benin - 161
Mercy Ships 2010: Togo - 159
Mercy Ships 2011: DR Congo - 176
(or) Angola - 143
(or) Ivory Coast - 163
(The three countries listed for 2011 all being rumors... nothing is set in stone for 2011 as of yet.)
Just one more reason to be here, doing what we're doing, living the dream.
Human Development Reports. (2009, Oct 23). Human Development Report 2009, Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development. Statistics of the Human Development Report. Retrieved from http://www.hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
There's No Where Else I'd Rather Be
I was born on Friday, October 21st, 1983 at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois (with a life expectancy of 74.6 years) under the President of Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush. I assisted in making the U.S. population 233,791,994 that year, and the World population 4.690 billion. Not only was I born this day, but at the 17th General Conference on Weights and Measures, the metre is defined in terms of the speed of light as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. I know, right!
Some of the hit singles that year include – “Africa” by Toto, “1999” by Prince, “Thriller” by Micheal Jackson, “Cut Like A Knife” by Bryan Adams, “New Year’s Day” by U2, and “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top. The top 5 movies of 1983 were Return of The Jedi, Terms of Endearment, Flashdance, Trading Places, and War Games.
Price of things in 1983:
Average Cost of new house $82,600.00
Average Income per year $21,070.00
Average Monthly Rent $335.00
Dodge RAM 50 Truck $5665.00
Gallon of Gas $0.81
First Class Stamp $0.20
Dozen Eggs $0.86
Gallon of Milk $2.24
Other highlights of 1983:
Unemployment rose to 12 million, the highest figure since 1941, hurricane Alicia hit the Texas coast killing 22, the U.S Embassy was bombed in Beirut killing 63 people, a 5.2 earthquake hit Central New York, Richard Noble set a new land speed record of 633.468 mph driving Thrust 2 at the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
The Super Bowl was Washington vs Miami (27-17), World Series was Baltimore vs Philadelphia Phillies (4-1), NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers vs LA Lakers (4-0), Stanley Cup: NY Islanders vs Edmonton (4-0), Wimbledon Women: Martina Navratilova vs A. Jaeger (6-0 6-3), Wimbledon Men: John McEnroe vs C. Lewis (6-2 6-2 6-2), Kentucky Derby Champion: Sunny's Halo, NCAA Basketball Championship: N.C. State vs Houston (54-52), NCAA Football Champions: Miami-FL (11-1-0)
Crack cocaine was developed in the Bahamas, and soon appeared in the United States. The FCC authorized Motorola to begin testing cellular phone service in Chicago. The El Niño phenomenon disrupted global weather patterns. Henry Taube showed research on how electrons transfer between molecules in chemical reactions. Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar and William A. Fowler showed complementary research on processes involved in the evolution of stars. Barbara McClintock discovered mobile genes in the chromosomes of a plant that change the future generations of plants they produce.
All of this, the day and the year I was born. In my 26 years, what have I learned? After careful consideration, immense sleepless nights, here’s what I’ve decided…. There’s no such thing as a “grown-up”. We move on, we move out, we move away from our families… and form our own. But the basic insecurities, the basic fears – all those old wounds, they just grow up with us. We get bigger, we get taller, we get older, but for the most part – we’re still a bunch of kids, running around the playground – trying to fit in. I’ve heard that its possible to grow up, I’ve just never met anyone who’s actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves. We throw tantrums when things don’t go our way. We whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark. We look for comfort where we can find it. And we hope – against all logic, against all experience. Like children, we never give up hope.
Hope for a great year, because right now, there's no where else I'd rather be than celebrating my 26th birthday.... on a ship.... in Africa.
Some of the hit singles that year include – “Africa” by Toto, “1999” by Prince, “Thriller” by Micheal Jackson, “Cut Like A Knife” by Bryan Adams, “New Year’s Day” by U2, and “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top. The top 5 movies of 1983 were Return of The Jedi, Terms of Endearment, Flashdance, Trading Places, and War Games.
