The Lingo Family Returns
On day three, we introduced the Lingo family (As).
Today is the last day of surgeries, but the first day of a new life for Aldrich Lingo and his family.
This morning, Aldrich and his mother weren’t able to have Dad and Big Sis Ana with them, as only one parent is permitted on surgery day.
Aldrich is full of smiles and giggles this morning, and remains in good spirits throughout the course of the day and night.
As Anton tours the post-op ward at the end of the day, he can’t help but be taken in by Aldrich’s personality, in fact, Anton was mimicking Aldrich’s expressions.
Aldrich is doing great, taking a bottle with no fuss.
Mommy is relieved that the hard part is over, now she just has to keep Aldrich settled until discharge in the morning.
This Mission’s Final Surgery
As Nina is being wheeled up to the post-op ward, members of the Rotary Club of Cebu, hospital staff and the Rotaplast team gather to celebrate the 71st surgical procedure of the 2023 mission in Cebu.
The Love Of A Child
While we saw many mothers bringing in their children for surgery, there were also many grandparents and fathers. Some grandmothers shared that the child’s parents are very young and still in school, others told stories of abandonment of their “deformed” grandchild. In some cases, the family lived too far away to be able to afford to travel and miss work for the time needed for the process. Culturally, the fathers were very stoic as they handed their babies to the surgical team, but you could see in their eyes the overwhelming relief and joy upon seeing their child in the PACU.
Whether it was mom, dad or Grandma on the journey, they all felt the same nervousness, gratitude and joy.
The Medical Team
These medical professionals spend 2 weeks away from their full-time jobs and family to use their gifts to selflessly change lives.
Medical Director – Rod Simonds, MD
Surgeon – James Hoyt, MD
Surgeon – Todd Farnworth, MD
Surgeon – Alain Semrrpida, MD
Surgeon – Gary Salomon, MD
Lead Anesthesiologist – Michael Johnston, MD
Anesthesiologist – Shannon Bianchi, MD
Anesthesiologist – Neal Fleming, MD;PhD
Anesthesiologist – Srikanthan Kandasamy, MD
Lead Pediatrician – Katherine Gallagher, MD
Head Nurse – Mia Pena, RN
OR Nurse – Victoria Dorothy Slama, RN
OR Nurse – Paulette McHugh, RN
OR Nurse – Evelyn Snyder, RN
Infection Control Officer – Arzoo Salami
Lead PACU Nurse – Ligaya Agustin, RN
PACU Nurse – Aaron Woolman, RN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Nan Madden, NP
Sharing Appreciation
The synergy that exists between the visiting medical professionals and the hospital staff is amazing. Through culture and language differences, both teams work seamlessly and respectfully with each other in order to reach a common goal — Saving Smiles and Changing Lives.
On the afternoon of the last day of surgeries, there was an appreciation ceremony, complete with cakes and songs. This was an opportunity for the Rotaplast team to take a breath and feel good about the work they’ve done.
PDG Anton ended the event with these resonating words: “I am blessed so that I can be a blessing.”