Tuesday, February 24, 2015

February 2015

I arrived here in Shisong on February 1, and had a couple of days to relax and see people since the surgeon, Dr. Charles Mvondo, had to be at an appointment in Italy.  We began operations on Wednesday, February 4 and the work has been steady.  In the past, some people have suggested that I say more about the patients that we care for.  I have been reluctant to say much about my patients due to their right to confidentiality and privacy.  Some of the patients have agreed to have their pictures posted on the Cardiac Centre website and I have referred people there for more specifics.  However, as readers of this blog have seen, this year there was a very successful fundraiser for sponsorship of several patients.  Mi-Do (www.Mi-Do.org), run by the amazing team of Dr. Claudia von Lutterotti and Andrea Maria Zeller, has been incredibly successful at raising sponsorship funds since their inception a little over a year ago.  Fr. Herald Joseph Brock, CFR, with Franciscan Mission Outreach (https://www.facebook.com/franciscanmissionoutreach), joined forces with them prior to Christmas to advance fundraising in the US for this very special project.

Donations to this project can still be made at either of the above sites or here:  http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/a-heart-for-cameroon/262505


These are the patients that were listed for the FMO/Mi-Do fundraiser.
I met all of these patients here during this trip, and we were able to operate on several of them, and the others will be cared for by the congenital team next week.  I am frequently inspired by my patients, particularly here in Shisong.  These patients are very happy to be having their operations.  One patient the other day was escorted to the OR by two previous patients who were recovering on the ward!  I also witnessed one patient who was in the hospital awaiting the results of her testing prior to surgery sitting with the family of a patient who had died.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of our patients for all of the support and financial gifts.

These post-op patients and guardians (theirs and others) were sitting outside yesterday:


Congress

Saturday was the 2nd Annual Congress of the Cameroon Northwest Anaesthetist Association.  It was well-attended by over 90 anesthetists, theater staff, and nursing students of the hospitals and health centers of the Northwest Region as well as the Western Region.  There was a Lifebox distribution and training program, as well as instruction and training on the WHO Surgery Safety Checklist.  There were also specialty lectures and discussions.  Overall I think this is a successful organization that represents the commitment to excellence and ongoing improvement of Cameroonian nurse anaesthetists.



Globalization of Indifference

Sunday was the First Sunday of Lent and the letter from Pope Francis for Lent, 2015 (“Make your hearts firm,“ Jas 5:8) was presented.  Pope Francis is concerned about what he is calling the “Globalization of Indifference.”  His idea is that when we are healthy and comfortable, we fail to think about those who are suffering.  In America, with the 24/7 News Cycle, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the problems of the world and within our nation, and it is easy to try to push this away and exist in our healthy and comfortable environment.  One way to overcome this sense of feeling overwhelmed is to focus on one or 2 things.  This is not to be indifferent to the rest of the suffering, but to realize that most of us are not in a position to correct all of the world’s injustices – but not to unduly contribute to them either!  Let’s not let the sense that we cannot fix everything lead us to indifference and selfishness so that we do not try to be part of the solution of anything.

The letter can be found here: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/lent/documents/papa-francesco_20141004_messaggio-quaresima2015.html

Happy Lent!