Price of things in 1983:
Average Cost of new house $82,600.00
Average Income per year $21,070.00
Average Monthly Rent $335.00
Dodge RAM 50 Truck $5665.00
Gallon of Gas $0.81
First Class Stamp $0.20
Dozen Eggs $0.86
Gallon of Milk $2.24
Other highlights of 1983:
Unemployment rose to 12 million, the highest figure since 1941, hurricane Alicia hit the Texas coast killing 22, the U.S Embassy was bombed in Beirut killing 63 people, a 5.2 earthquake hit Central New York, Richard Noble set a new land speed record of 633.468 mph driving Thrust 2 at the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
The Super Bowl was Washington vs Miami (27-17), World Series was Baltimore vs Philadelphia Phillies (4-1), NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers vs LA Lakers (4-0), Stanley Cup: NY Islanders vs Edmonton (4-0), Wimbledon Women: Martina Navratilova vs A. Jaeger (6-0 6-3), Wimbledon Men: John McEnroe vs C. Lewis (6-2 6-2 6-2), Kentucky Derby Champion: Sunny's Halo, NCAA Basketball Championship: N.C. State vs Houston (54-52), NCAA Football Champions: Miami-FL (11-1-0)
Crack cocaine was developed in the Bahamas, and soon appeared in the United States. The FCC authorized Motorola to begin testing cellular phone service in Chicago. The El Niño phenomenon disrupted global weather patterns. Henry Taube showed research on how electrons transfer between molecules in chemical reactions. Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar and William A. Fowler showed complementary research on processes involved in the evolution of stars. Barbara McClintock discovered mobile genes in the chromosomes of a plant that change the future generations of plants they produce.
All of this, the day and the year I was born. In my 26 years, what have I learned? After careful consideration, immense sleepless nights, here’s what I’ve decided…. There’s no such thing as a “grown-up”. We move on, we move out, we move away from our families… and form our own. But the basic insecurities, the basic fears – all those old wounds, they just grow up with us. We get bigger, we get taller, we get older, but for the most part – we’re still a bunch of kids, running around the playground – trying to fit in. I’ve heard that its possible to grow up, I’ve just never met anyone who’s actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves. We throw tantrums when things don’t go our way. We whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark. We look for comfort where we can find it. And we hope – against all logic, against all experience. Like children, we never give up hope.
Hope for a great year, because right now, there's no where else I'd rather be than celebrating my 26th birthday.... on a ship.... in Africa.
Monday, October 12, 2009
To Be Someone Tomorrow
Janviera can recount the afternoon with precision – it was a Thursday, the 23rd of October, 2008. She recalls how her children came home from school a little late, how they sat by lamplight with their tutor, and how the kerosene ran out.
Carole, the only girl in a family of five children, was always by her mother’s side. She helped take care of the other four children and helped clean the house. When Janviera needed things from the market, Carole would go and buy them. She helped cook – even the very difficult local cuisine, fufu. She helped with everything.
So that evening, as usual, Carole helped by refilling the lamp. She began to pour the kerosene, which they later guessed had been mixed with gasoline. Because Carole could not see very well, she called to her mother, and Janviera took over. Suddenly, the lamp exploded, and everything went black.
“I woke up on the other side of the room,” Janviera says. “I looked down and saw my arm was burned. Then I looked across the room and saw Carole. She was unconscious, and her school dress was still burning.”
She grabbed a blanket, threw it across Carole’s body, and immediately rushed her daughter to the hospital. Pictures taken there show Janviera disheveled and tired, holding her arm out stiffly. And they show Carole – lying on her back, her face swollen and blackened, her body covered in bandages and talcum powder.
“As a mother, I had to put my own pain aside,” Janviera recalls, glancing at the mottled scars on her left arm and hand. “I could only think about Carole. I was always crying, constantly asking God to save my daughter.”
It was three weeks before Carole was able to eat any food. Her mouth and eyes had been burned shut. Each day she received dressing changes, removing dead skin and applying ointment to the wounds. She was in extreme pain. Sometimes Carole’s wounds would stick to the sheets of her bed, and they would have to soak her in water and separate her from the fabric – agonizing bit by bit.
“We spent so much money for the treatment,” Janviera said. After three months of treatment, Carole’s arm was frozen, unable to extend past a right angle, with her palm turned out like a question mark. Her right cheek and arm, as well as her side, stomach, and chest were covered with raised scars of shiny, inflexible skin.
At school, her burns became an opportunity for cruelty. “If Carole did something that one of the kids didn’t like, they would say, ‘You have a burned face. You have a burned body.’” At home, she could no longer help her mother around the house because of her contracted arm.
Janviera heard about Mercy Ships through a radio advertisement, and she brought Carole to Cotonou for an operation onboard the Africa Mercy. The surgical team released contracted scar tissue and placed skin grafts at her elbow and wrist.
Kim Shankland, an occupational therapist from South Africa, worked with Carole after the surgery to help improve the range of motion in her arm and wrist. Kim says that without surgery, Carole would have struggled her whole life with basic self-care – “just eating, braiding her hair, brushing her teeth, and dressing would have been a huge problem.”
Later in life, she would have faced obstacles in supporting herself. Common jobs, like selling yams and tomatoes at the market or pursuing a trade like sewing, would have been impossible. She would have been forever dependent on family or a husband.
