Many of the volunteers on the mission belong to other non-profit organizations.  Diana, our medical records keeper, introduced us, and the kids of the mission, to The Shoe that Grows  https://theshoethatgrows.org/.   Diana’s daughter raised funds to purchase over 60 pairs of shoes, so she brought as much as she could fit into her suitcase to give to the children of the mission. Pictured below is a young boy who received these shoes.  He has been dancing around the ward with excitement wearing his new shoes.

The Medical Director and Head OH Nurse plan out the surgeries based on several factors such as distance traveled and severity of the condition.  Today we learned of a 6 month old patient who’s family could not financially afford to wait for his surgery, which wasn’t scheduled until later in the week.  They had to return to their village…..miles away.  Feeding a baby with a cleft lip or palate is much more difficult than a normal baby.  Lack of proper nutrition also affects their speech and their social well being.

Working with our local nurse on the ground, Shwe Yee Thin, we tracked down the family in a very remote village.  The family did not have a phone so Shwe Yee contacted the village’s officials, and soon, we were in contact with the family.  Lead pediatrician Dr. Bryan agreed to financially support this family so that they can get the baby back to the hospital for his upcoming surgery.   For the cost of a coffee for you and a friend, just $11, we are covering their transportation to and from the clinic and any other costs the family may incur.

Sixteen year old Chan Pyae Aung suffered burns to his feet when he was 7 years old playing to close to the fire in the local food market.  He is having a difficult time walking due to his skin pulling on his feet.  It will only worsen with time without surgery.

The surgeons were able to loosen the skin around his feet so he could regain full range of motion for walking.

And like every mission, there are other medical professionals that provide assistance.  Below are our two PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) nurses. They monitor patients’ breathing, heart rate and any possible bleeding. Their role is essential in the care of a patient.

Nurse Susan chilling out in between an influx of patients post surgery.

And nurse Bruce is comforting a baby. He’s a natural.

Here are some fun photos of the children who continually pull on our heart strings….

The cool dudes….

PJ’s donated by the hospital….

Pink Shoes that Grow….

And just some random cuteness

And just like the shoes that grow, so do our hearts…..