A Milestone Is Celebrated

As many Rotarians and Rotaplast volunteers gathered around, Past District Governor Antonio “Anton” Florendo remarks, “This kid right here is Aeron Skyler Tabas. He is one year and five months old and he is the 1,500th Rotaplast patient in Cebu under the partnership with the Rotary Club of Cebu Port Centre. Thank you for this blessing. ”

Salamat Dr. Salomon

“Salamat” (pronounced sa‧la‧mot) is Cebuano for “Thank You”. These families especially want to thank Dr. Salomon for their children’s successful procedures.

Sleeping Like A Baby

Behind The Scenes

The OR lounge was a tight fit for all of the food that the Rotary Club of Cebu provided.

Some of the Rotarian members and their spouses posed after the home-cooked food was delivered.

The hospital nurses were a Godsend for Ward Coordinator Sue Fox. They were always cheerful and energetic.

Today’s Dose Of Cuteness

In The Spotlight – Aaron Woolman, RN

Aaron was raised in Louisiana, and still carries a bit of that charming southern accent. Always helping people, Aaron felt his calling was in medicine and earned his RN in 2013. He is currently working as a PACU nurse in Hawaii.

This marks Aaron’s first mission trip, and according to him, most likely not his last. He was touched by many stories he heard while in the recovery room tending to the patient’s just coming out of anesthesia. He was speaking to one mother whose son had quit school because he was bullied so much. Upon seeing her son after his surgery, she was so excited to re-enroll him in school.
One heart-breaking story was of a 4-year-old who lives with his father because his mother abandoned them when he was 3 months old. She couldn’t handle his deformity and fled to Manila. His father admitted that it’s quite difficult to get an education to support his family, and be a hands-on parent.

Perhaps the most impactful story was one that Aaron overheard. A 22 year old man, Christian, checked himself into the progam and drove his motorbike to the hospital on the day of his surgery. The entire time leading up to his entry to the Operating Room, Christian was extraordinarily stoic. After only an hour of surgery, Christian woke up in the recovery room. When asked if he wanted to see his face, he nodded yes. When he saw his cleft lip repair, he began crying. His surgery was truly life-changing.