ReSurge International Blog

Former ReSurge Webster Fellow Awarded Johns Hopkins Global Health Scholarship

Dr. Joyce Chen, ReSurge’s former Webster Fellow, was recently awarded one of eight Global Health scholarships to the Bloomberg School of Public Health by the Johns Hopkins Center of Global Health.

“The Center works to further global health education among the Johns Hopkins community, and these students already have impressive global health experience they can draw from as they complete their studies. We look forward to witnessing all they will accomplish in their careers,” said Dr. Thomas Quinn, the center’s director.

Through ReSurge’s Webster Fellowship program, Dr. Chen had the opportunity to travel to ReSurge’s various sites around the world to help provide free reconstructive surgery while conducting site evaluations and education. 

On the Johns Hopkins Center of Global Health’s website, Dr. Chen describes her experience with ReSurge as the catalyst for her interest in obtaining a master of public health degree.

“My year as ReSurge International’s Webster Fellow sparked an interest for me in global health issues …  In my travels around the globe, I saw this disparity firsthand and its impact on society.  In many developing countries, healthcare is only a luxury as the means and access of seeking care can only be obtained by those who can afford it ...  For every country, there are unique obstacles whether geographic, political, or cultural, and I am interested in trying to come up with a protocol or algorithm to aid these countries towards self-sustainability of care,” she shares.

We are confident Dr. Chen will continue to apply her knowledge to address the most pressing global health challenges our world faces.   ReSurge would like to congratulate Dr. Chen on this exciting award and opportunity.

World Refugee Day

Every year, on June 20, we commemorate World Refugee Day—a day on which we take a moment to acknowledge the strength and courage of those displaced from their homes and renew our commitment to help.

According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, there are more than 43.7 million refugees and internally displaced people around the world.

Refugee camps provide much needed shelter, food and protection for those displaced. However, the fact is that half the world's population still uses open fires for cooking, heating or lighting.  Couple this with the crowded living conditions of camps for refugees and internally displaced people, and disaster often strikes.  Under such conditions, fires spread with tragic speed from one tent or shanty to another, killing or injuring those in some of the most vulnerable communities. 

On World Refugee Day, our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes and their land due to war, conflict or natural disaster.  We remember those who have lost their lives in Haiti, Cambodia and to similar fires in the camps. And we pledge to advocate for solutions for the global health crisis of burns, seeking out and partnering with those who care for the displaced around the world. 
 
Burns are a complex issue.  While reconstructive surgery continues to be our focus, we are also raising awareness of the root causes of burn injuries, because many of them can be stopped before they tragically happen.

Join us in remembering the 43.7 million refugees and displaced persons around the world.  Learn more and take action by visiting our website. www.resurge.org.

Photo by Phil Borges.

Meet Our 2012 Summer Interns!

Today at ReSurge, not only are we welcoming the official start of summer, but we’re also welcoming our 2012 summer interns!   As we kick off the program, we’d like to thank our interns for their willingness to help improve access to care to patients around the world.

Amy

Amy is no stranger to ReSurge; she grew up attending ReSurge events with her parents and has even volunteered in the past. Now a senior at Menlo School, Amy hopes this internship will allow her to combine her keen interest in marketing and public relations with her love of charity work.

 

 

 

Greg
Greg is excited for the opportunity to help improve lives around the world through his contributions at ReSurge. A junior at California Polytechnic State University, he is curious to learn what reconstructive surgery does for the individuals ReSurge serves and is excited to share success stories with others. “I look forward to bringing my energy and teamwork into a business environment for the first time and seeing the results. I am thrilled to be part of the intern team at ReSurge and all the opportunities that lie ahead of us this summer,” he shares. 

Claire
Claire is going to be a junior at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. A political science major, with a concentration in international studies, she hopes to learn about the inner workings of an international nonprofit by interning at ReSurge. Claire looks forward to learning more about the way in which ReSurge accomplishes its mission. Additionally, she looks forward to being a part of more than just a non-profit, but a new beginning for so many.

ReSurge Medical Volunteers Receive Awards from UC Davis Health System

 

ReSurge volunteers Leonard Sterling, Pirko Maguiña, and Kathleen Osborn being presented with the Excellence in Social Responsibility Award by UC Davis Medical Center COO Vincent Johnson. Photo courtesy of UC Davis.

 

We are excited to announce that yesterday morning, ReSurge volunteer surgeon Dr. Pirko Maguiña, and volunteer nurse educators Len Sterling, Katie Osborn, and Cheryl Wraa received the Excellence in Social Responsibility Award at UC Davis Health System's Employee Excellence Awards and Diversity Celebration. The team was chosen from a pool of more than 150 nominees in recognition of their years of service to ReSurge International and the underprivileged patients worldwide whose lives they have touched.

Just this past year, Katie Osborn and Cheryl Wraa spearheaded the ReSurge nursing project in Nepal. They joined four other nurse volunteers who spent a total of six weeks coaching newly-hired nurses working with our outreach partner, Dr. Shankar Rai, in patient-centered care. They are also members of the ReSurge nursing committee.

Pirko Maguina and Len Sterling joined the ReSurge surgical team in Bamako, Mali last September. Pirko not only spent his days operating on our patients, he worked one-on-one with our surgical partner, Dr. Oumar Coulibaly, teaching him new techniques.  Len helped care for our burn patients and taught local health care workers about acute burn care.

 “I'm not at all surprised that Katie, Cheryl, Pirko and Len were chosen for this high honor,” said Beverly Kent, ReSurge director of volunteer services and strategic initiatives.  “Like so many of our volunteers, Pirko, Len, Katie, and Cheryl have dedicated extraordinary amounts of time and energy to ReSurge as participants of team trips, visiting educators, and as committee members."

All of us at ReSurge wish them our heartfelt congratulations.  Thanks for your great service.

 

Sophia: Proudly Walking in Zambia

Sophia, post-surgery, in 2011

Last week, we received an email from our surgical outreach director in Zambia, Dr. Goran Jovic.  He was excited to share with us an update from one of our former patients, Sophia. 

When Sophia was a little girl, she fell over a bucket of hot water, which left both her feet badly burned.  Unable to obtainproper acute care for her burns, Sophia ended up with severely contracted feet when her burned skin tried to heal itself by closing the wounds.  She could not walk or wear shoes, and was often teased by other children. (photo, right)

When she was 10 years old, her family traveled 500 miles from their rural village of Solwezi to the capital city of Lusaka, where they found Dr. Goran Jovic, the only plastic surgeon in the entire country.  Dr. Jovic and an orthopedic surgeon operated on both of Sophia’s feet to restore function, in September 2009 and March 2010.  In March 2011, she came back to see Dr. Jovic for a check up.  She was smiling and so happy that she would finally be able to fit into shoes.

 This week, she came back to Lusaka again to see Dr. Jovic.  He told us that she is a very happy 4^th grader now, although a bit shy.  She is no longer teased at school.  Sophia is so thrilled that she can walk and is constantly on the move! She says her life has improved so much since her operations. 

Dr. Jovic sent us this heartwarming video of Sophia, now almost 13 years old, showing off her walking skills. (at bottom)  Having surgeons year-round on the ground, like Dr. Jovic, makes it possible for patients to return year after year for follow-up check-ups and/or treatment.  We at ReSurge are extremely grateful to Dr. Jovic and Ronald McDonald House Charities, which funded her surgeries, for their long-term commitment to helping Sophia and thousands of others transform their lives through reconstructive surgery. Thank you. 

Sophia walking, 2012: