Mission Summary:

-7 free successful surgeries for children by our team!(6 scoliosis, 1 spine trauma)
-4 physician lectures, 4 nursing lectures and 2 patient rooms and cast room decorated.
-We all worked very hard and in the end we found we were even more efficient than we have ever been.
-We have a very dedicated team of people many who return each year to volunteer for a week to help children who would never have the opportunity for surgery if we didn’t operate.

The POP team is lead by Dr. Mady Stazzone who has lead our group on 5 successful medical missions.

Our challenges for the week:

-Having access to only 1 operating room versus 2
-Working through and around renovations with limited supplies
-An c-arm machine stopped working that we used in the OR
-Our shipment with medical supplies for the hospital was not delivered during our medical mission
-We worked during a 3-day physician and nurse strike

Thank you to Dr. Migeul Luna and Iohan Fernandez our Dominican surgeons for working along side of us and for the ladies of the Volunteer Group for Jesus for the Children for their support each year. We could not be successful if they weren’t dedicated to helping us in their hospital.

Below are a few images that summarize our wonderful time working with the staff at the Hospital De NiÑo Arturo Grullón in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

 

Friday, March 11th Summary:

As things wind down, we reflect on some of what we have accomplished, but our energy and momentum don’t falter. It’s another full day. Yesterday we treated 2 patients, Abigail and Nikaury. Today, we treat our final scoliosis patient of the trip, Cristal. We will wrap up this mission’s educational programming with 2 amazing talks and will complete the hospital renovations.

Our final day of the workweek begins like every other, with an excellent lecture by one of POP’s medical team. Here Dr. Enrico Stazzone, POP co-founder, VP and lead surgeon delivers a talk on Neuromuscular Scoliosis to the residents of the Children’s Hospital in Santiago.

Here the POP medical team regroups to discuss the patients, how they’re recovering, and discuss medication inventory. (Left to Right, ICU nurse Beth Seebeck, ICU doc Phil Oren, MD, Dr. Madelyn Stazzone, and ICU nurse Jennifer Felber.)

Abigail’s mom visits her during recovery. A moving moment of the love these families have. Parents don’t leave the hospital at all.

Nikaury rests comfortably. Her surgery yesterday was a huge success!

ICU Nurse, and 5-time POP mission participant, Beth Seebeck delivers a lecture on post-operative patient care, including physical therapy and pain management. Beth is passionate about what she does. POP doctors attend this lecture to reiterate the importance of the nursing team and the value they bring to patient care.

Nurses receive stethoscopes from POP thanks to our generous donors.

Decorations for the Orthopedic Recovery Rooms are complete. A patient’s mom helps us move the beds around and encourages our work. We were glad to provide a little color to the room.

After the final scoliosis surgery on Friday, POP doctors find out about a baby so dehydrated that the staff needed help with the IV. POP doctors volunteer to help. Here we see Dr. Phil Oren, Dr. Richard Nigro, and Brian Ho assisting. True collaboration and an unwavering sense of helping others in need.

Speaking of generosity, two moms purchase a gift to say thank you to POP’s team for treating their daughters. They are so incredibly warm and thoughtful.

The POP team has completed the mural and the cast room staff are so grateful. The hospital team asked for our logo to be the focal point of the room. How thoughtful!

We end our mission trip with a team photo outside of the hospital. Our little family! We are sad to leave, but will remember the friendships and memories we made. (Left to right front row: Dr. Madelyn Stazzone, Dr. Miguel Luna, Ann Rosen, Lisa Simani-Oren, Dr. Phil Oren, Jessica Candelaria, Dr. Richard Nigro, Yve Adams, and Brian Ho. Left to right back row: Dave Graff, Dr. Enrico Stazzone, Beth Seebeck, Jennifer Felber, Steve Stamphel, Kelly Williams, and Brian McCarty.)