Phan Rang, Vietnam -- Nobody can ever accuse a ReSurge volunteer of not being patient
and persistent. After 17 hours on a flight from San Francisco to Vietnam and an
eight-hour bus ride, we finally arrived in Phan Rang. Even more amazing and exhilarating, is the
fact that all of the luggage and supplies accompanied us together on our journey.
We arrived at the hospital on Monday morning and
quickly divided ourselves into two groups, one group set-up house and the group
held clinic day. The mass of patients waiting and their anxious family members
was at first visually overwhelming. There
were just so many people with so much hope to be picked to have surgery by our
group. To say your heart gets stolen many times over is an understatement.
Your
heart is touched by a child born with a cleft lip and palate or the teenager
contracted from the burns received in a horrible accident. Despite the
diversity in surgical needs, we develop a cohesive surgical schedule.
Dr. Wayne Cruse, ReSurge volunteer visiting
educator.
Gadag, India -- We
are now in Gadag, India after a long trip from the United States. ReSurge’s India
country director, JK, is joining our visiting educator team.
Today we met with:
Dr. Dhanish Desai, surgeon; Dr. Aruna Mali, hospital administrator; and Dr.
Hanumantha Mali, anesthesiologist and hospital medical director. We toured the
hospital facilities, and examined patients with burn reconstructive surgery
needs.
Most patients require
a contracture release, grafts and/or flaps. We saw eight patients and will
be performing surgery on six of them.
Tomorrow’s
operations will be video conferenced so that other surgeons can observe the
surgeries. We are also planning to give lectures to local surgeons on burn
surgery and to physicians on burn care and resuscitation in general.
From the Taj Mahal in India to the Colosseum in Italy, our
message is being heard: “No one should suffer a disabling burn just because
they are poor.”
With your help we’ve received more than 250 photos from
around the world!
It’s not too late to join our ReThink Burns photo challenge.
This three-day weekend, no matter where the road takes you, snap a photo and
send it to us and we’ll get $5 donated for burn care. www.resurge.org/burns
Special thanks to the following groups who got together to
submit photos:
Today is World Radio Day, a day in which we celebrate radio
as a medium of communication worldwide. As an organization that strives to
reach patients in some of the most remote areas of the world, we often rely on
local radio stations to inform communities of our services. It is not uncommon
for a patient to mention they heard about ReSurge on the radio as they are
being evaluated for surgery.
Nowhere is this more common than in Ecuador, thanks to the
help of a radio celebrity who is part of our very own ReSurge family—Javier
from Radio Farra FM.
Javier (pictured right) was born in Ecuador with a bilateral
cleft lip and palate. His parents were extremely poor, but never lost hope that
their son’s condition could be cured. Javier’s mother spent her days trying to
find someone that could help. She even managed to get her message on the local radio.
Eventually, her efforts paid off and she was referred to ReSurge’s surgical
outreach director, Dr. Jorge Palacios (picture left). Dr. Palacios performed more
than a dozen surgeries on Javier and changed Javier’s life forever.
When Javier was a child, he was often ostracized because of
the way he looked. With each surgery, Javier’s appearance changed and he
recalls staring at the mirror with wonder at his new face. Like most children
who are born with a cleft palate, Javier had to learn to speak correctly. “I
didn’t want to speak the same as my parents and cousins, I wanted to speak
better than them,” shared Javier. He spent hours practicing his speech in front
of the mirror.
As an adult, driven by his curiosity about the radio field,
Javier got a job at a local radio station as a janitor. He watched in awe,
witnessing how radio personalities interacted with the public. One day, a staff
member called-in sick and was unable to host his daily show. Javier offered
to fill this role and after careful consideration the radio director gave him
the opportunity. Javier spoke on the radio for the first time 15 years ago and
hasn’t put the microphone down since. He is now the host of his own daily radio
show in his hometown of Portoviejo.
Javier is extremely proud of his accomplishment but shared
with us (in the video above) the greater goal that keeps him going every day. “I want to use my time
on the air being the voice for others who are born like me,” said Javier. “I
want them to know that they are not alone and refer them to Dr.
Palacios/ReSurge so that their world can be changed as well.”
Everyday Javier
brings music and joy into his listener’s lives.
Many say his voice is laced with contagious optimism and enthusiasm.
Javier is living his dream thanks to the help of reconstructive surgery and the
unwavering support of his listeners.
“As a former ReSurge Webster Fellow, it
made perfect sense to donate my earnings from the concert to ReSurge—an
organization which impacted my life greatly and continues to impact many
peoples' lives around the world," shared Dr. Chen.
As a ReSurge Webster Fellow, Dr. Chen had
the opportunity to work in ReSurge’s sites around the world. It allowed Dr.
Chen to witness first-hand the need for reconstructive surgery services and to help
improve ReSurge’s programs worldwide.
“The highlight of
my week is often playing music with other kindred spirits who also share a
love of music,” said Dr. Chen.
Playing for the
Plainview Symphony Orchestra and donating her wages combined two of her
passions in life: playing the violin and helping others in need.
Severe burn injuries remain a neglected health crisis in developing countries, particularly among poor women and children who use open flames for cooking and lighting. They affect more than 7 million people a year. In South Asia, burns kill more young women than malaria, TB and HIV combined.
Despite these staggering figures, few people know about this issue. In response, we created the ReThink Burns TM campaign to raise awareness about the need to help countless women, men and children suffering from disabling burn injuries. You can help us secure funds for burn care.
Starting today, the beginning of National Burn Awareness Week, for every photo you submit holding a ReThink Burns sign, $5 will be donated to ReSurge.
2. Take a picture of yourself, or your friends and family, holding the sign.
3. Post your picture to our Facebook page (facebook.com/resurge) or email it to us at: Liliana@resurge.org and let us know where you took the photo. We will then feature your photo on our ReThink Burns Pinterest board.
Help us address this global health crisis and advocate for those whose voices are not heard. Join us in challenging others to ReThink Burns TM with us today!
