Cebu City, Philippines
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day 1
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
Prior to a Rotaplast mission the most common question I am asked in a conversation with a friend frequently starts with the lead question, “So, where are you going next?” When I say “Myanmar” the r... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day 2- We meet the children
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
We have arrived! Our Hospital here in Naypitaw is very large with more than 1,000 beds. Located in an isolated compound, nestled on lush tree lined streets. The surgical center where we will do our magic... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day-3 The magic begins
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
A Rotaplast team is always a newsworthy event. Medical director and co-founder of Rotaplast Dr. Angelo Capozzi is interviewed by the local news station. It takes a lot of team work to accomplish a successf... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day-4 Meet the team
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
At the heart of any Rotaplast mission is the surgical suite with our three operating rooms. This is where the magic happens. Dr. Capozzi maintains total focus on the task at hand. Dr. Schepel flew in from... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day-5 Family Time on the Ward
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
The ward is where children and their families wait before and after surgery. Both Mom and Dad are here for their children. The hospital campus is large and Dad is with his son on the long walk to the OR... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day – 6 Very Cheeky
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
The first thing a visitor to Myanmar notices is the yellow-white cosmetic treatment on the cheeks of both boys and girls. Called thanaka it is made by grinding the bark of a thanaka tree on a flat stone wi... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day 7 – It is not a skirt!
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
It is called a longyi. Longyis are worn by both men and women, but they are worn differently and the patterns and colors are simpler for the men. Young boys and girls do not wear longyis. The child... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day 8 – On the way to work today…
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
Our daily commute is about twenty minutes each way, and there generally is not a lot of traffic. Normally very uneventful, until today when a herd of water buffalo decided they wanted to cross the road, ... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day 9 – Final day of surgery
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
Victoria carries another lad into surgery. Dr. Schepel and all of the OR teams have been on their feet for seven days. Today we fished our 63rd. and final patient of the mission. waiting his turn. That loo... Read More »
Naypyitaw, Myanmar 2017 – Day 10 – Final Clinic
Naypyitaw, Myanmar
It was a productive mission topped off with a final clinic with most of the patients, and their families in attendance. Full house Final clinic is an emotional time for our team and the patients and their ... Read More »
After screening almost 150 patients-Surgeries Begin
Cebu City, Philippines
Dr. Brad Coots, from Sioux Falls, SD, performs the first surgery-a cleft lip repair. Dr. Coots takes time from his surgical practice and his wife and two children to volunteer for one mission each year (a... Read More »
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A teenage girl with burn contractures on her wrist, elbow, and knee from an untreated accident as a baby arrived at the clinic with her sister, both burdened by exhaustion and hesitant to trust. They were ... Read More »
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