Cusco, Peru Surgical Trip

Mike: Maja and Her Little Helper

  Cintia and Maja 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

This morning on rounds, Cintia wanted to be the Interplast doctors’ little helper, so she walked around to each bed with Maja and Kathy in order to say hello to the other children and observe the conversations.

Maja Neff: Karen Likes To Color

  Maja Neff: Karen Likes To Color 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

I’m Maja Neff, and I am one of the translator-secretaries on this Interplast trip to Cusco. I traveled here from Germany, where I am a doctoral student in literature of the Americas. This is my first trip with Interplast - joining the team was one of the best decisions I ever made! I’m so excited about our work and I love being so close to the people treated by Interplast.

Today I met the cutest three-year old girl named Karen. She was so calm and brave despite the impending surgery. Before going into the operating room, we sat together and colored.

Maja: Karen and Julito the Dragon

  Maja: Karen and Julito the Dragon 
  Originally uploaded by interplast.

Karen had a fistula (hole) between her gum line and her nose. Her mother told me that this would cause food and drink to come out of her nose. This kind of fistula can also cause speech problems that would have been isolating for her when she starts kindergarten next year.

After surgery, I went to visit Karen in the pediatric ward. My puppet, Julito the Dragon, came along with me. At first, Karen had tears in her eyes from the surgery and the foreign surroundings, but once she saw Julito, she became curious about me and the puppet. Tomorrow, Julito and I will see Karen off, wishing her a bright and hopeful future.