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 Angel, 11 months needs a repair to his soft palate.  Angel was born premature and is small for his age.  After a final examination by the anesthesia team, it was decided this morning that it is too risky for him to have the surgery this year.  This is often one of the most difficult conversations to have with a parent. Every parent desires help for their child as soon as possible. The positive side is that Rotaplast will return to Peru next year. By that time, Angel will have grown and the surgery he needs can be accomplished safely.

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Evilyn and her family arrived at the hospital yesterday after traveling from their southern coastal town two days away. In order to get here, they traveled by foot, boat and bus.  Evilyn’s mother was told by her cousin that Rotaplast was here.  Factors such as immediate need, the patient's health and even the hardship of making the trip to Lima are all considered each morning as the medical team plans the day's schedule.  Although the ORs are full today, Evilyn was added to the stand-by list for surgery.

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Sebastian, 4 years old, has already undergone a number of surgeries to fix his bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate.  He will need at least two more surgeries to correct an alveolar fistula and repair scarring on his lip.  After a final examination by the surgeon and the anesthesiologist, Sebastian was transferred to surgery.  As his worried mother handed him to the nurse, anesthesiologist Michael said, “We will take care of your child as if he were our own.”  Those words become so important when a parent hands their child to a stranger from a different country and a different culture.  It takes courage. To be able to ease a parent's worry is a large part of the day.