“As a mother, knowing what sort of difficulties your child would have – not being able to do the things you do – must be quite frustrating,” Kim says. She believes this has spurred Janviera in making sure Carole uses her injured arm and performs the rehab exercises. Janviera’s encouragement and insistence has been a major part of Carole’s successful recovery.
“I hope that she can be my helper again,” Janviera says. “But what I want most is for her to be able to use her hand, to write, to be someone tomorrow.”
Carole, the only girl in a family of five children, was always by her mother’s side. She helped take care of the other four children and helped clean the house. When Janviera needed things from the market, Carole would go and buy them. She helped cook – even the very difficult local cuisine, fufu. She helped with everything.
So that evening, as usual, Carole helped by refilling the lamp. She began to pour the kerosene, which they later guessed had been mixed with gasoline. Because Carole could not see very well, she called to her mother, and Janviera took over. Suddenly, the lamp exploded, and everything went black.
“I woke up on the other side of the room,” Janviera says. “I looked down and saw my arm was burned. Then I looked across the room and saw Carole. She was unconscious, and her school dress was still burning.”
She grabbed a blanket, threw it across Carole’s body, and immediately rushed her daughter to the hospital. Pictures taken there show Janviera disheveled and tired, holding her arm out stiffly. And they show Carole – lying on her back, her face swollen and blackened, her body covered in bandages and talcum powder.
“As a mother, I had to put my own pain aside,” Janviera recalls, glancing at the mottled scars on her left arm and hand. “I could only think about Carole. I was always crying, constantly asking God to save my daughter.”
It was three weeks before Carole was able to eat any food. Her mouth and eyes had been burned shut. Each day she received dressing changes, removing dead skin and applying ointment to the wounds. She was in extreme pain. Sometimes Carole’s wounds would stick to the sheets of her bed, and they would have to soak her in water and separate her from the fabric – agonizing bit by bit.
“We spent so much money for the treatment,” Janviera said. After three months of treatment, Carole’s arm was frozen, unable to extend past a right angle, with her palm turned out like a question mark. Her right cheek and arm, as well as her side, stomach, and chest were covered with raised scars of shiny, inflexible skin.
At school, her burns became an opportunity for cruelty. “If Carole did something that one of the kids didn’t like, they would say, ‘You have a burned face. You have a burned body.’” At home, she could no longer help her mother around the house because of her contracted arm.
Janviera heard about Mercy Ships through a radio advertisement, and she brought Carole to Cotonou for an operation onboard the Africa Mercy. The surgical team released contracted scar tissue and placed skin grafts at her elbow and wrist.
Kim Shankland, an occupational therapist from South Africa, worked with Carole after the surgery to help improve the range of motion in her arm and wrist. Kim says that without surgery, Carole would have struggled her whole life with basic self-care – “just eating, braiding her hair, brushing her teeth, and dressing would have been a huge problem.”
Later in life, she would have faced obstacles in supporting herself. Common jobs, like selling yams and tomatoes at the market or pursuing a trade like sewing, would have been impossible. She would have been forever dependent on family or a husband.
“As a mother, knowing what sort of difficulties your child would have – not being able to do the things you do – must be quite frustrating,” Kim says. She believes this has spurred Janviera in making sure Carole uses her injured arm and performs the rehab exercises. Janviera’s encouragement and insistence has been a major part of Carole’s successful recovery.
“I hope that she can be my helper again,” Janviera says. “But what I want most is for her to be able to use her hand, to write, to be someone tomorrow.”
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
While In Benin, Togo Smiles
The Mercy Ships Dental Team recently travelled to Lokossa, Benin, in order to run a two-day dental clinic at a nearby refugee camp. The camp of Agame was formed in 2005 to accommodate Togolese refugees who fled neighboring Togo shortly after violence erupted during elections.
Agame became home to more than 12,000 refugees, most of whom had lost all their possessions in fleeing the escalating hostility. The population has since decreased to around 3,000, with many of the refugees either resettling in Benin or returning to Togo.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has had a prominent presence within Agame since 2005, helping with the provision of shelter, basic health, water, and sanitation, as well as facilitating the establishment of a refugee-led council to manage social issues.
Though the camp has become self-sufficient in the past four years and no longer requires aid, several organizations still assist where they can. Mercy Ships was requested by the UNHCR to visit Agame and address the need for dental care.
Jessica Campbell, Dental Team Coordinator, and her team of 22 happily agreed to travel the three-hour journey from the port of Cotonou to the camp of Agame. “We performed only extractions and saw every person that requested treatment, which was around 160 people,” she said. “Some required the extraction of frontal teeth. With the assistance of the UNHCR, they will be brought to the Africa Mercy within the coming weeks to receive dentures.”
