I write this while I’m 39,000 feet somewhere over the Atlantic with an outside temperature of -75˚F on my way to Amsterdam. I’ve forgotten how very small, yet large, our world is. The clouds are creating a beautiful blanket onto which the moon is reflecting its light. The stars are vibrant and seem to be just an arm’s length away.
My trek began at 3:35pm EST today (11/29) in Kalamazoo, MI USA and will end at 11:30pm on 11/30 in Delhi, India (that’s 10:00am EST on the 30th) where I’ll meet up with the team to travel on to our final destination – Guwahati, Assam, India on the afternoon of 12/1.
I’ve been fortunate to have travelled to several other countries in my short years; however, I have not experienced such a variety of emotions on any previous trip. Travelling on my own to a “strange” country half-way around the world to meet up with volunteers from across the globe (whom I’ve never met before), knowing my perspective will forever change when we begin our mission. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous today when I was packing my bags and saying goodbye to Chris at the airport.
My nerves have subsided and excitement endures. I know this will be an amazing experience and I feel so fortunate to be on this journey.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been asked several questions about this trip. Below is an effort to answer some of them. If you have any questions, please post them on the site comments and I’ll do my best to provide some insight.
Enjoy and thank you again for your continued support.
What will you be doing? My role in the trip will be to assist anywhere needed – medical records, recovery, post op, etc. I’ll know exactly what my role will be when we get on-site and better understand where the extra hands are needed. More to come!
Who is going? Clinical volunteers from Australia, India, Peru, UK, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Canada, Columbia, Egypt, and the USA (IA, NJ, OH, PA, MI, WA, CA, KY, NC, UT, VA, TN, CO and MN) - all are represented through the various volunteer roles including:
• 14 Plastic Surgeons
• 10 Anesthesiologists
• 4 Pediatricians
• 2 Orthodontists/Dentists
• 25 Allied Health/Nurses (OR, Recovery, Pre/Post Op and Post Op Night Nursing Staff)
• 2 Speech Therapists
• 2 Biomedical Techs
• 6 Medical Records Staff
• 2 Imaging Techs
• 19 Miscellaneous (Op Smile Staff, Students, Special Guests, etc)
Everyone attending this mission is a volunteer and paid their own way to participate. My trip was made possible by a very generous grant from Stryker CMF! Thank you Stryker for your dedication to improving healthcare around the world!
What is a cleft lip/palate and why do they occur? Cleft Lips and Cleft Palates or a combination thereof are the most common birth defect in children today (even in the US). A cleft is a fissure or opening—a gap. It is the non-fusion of the body's natural structures that form before birth. These defects typically occur during the first six to eight weeks of pregnancy and are caused either by genetic factors or environmental factors such as maternal diet. According to the American Cleft Palate Foundation, one of every 600 newborns in the US is affected by cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Surgery is performed to close the “gaps”. No implants are used in the surgery – just soft tissue work with plenty of suture and talented surgeons.
“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”
PS…I’ve discovered (the difficult way of course) that my internet connection card is not compatible internationally, despite the confirmation it would work by an unnamed service provider. I’ll be doing my best to update you as often as possible depending on internet availability in India.
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Beth - Your writing is so beautiful, you should write a book :). I am so so happy and excited that you were able to take this trip. I hope you have an experience of a lifetime. I miss you and cannot wait to hear more about your adventure. Love you so much!
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