Chau Doc, Vietnam - David Norton, pediatrician - When packing for Chau Doc, my 13th Interplast trip, part of me wondered if perhaps something about these trips might become routine. Would the magic of working with a dozen or so like-minded colleagues in a more than out of the way part of the world still charge my at-times drained professional battery? The answer is yes… the children and families arrive with their smiles and energy, and they are infectious. These parents, as caring and worried as those I see at home, cross the gaps of culture, language, economy and health care access to allow us to care for that which is most precious to them—and it is a joy. Their own doctors and nurses seem also to be spurred to enthusiasm and work side by side with us to give these children the kind of care we might take for granted for our own children.
There seem to be a very large number of new cleft lips and palates in this area… so many babies and toddlers who have not been treated before. One grateful grandmother told us today she was thrilled… she recounted how she and her daughter had wept when her grandson was born… and both were thrilled with the child’s new smile.
One aspect of these trips that always excites me is the wonderful support group formed by the families… who can share the challenges, watch each other and teach. This morning on rounds, when discharging a young child, the other mothers were quizzing the mother on the timing and dosing of pain medication, to make sure she got it just right…
Our team translators are quite the pair… sisters! They are both SUCH a joy to work with, tripping over each other to help and balancing their tasks in a way that only siblings could. They are taking very good care of us, and making it so easy to care for the children and work with the local health care staff…
I'd also like to thank the Danellie Foundation and the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation for their generous grants which make this trip possible. The Danellie Foundation, a New Jersey family foundation, supports services for the disadvantaged, including children’s and social services. The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Foundation is the charitable arm of MDRT, the premier association of financial professionals.
There seem to be a very large number of new cleft lips and palates in this area… so many babies and toddlers who have not been treated before. One grateful grandmother told us today she was thrilled… she recounted how she and her daughter had wept when her grandson was born… and both were thrilled with the child’s new smile.
One aspect of these trips that always excites me is the wonderful support group formed by the families… who can share the challenges, watch each other and teach. This morning on rounds, when discharging a young child, the other mothers were quizzing the mother on the timing and dosing of pain medication, to make sure she got it just right…
Our team translators are quite the pair… sisters! They are both SUCH a joy to work with, tripping over each other to help and balancing their tasks in a way that only siblings could. They are taking very good care of us, and making it so easy to care for the children and work with the local health care staff…
I'd also like to thank the Danellie Foundation and the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation for their generous grants which make this trip possible. The Danellie Foundation, a New Jersey family foundation, supports services for the disadvantaged, including children’s and social services. The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Foundation is the charitable arm of MDRT, the premier association of financial professionals.
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