Cooperation between Mr. Ebri Koku, Health Administrator for Agame, Mrs. Florence Fassassi, UNHCR Facilitator for Benin, and Mr. Nicaisse Satoguina, Camp Manager and Benin Government Representative, ensured that the Mercy Ships Dental Team was provided with accommodation, food, and a suitable area of operation, as well as organizing the names of refugees that required treatment.
“Everything at the camp was very organized. We had no problems,” said Campbell. “The whole team loved the experience. It was great to get back to the basics of dentistry without all the fancy equipment and to help people who are in serious need and have no other means of help,” she added.
Belinda, a refugee who fled Togo with her husband and four children, was one of many patients who had their lives improved by the free service provided by Mercy Ships. Suffering from a severe cavity in one of her molars, Belinda required a tooth extraction. “It was not too painful when they took it out, but I feel free now,” she explained. “I can laugh again. I feel free.”
Mr. Koku expressed his gratitude for the work done by the Mercy Ships Dental Team: “Since Mercy Ships has come, we have been made aware of the need for oral hygiene in our community. We are very happy about the treatment we have received. We want to thank Mercy Ships for all the work they have done here in Agame.”
This brief partnership between Mercy Ships and the UNHCR has provided 160 struggling refugees with relief from toothache and has educated hundreds more on the importance of oral hygiene. With the 2010 Field Service planned for Togo, Mercy Ships hopes to continue bringing hope and healing to the Togolese people and their country, and indeed all of West Africa.
Agame became home to more than 12,000 refugees, most of whom had lost all their possessions in fleeing the escalating hostility. The population has since decreased to around 3,000, with many of the refugees either resettling in Benin or returning to Togo.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has had a prominent presence within Agame since 2005, helping with the provision of shelter, basic health, water, and sanitation, as well as facilitating the establishment of a refugee-led council to manage social issues.
Though the camp has become self-sufficient in the past four years and no longer requires aid, several organizations still assist where they can. Mercy Ships was requested by the UNHCR to visit Agame and address the need for dental care.
Jessica Campbell, Dental Team Coordinator, and her team of 22 happily agreed to travel the three-hour journey from the port of Cotonou to the camp of Agame. “We performed only extractions and saw every person that requested treatment, which was around 160 people,” she said. “Some required the extraction of frontal teeth. With the assistance of the UNHCR, they will be brought to the Africa Mercy within the coming weeks to receive dentures.”
Cooperation between Mr. Ebri Koku, Health Administrator for Agame, Mrs. Florence Fassassi, UNHCR Facilitator for Benin, and Mr. Nicaisse Satoguina, Camp Manager and Benin Government Representative, ensured that the Mercy Ships Dental Team was provided with accommodation, food, and a suitable area of operation, as well as organizing the names of refugees that required treatment.
“Everything at the camp was very organized. We had no problems,” said Campbell. “The whole team loved the experience. It was great to get back to the basics of dentistry without all the fancy equipment and to help people who are in serious need and have no other means of help,” she added.
Belinda, a refugee who fled Togo with her husband and four children, was one of many patients who had their lives improved by the free service provided by Mercy Ships. Suffering from a severe cavity in one of her molars, Belinda required a tooth extraction. “It was not too painful when they took it out, but I feel free now,” she explained. “I can laugh again. I feel free.”
Mr. Koku expressed his gratitude for the work done by the Mercy Ships Dental Team: “Since Mercy Ships has come, we have been made aware of the need for oral hygiene in our community. We are very happy about the treatment we have received. We want to thank Mercy Ships for all the work they have done here in Agame.”
This brief partnership between Mercy Ships and the UNHCR has provided 160 struggling refugees with relief from toothache and has educated hundreds more on the importance of oral hygiene. With the 2010 Field Service planned for Togo, Mercy Ships hopes to continue bringing hope and healing to the Togolese people and their country, and indeed all of West Africa.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
I Want Nothing More Than To Be In Your Shoes
"I turn 26 in three weeks... which really isn't a big deal... but then I realized that I'm definitely on my way to 30... and that scares me. I mean... I don't have a life. I'm single, homeless.... don't really have alot going for me (other than I'm debt free!)".
I was quoted saying this in a recent e-mail to a friend. I say this because... well, the dream is this: that we will finally be happy when we reach our goals. Find a guy, have a good job… that’s the dream. My goal has always been Africa, but its funny how much that loses meaning once reached.
He then responded by saying, "I'm sorry to hear you're feeling so unsettled. I've been thinking about your e-mail since I read it a couple of days ago, marveling at how little we appreciate what we have. I've got everything you say you want-I'm in a relationship, with a house--and I want nothing more than to be in your shoes."
Then, when we finally reach our dream, and if we’re human… we immediately start dreaming of something else. Because, if this is the dream… then we would like to wake up… NOW, PLEASE!
