Strength Among Us

Today is our last day, and it started with the Post-Op Clinic, seeing the patients that underwent surgery was bittersweet.  We are happy to see their progress and improvement, but will miss them, and the lessons of resilience and grit that they taught us.

Truly these patients and families are a tough and determined people who push on with life despite many setbacks and, for some, life crippling burns.  But many still have the glint in their eye of determination to press on.

 

 

 

Thank You

Rotaplast

From the local Rotary Clubs in India & the Rotary Clubs of the volunteers, as well as Unity Hospital and its Staff, and the Medical Staff on the Mission, thank you Rotaplast for making the Mission possible.

Unity Hospital

A special thank you to Unity Hospital which basically closed its Operating Rooms for two weeks to allow Rotaplast to come in and perform surgeries.  Also, the aftercare for the burn revisions will be carried on by Unity Hospital Staff.  Superintendent Yadav & Manager Singh and their staff were incredibly helpful.  We could not have accomplished as much as we have, but for the unfailing hospitality and help of Unity Hospital and its staff.

Our own staff Poet, Richard Shope wrote another poem for us:

FULL CIRCLE: CLOSING CEREMONY POEM

The circle is now complete.
Lives have been changed.
82 people, 148 procedures.
The slow awakening toward healing
Yields small but noticeable gains:
A smile here, a lift of the head there,
An unbending of once curled fingers,
A freedom of movement for an arm, or two.
Each person now walks back into
Their village, their world, to discover,
However large or small, the meaning
Of the change…some may need to return.

The staff here at Unity Hospital now
Bears the privilege, the responsibility,
To complete the miracle–
We at 5300 and 5320 and Rotaplast,
Team up with 3110, Rotary Clubs here at
Firozabad and Agra Taj Mahal,
To ensure
Continuity of contact,
Sustainability of support,
Lifelines of hope.

For skin graftings, weekly dressings for a month,
For fingers wired to prevent recurling, wires removed,
For staples, pulled out, and
For palates, new smiles!

For us, as we wend our way home,
Some of us may return,
ALL OF US will remember ALL OF YOU!

We are all one Rotary International team pledging
Service Above Self
As we empower those in need.

We have been grateful to all of you
For the opportunity to serve:
Rotary Opens Opportunities!

Thank you !

Richard Shope, III, PhD

Local Rotary Clubs

A special thanks to the Rotary Club of Firozabad, Rotary Club of Agra Tajmahal, Rotary Club of North Agra & Rotary Club of Shikohabab for your unfailing support.

Also, a special thank you to Rahul Wadhwa and his wife Divya.  Rahul has spent two weeks away from his family to make sure all the needs were met for this mission.   He has gotten us everything from chocolate to pregnancy tests and wonderful food!

Divya, Rahul & Dr. McCulloch

Namaste

According to “Google” Namaste, a traditional greeting in India, can also be used to say goodbye.  This is because namaste does not mean either “hello” or “goodbye” but rather it means “I bow to the divine in you.”  So I must sign off and say namaste, because I feel to say namaste to my fellow volunteers; to the incredibly skilled and dedicated Medical Volunteers; to the patients and their families; to the local Rotarians that made this mission possible; to Unity Hospital and its staff; and to Rotaplast, I believe that “namaste” is the word that would be best used at this time.

Namaste,

Janet Pancoast

Historian