I spent some time with Johnny the last two days. Johnny is age 30 and had traveled 6 hours to get to our clinic. He tells me that this is his fourth surgery on his face, palate, nose and lip, and all four surgeries have been performed by four different Rotaplast missions. In talking with the doctors and Johnny, he still needs at least two more surgeries to finish all of the revisions necessary and possible. Johnny has a very outgoing personality, which drew me in to get a little of his story. Johnny will continue to remain in Cumana until our post clinic in two days. He is living with all of the other out of town patients at a military installation near the hospital. All of the activities there are being handled by the local volunteers from the commercial sponsor companies. Check out my photos of Johnny included in today’s photos.
Every person on this mission has a job to perform and they all are executing their duties everyday for over 10 hours a day. But it is the work of four positions that bring it all together. Our mission leader and his assistant are making certain that all areas of the mission are functioning. The head nurse and the medical records keeper work hand in hand to prepare the surgery schedule each day, then the head nurse is very much in charge of the activities of the day in all areas where patients are concerned. Our head surgeon has responsibility for the operating rooms that have a multitude of people in each of our four operating rooms. Many of our volunteers speak Spanish but many do not so our interpreter is essential to our success.