At some point, maybe we acknowledge that the dream has become a nightmare. We convince ourselves that reality is better. We persuade ourselves that its better that we never dream at all.
But the strongest of us, the most unwavering of us… we cling on to the dream... or we find ourselves with an unmarked dream that we in no way considered. We awake to find ourselves against all odds – feeling hopeful. And if we’re lucky, we realize – in the face of everything, in the face of life, the true dream is being able to dream at all.
My dream, my instilled desire to be here... its been renewed. Sometimes, sharing dreams... sharing struggles... sharing feelings... it can change everything.
I was quoted saying this in a recent e-mail to a friend. I say this because... well, the dream is this: that we will finally be happy when we reach our goals. Find a guy, have a good job… that’s the dream. My goal has always been Africa, but its funny how much that loses meaning once reached.
He then responded by saying, "I'm sorry to hear you're feeling so unsettled. I've been thinking about your e-mail since I read it a couple of days ago, marveling at how little we appreciate what we have. I've got everything you say you want-I'm in a relationship, with a house--and I want nothing more than to be in your shoes."
Then, when we finally reach our dream, and if we’re human… we immediately start dreaming of something else. Because, if this is the dream… then we would like to wake up… NOW, PLEASE!
At some point, maybe we acknowledge that the dream has become a nightmare. We convince ourselves that reality is better. We persuade ourselves that its better that we never dream at all.
But the strongest of us, the most unwavering of us… we cling on to the dream... or we find ourselves with an unmarked dream that we in no way considered. We awake to find ourselves against all odds – feeling hopeful. And if we’re lucky, we realize – in the face of everything, in the face of life, the true dream is being able to dream at all.
My dream, my instilled desire to be here... its been renewed. Sometimes, sharing dreams... sharing struggles... sharing feelings... it can change everything.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
You Can't Script October
My college campus has a magic statue, it’s a long standing tradition for students to rub its nose for good luck. My friend really believed in the statue’s power and insisted on visiting it before every exam. Studying, might have been a better idea – she flunked out her sophomore year.
But the fact is, we all have little superstitious things we do. If its not believing in magic statues, its avoiding sidewalk cracks or always putting our left shoe on first.
Knock on wood
Step on a crack-break your mother’s back.
The last thing we want to do – is offend "the gods".
Superstition lies in the space between what we can control, and what we can’t.
Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck. No one wants to pass up a good chance for good luck, but is anyone listening?
And if no one is listening, why do we bother to do those strange things at all?
We rely on superstition because we are smart enough to know that we don’t have all the answers… and that life works in mysterious ways.
October is, by far, my favorite month... for countless reasons really, but mainly because all the things that I love about the month are unpredictable.
I enjoy the arbitrariness of the weather that comes with the season of fall: the warm days, crisp nights. I love Love LOVE Halloween!, and we all know how erratic that can be...
When in America, I frequent The Apple Barn where you can find unsurpassed apple cider, caramel dipped apples, pumpkins, and all the finest Halloween decorations.
And most of all - The World Series. There is nothing more fickle than The World Series... and as the saying goes, "You can't script October!"
But the fact is, we all have little superstitious things we do. If its not believing in magic statues, its avoiding sidewalk cracks or always putting our left shoe on first.
Knock on wood
Step on a crack-break your mother’s back.
The last thing we want to do – is offend "the gods".
Superstition lies in the space between what we can control, and what we can’t.
Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck. No one wants to pass up a good chance for good luck, but is anyone listening?
And if no one is listening, why do we bother to do those strange things at all?
We rely on superstition because we are smart enough to know that we don’t have all the answers… and that life works in mysterious ways.
October is, by far, my favorite month... for countless reasons really, but mainly because all the things that I love about the month are unpredictable.
I enjoy the arbitrariness of the weather that comes with the season of fall: the warm days, crisp nights. I love Love LOVE Halloween!, and we all know how erratic that can be...
When in America, I frequent The Apple Barn where you can find unsurpassed apple cider, caramel dipped apples, pumpkins, and all the finest Halloween decorations.
And most of all - The World Series. There is nothing more fickle than The World Series... and as the saying goes, "You can't script October!"
Monday, September 28, 2009
He Holds His Head Higher
Three years ago, Veronique went to visit her older brother in Abomey, the ancient capital of Benin. While she was there, she noticed her nephew Odilon had a swollen area on his jaw. Veronique asked Odilon’s parents if there was a problem with his tooth.
The mother answered, “No, Odilon has no pain.” Veronique had no way of knowing that a small cyst, easily removed in a place with adequate medical care, would overtake both his mouth and his life. So, she returned to Cotonou and her family without giving it much more thought.
