Today is our first day of surgeries!! Patients were checked in last night and prepped for surgery this morning.

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Nurse Paula Fillari checks Asma’s blood pressure

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Nurse Carol Hager and Head Nurse check the schedule of patients for the day.

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Our Operating Room nurses, Nurse Carol Hager, Nurse Susan Dean and Nurse Dehab Daile double check everything before surgery.

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All of the instruments are carefully sterilized by Ted Alex.

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After being checked by the doctors one more time, the patients are then prep by our Ward Coordinator Linda Menimon and transported to the OR by our Transporter, Suzie Dix.

All of our patients receive a beautiful quilt handmade by WRAP-A-SMILE. Terry Hodskins, a Wells Rotary Club member, launched the quilt project on behalf of Wells Rotary Club in 2001, naming the project WRAP-A-SMILE. The name recognizes the fact that a repair of a cleft lip enables a child to smile for the very first time. Since its inception it has grown fast. Every time there is publicity about Wrap-A-Smile more quilters begin stitching.

Quilters are a group of ladies (and sometimes guys too) that purchase or have fabric of all descriptions that they proceed to cut up and re-assemble into interesting patterns and designs, which, if given a cause, or any reason to make a quilt, they do what is needed to be done. To a quilter, being “Wrapped in a small disposal plastic sheet after surgery was not acceptable. – http://www.wellsrotary.org/

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And they receive a beanie baby which has been donated by the 1st grade students at Marshall Lane Elementary. – http://mlane.campbellusd.org

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Going into surgery can be a scary process for anyone, especially for our younger patients. Thankfully our experienced team of health care professionals help ease the process by planning for all aspects of the patients well being and listening to the needs and wishes of the patient and their families…and by giving lots of hugs!!

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In the OR patients lives are transformed by our team of doctors who work like artists to create new smiles for our patients.

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After surgery patients are brought to the PACU (post anesthesia care unit) to recover.

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And as parents see their child’s new smile for the first time they now have hope for their future and what great things it can bring.