weesh

During my trip in fall of 2009 Gladys, the health promoter from Palin, Escuintla, invited me to the baptism of her granddaughter. After the lunch reception Gladys pleaded for me to review the case of a two year old boy that lived along the rail line up the road. I was told the child could not “pee” and apparently the child had this condition since birth. I was also informed that the mother had sought care numerous times without success at Roosevelt the largest public hospital in Guatemala City. Gladys explained that the parents had nothing and were “squatting” in a make shift house in the corner of a lot of some friends. As we approached I did notice a little boy dressed in just a shirt with his hand stuffed down his cloth diaper. What struck me was the look of an irritated frustration on the little boy’s brow it spoke to me loudly. I met, interviewed the mother, and obtained some general medical information and paperwork. As we departed my skin crawled with goose bumps as I tried to shake off the powerful sympathetic sensations created by idea of not being able to urinate properly for TWO YEARS! Luckily, I was able to arrange a consult for the child in the city the following Tuesday. The family did show up that Tuesday afternoon after the mother had sold enough tamales to pay for bus fare. Dr. Lopez ordered an emergency kidney ultrasound and the child’s left kidney was obviously inflamed. Dr. Lopez diagnosed him with a “bladder valve” which is extra tissue that forms a flap over the tube that lets urine exit the bladder. If the child tried to urinate the stress caused the flap to close the tube, when relaxed urine dripped out slowly. A urologist was consulted and the procedure was arranged. The next week urologist cauterized the flap but ran into problems as the camera entered the bladder. They learned that unexcreated minerals had formed a stone that filled the entire bladder space. Formal surgery was done the next day to remove the stone and the child was set home with a catheter while healing. I went to visit the child shortly there after and was able to watch him play from a distance, I tried to get a photograph but he wasn’t going to let that happen. I was informed that the parents had taken a special trip to the church in Esquipulas to visit a famous statue of Jesus in order to give thanks to God for healing their child.

Guatemala 2009

The containers were released on Saturday 9/26/09. All seven left from port in a convoy. I was able to send the two containers for Fr. Bernies project directly to Coban. We unloaded five here in the city from 1am to 11am Sunday. We had 55 firefighters show up to help unload them all at once, thank God because we were up to the doors of the warehouse. There was NO space to begin unpacking. It was such a relief after we were all done, it hit me hard as I broke down in front of a small group of firefighters that were waiting for their ride. I can't express to you how hard the fight was but in the end it really was worth it, there are soooo many people that truly need the aid. Everyone was so anxious to begin distribution. I am also amazed at the support that we received from some good people down here. Really it was a lot more then I expected, but with the country in a tailspin there are few other options.

A realtor in Guatemala City named Yoly de Soch generously donated us the use of her warehouse in Zone 14. It was a three story building so coordinating the unloading was a challenge, rice bags packed full of clothing, shoes, linens, and scrubs went all the way up to the top floor, crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and loose boxes up to the second floor. All pallets, gurneys, and heavy equipment stayed on ground level. A local businessman donated us use of his forklift and an extra pallet jack.

What an advertisement for McDonalds! We had to feed our volunteers twice, they worked so long, hard, it was incredibly humbling to see, even concrete made a comfortable seat.

Nomination

The St. Cloud times has just nominated me as one of the 10 most influential people in the St. Cloud area in the past 10 years. If you agree go VOTE on-line at:

www.sctimes.com/influentials

If you load them, they will come....

8/24/09
Day Four
Sunday - A day of rest
(For volunteers that is....)

8/25/09
Day Five

Container #7 Loading
The MESSAGE Program
Cargo included: Disposable medical supplies, SCRUBS,
walkers, canes, wheelchairs, and general aid supplies

Go Johnnies!

8/24/09

Day Three

Students and ROTC Members from St. Johns University
loaded Containers #5 and #6
Cargo included: 150 dorm room beds, mattresses,
tables, hygiene and school supplies, and shoes

Two down with five to go

8/22/09
Day Two

The MESSAGE Program Crew assisted by

Container #3 Loading Crew
included volunteers from
Kids Against Hunger- Stewart and Team Pflipsen
Cargo included: Dialysis machines, dialysis chairs,
linens, general aid supplies

Container #4 Loading Crew

included volunteers recruited by
The Central MN United Way
Cargo included: fire gear & equipment, exam tables,
desks, disposable medical supples, and linens

Good things come to those who wait.....

On August 20th, 2009 we finally got the call.....
It was a GO for loading!

The Mission: To load Seven 40' containers of humanitarian aid in 5 days

Where do you get enough volunteers on such short notice?

Loading Crew Container #1
Cargo included: hospital beds, impermeable mattresses,
IV poles, wheelchairs, maternity beds, linens, and clothing

Loading Crew Container #2
Cargo included: hospital gurney's, carts,
disposable medical supplies, IV poles, wheelchairs

On 8/21/09 Americore volunteers loaded two containers in one day.
And they packed them well!

bandaids, walkers, and sheets, oh my!

The MESSAGE Program is really just a huge rescue program. We prevent many usable goods from ending up ending up in landfills or being recycled before their due time.

IV Poles

Patient Gurneys

Crutches

We collect a number of items such as such as exam tables, crutches, walkers, canes, wheelchairs, hospital beds, linens, disposable medical supplies, nebulizers, dental chairs, instruments, blood pressure cuffs, fire gear, back boards, and clothing. We pack everything up and ship it to areas in desperate need were the donations and recipients are given a second chance.

Quilters

To date the Rice Community Quilters have donated over 150 hand made quilts and they are still sewing on......