Veronique returned to Abomey two years later, and when she saw how much the tumor had grown, she was stunned. She asked Odilon’s mother, “Why haven’t you done something about your son’s problem?” His mother replied, “We have taken him many places, but no one can do it.”
Ten-year-old Odilon suffered intensely from the swelling mass on his jaw. The family visited doctors who said they couldn’t help and traditional healers who prescribed herbal drinks. Sometimes it was difficult for him to eat, and he often would spit up blood.
“He was a strong boy,” his grandmother says. “But the tumor made him weak and small.”
Physically he deteriorated, and he also became withdrawn and shy. He was quiet, unsmiling, and reluctant to answer questions. He was ridiculed by others for the softball-sized tumor that pushed at his cheek, absorbed his jaw and teeth, and kept growing as weeks and months passed.
“I was ashamed when I had the tumor,” Odilon says. “Children at school used to insult me. I did not know why I had this tumor, and I wondered where it came from.” The family suffered, too. People accused the father of doing nothing to help his son and of neglecting his child.
Back in Cotonou, his Aunt Veronique heard of a Mercy Ship on its way to Benin that could help Odilon. She called and told the family, and in February, Odilon and his grandmother traveled the five hours from their village to Cotonou. There he received an appointment for a free operation with Dr. Gary Parker, who has worked with Mercy Ships for 23 years removing tumors just like Odilon’s.
“Because of the tumor, he stayed in the house,” his grandmother says, “but he would cry that he wanted to go back to school. If he is healed, he can go to school, and then, by the grace of God, he will be someone in the future.”
Odilon’s feelings about being healed were more basic, immediate, and fitting for a ten-year old who has suffered physical pain and emotional isolation. He declared, “After the surgery, I will feel better, and people will not laugh at me again.”
In March, Odilon received his first operation to remove the tumor. Then a second surgery followed, in which Dr. Parker fashioned a new jaw for him using a titanium plate and pieces of Odilon’s rib. A small scar cuts across his chin, but the tumor is gone, and Odilon smiles readily. He holds his head higher, and he’s excited for the future.
“I am fine!” Odilon says, “…and when I see my face, it is good!”
Now Odilon would like to go back to school and become a doctor. “There are so many different diseases,” Odilon says, “and I will be able to help people feel better.”
“No one believed that he could have an operation that would work. No one else believed, because the surgery was too hard,” Veronique explains. “It’s been really a wonderful thing for the surgeons to do for Odilon, for all of us.”
The mother answered, “No, Odilon has no pain.” Veronique had no way of knowing that a small cyst, easily removed in a place with adequate medical care, would overtake both his mouth and his life. So, she returned to Cotonou and her family without giving it much more thought.
Veronique returned to Abomey two years later, and when she saw how much the tumor had grown, she was stunned. She asked Odilon’s mother, “Why haven’t you done something about your son’s problem?” His mother replied, “We have taken him many places, but no one can do it.”
Ten-year-old Odilon suffered intensely from the swelling mass on his jaw. The family visited doctors who said they couldn’t help and traditional healers who prescribed herbal drinks. Sometimes it was difficult for him to eat, and he often would spit up blood.
“He was a strong boy,” his grandmother says. “But the tumor made him weak and small.”
Physically he deteriorated, and he also became withdrawn and shy. He was quiet, unsmiling, and reluctant to answer questions. He was ridiculed by others for the softball-sized tumor that pushed at his cheek, absorbed his jaw and teeth, and kept growing as weeks and months passed.
“I was ashamed when I had the tumor,” Odilon says. “Children at school used to insult me. I did not know why I had this tumor, and I wondered where it came from.” The family suffered, too. People accused the father of doing nothing to help his son and of neglecting his child.
Back in Cotonou, his Aunt Veronique heard of a Mercy Ship on its way to Benin that could help Odilon. She called and told the family, and in February, Odilon and his grandmother traveled the five hours from their village to Cotonou. There he received an appointment for a free operation with Dr. Gary Parker, who has worked with Mercy Ships for 23 years removing tumors just like Odilon’s.
“Because of the tumor, he stayed in the house,” his grandmother says, “but he would cry that he wanted to go back to school. If he is healed, he can go to school, and then, by the grace of God, he will be someone in the future.”
Odilon’s feelings about being healed were more basic, immediate, and fitting for a ten-year old who has suffered physical pain and emotional isolation. He declared, “After the surgery, I will feel better, and people will not laugh at me again.”
In March, Odilon received his first operation to remove the tumor. Then a second surgery followed, in which Dr. Parker fashioned a new jaw for him using a titanium plate and pieces of Odilon’s rib. A small scar cuts across his chin, but the tumor is gone, and Odilon smiles readily. He holds his head higher, and he’s excited for the future.
“I am fine!” Odilon says, “…and when I see my face, it is good!”
Now Odilon would like to go back to school and become a doctor. “There are so many different diseases,” Odilon says, “and I will be able to help people feel better.”
“No one believed that he could have an operation that would work. No one else believed, because the surgery was too hard,” Veronique explains. “It’s been really a wonderful thing for the surgeons to do for Odilon, for all of us.”
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Do You Know How Long A Year Is?
To make it, really make it as a medical missionary, it takes major commitment. You have to be willing to give surgery to a patient that may or may not do more damage than good.
Its all about being committed… because if we’re not… we have no business picking up that patient in the first place.
There are times when even the best of us have trouble with commitment.
Sometimes, we may be surprised by the commitments we are willing to let slip out of our grasps. Because, well… commitments are complicated.
I’ve learned that, as a medical missionary, the days are far too rigid, far too demanding, far too exhausting, far too taxing to not commence and conclude the day with God.
You think you have it all figured out, you know? That leaving everything behind to serve your God and show others His love by your daily example… well, that it will in return, cause you to be more like Him.
But here’s the catch – after nearly 10 months away from home and serving in the mission field, I’ve been brought close to God, pushed Him away, been forced to be like Him, and now – I desire Him.
We may also surprise ourselves by the commitments we are willing to make.
True commitment takes effort and sacrifice. Which is why sometimes… we have to learn the hard way to choose our commitments very carefully.
And this commitment, by far, has been the journey of God and I’s life!
Its all about being committed… because if we’re not… we have no business picking up that patient in the first place.
There are times when even the best of us have trouble with commitment.
Sometimes, we may be surprised by the commitments we are willing to let slip out of our grasps. Because, well… commitments are complicated.
I’ve learned that, as a medical missionary, the days are far too rigid, far too demanding, far too exhausting, far too taxing to not commence and conclude the day with God.
You think you have it all figured out, you know? That leaving everything behind to serve your God and show others His love by your daily example… well, that it will in return, cause you to be more like Him.
But here’s the catch – after nearly 10 months away from home and serving in the mission field, I’ve been brought close to God, pushed Him away, been forced to be like Him, and now – I desire Him.
We may also surprise ourselves by the commitments we are willing to make.
True commitment takes effort and sacrifice. Which is why sometimes… we have to learn the hard way to choose our commitments very carefully.
And this commitment, by far, has been the journey of God and I’s life!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Ummm, Can I Get A Speech Consult....
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
The ability to communicate is powerful, allowing us to share ideas and engage in relationships. There are many mediums through which we communicate, including imagery, touch, and the written word. But our most frequent, and arguably most powerful, channel of communication is speech. Speech allows us to quickly articulate emotions, opinions, and thoughts. It’s a powerful ability.
Some patients onboard the Africa Mercy are discovering this power for the first time. Maxillofacial operations are an integral part of the surgical schedule during Mercy Ships 2009 Field Service in Benin. Many maxillofacial patients, particularly those with cleft lips/palates, have spent their lives communicating with impeded speech. Facial malformations of the oral and nasal passages, in conjunction with weakened lip muscles, make it impossible to articulate normal sounds. Impediments can range in severity from difficulty producing a few sounds to a complete inability to form understandable words.
Living with a speech impediment is embarrassing and frustrating. Often children are not sent to school because they can’t properly communicate. This lack of education stagnates their mental and relational development, causing problems that will follow them into their adult years. Restoring speech to a child can spare him or her from a lifetime of anguish.
Surgically correcting the facial anatomy is the first step to restoring speech. However, even after the facial anatomy is corrected, many still have difficulties speaking. Post-operative speech therapy is needed to retrain the mouth and throat to correctly form sounds.
“Even though the surgery is complete and successful, and they look more normal, it’s the therapy that’s going to make them sound better,” said speech therapist Sally Peet. “Just because the anatomy is corrected doesn’t mean they are able to use it to speak properly. Therapy is a huge part of making the surgery a success.”
Sally Peet of the United Kingdom has been a licensed speech therapist since 1994. Since 2004, she and her family have served with Mercy Ships. Currently, she provides speech therapy for patients onboard the Africa Mercy.
Peet described her work: “I work with the maxillofacial patients, mainly the cleft lips and the cleft palates. However, any surgery that’s interrupted the facial muscles may have a need for therapy. For example, when a patient has a large facial tumor removed, their skin and lips become flaccid, affecting their speech and their ability to control saliva. I work with them, as well as the cleft lip patients, to make sure their lips are strong.”
Patients with speech difficulties are referred to Peet post-operatively by the Africa Mercy nursing staff. She works individually with each patient, evaluating their needs and providing exercises to strengthen weakened muscles. Also, she encourages the proper usage of restored facial anatomy. “Many patients have found a way of ineffectively talking around huge malformations and have spoken incorrectly for years. The initial goal is to ensure the anatomy where the surgery has taken place will now be functional,” said Peet.
Peet works with patients throughout their time on the ward. When they leave the hospital, they come back to the Africa Mercy for outpatient appointments – sometimes for several months after their surgery. “I can achieve more with the ones who live closer, because I can see them for a longer period of time,” said Peet.
Peet describes a memorable patient she worked with for over three months during the 2008 Field Service in Liberia: “There was a beautiful little girl with a cleft lip and palate. She spoke without using any constants sounds, and you could not understand her when she talked. She and her mom worked incredibly hard in therapy. By the time we finished, she was totally intelligible and making every sound correctly. Her mother said all her aunties in her village were dancing because now, not only does she look beautiful, she sounds beautiful.”
Providing speech therapy is just one example of Mercy Ships commitment to holistic care for patients through the partnership of various professional skills. Sally Peet is thrilled to be partnering with the Africa Mercy’s surgical and nursing staff to provide hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. “I love providing speech therapy. It’s great to be working in my profession onboard the Africa Mercy,” she concluded.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
The ability to communicate is powerful, allowing us to share ideas and engage in relationships. There are many mediums through which we communicate, including imagery, touch, and the written word. But our most frequent, and arguably most powerful, channel of communication is speech. Speech allows us to quickly articulate emotions, opinions, and thoughts. It’s a powerful ability.
Some patients onboard the Africa Mercy are discovering this power for the first time. Maxillofacial operations are an integral part of the surgical schedule during Mercy Ships 2009 Field Service in Benin. Many maxillofacial patients, particularly those with cleft lips/palates, have spent their lives communicating with impeded speech. Facial malformations of the oral and nasal passages, in conjunction with weakened lip muscles, make it impossible to articulate normal sounds. Impediments can range in severity from difficulty producing a few sounds to a complete inability to form understandable words.
Living with a speech impediment is embarrassing and frustrating. Often children are not sent to school because they can’t properly communicate. This lack of education stagnates their mental and relational development, causing problems that will follow them into their adult years. Restoring speech to a child can spare him or her from a lifetime of anguish.
Surgically correcting the facial anatomy is the first step to restoring speech. However, even after the facial anatomy is corrected, many still have difficulties speaking. Post-operative speech therapy is needed to retrain the mouth and throat to correctly form sounds.
“Even though the surgery is complete and successful, and they look more normal, it’s the therapy that’s going to make them sound better,” said speech therapist Sally Peet. “Just because the anatomy is corrected doesn’t mean they are able to use it to speak properly. Therapy is a huge part of making the surgery a success.”
Sally Peet of the United Kingdom has been a licensed speech therapist since 1994. Since 2004, she and her family have served with Mercy Ships. Currently, she provides speech therapy for patients onboard the Africa Mercy.
Peet described her work: “I work with the maxillofacial patients, mainly the cleft lips and the cleft palates. However, any surgery that’s interrupted the facial muscles may have a need for therapy. For example, when a patient has a large facial tumor removed, their skin and lips become flaccid, affecting their speech and their ability to control saliva. I work with them, as well as the cleft lip patients, to make sure their lips are strong.”
Patients with speech difficulties are referred to Peet post-operatively by the Africa Mercy nursing staff. She works individually with each patient, evaluating their needs and providing exercises to strengthen weakened muscles. Also, she encourages the proper usage of restored facial anatomy. “Many patients have found a way of ineffectively talking around huge malformations and have spoken incorrectly for years. The initial goal is to ensure the anatomy where the surgery has taken place will now be functional,” said Peet.
Peet works with patients throughout their time on the ward. When they leave the hospital, they come back to the Africa Mercy for outpatient appointments – sometimes for several months after their surgery. “I can achieve more with the ones who live closer, because I can see them for a longer period of time,” said Peet.
Peet describes a memorable patient she worked with for over three months during the 2008 Field Service in Liberia: “There was a beautiful little girl with a cleft lip and palate. She spoke without using any constants sounds, and you could not understand her when she talked. She and her mom worked incredibly hard in therapy. By the time we finished, she was totally intelligible and making every sound correctly. Her mother said all her aunties in her village were dancing because now, not only does she look beautiful, she sounds beautiful.”
Providing speech therapy is just one example of Mercy Ships commitment to holistic care for patients through the partnership of various professional skills. Sally Peet is thrilled to be partnering with the Africa Mercy’s surgical and nursing staff to provide hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. “I love providing speech therapy. It’s great to be working in my profession onboard the Africa Mercy,” she concluded.
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