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"A trip to another world," is how Dr. Andy Johanson, adjunct professor of Pastoral Counseling, describes his 12-day experience serving in Pereira, Columbia. A passionate Rotary member for 30 years, Andy exemplified their mission statement ("service above self") as he traveled to a clinic at Hospital Universitario San Jorge with Rotaplast, a group sponsored by his local Rotary International Club. The team of volunteers set out to help provide life-changing surgeries and medical care for children and adults (ages 6 months to 49 years) suffering from cleft lips and pallets.
The volunteers were greeted by a swell of patients when they arrived at the clinic on Monday, August 9th, 2010. "We were told to expect 95 patients for surgery, but, when we approached the hospital there was a huge line wrapped around the hospital of 215 patients," says Andy. Families traveled from hours away to receive medical attention. One mother only had enough money to afford three hours of the five hour bus trip, so she and her child walked the remaining two hours to visit the clinic. Others stayed in homeless shelters for the duration of the process so they would not have to travel hours back and forth each day.
Andy's primary role on the trip was to prepare mothers and children for the surgeries, making them aware of the process and providing vital reassurance regarding the skill of the medical professionals. As part of his intake work, he also took hemoglobin.
Following the operations, he escorted parents to the recovery room to be reunited with their children. This aspect of Andy's work proved to expose him to some of the most moving moments of the experience. One particular incident that brought tears to his eyes involved a mother and her 21-year old son Andy had spent a considerable amount of time with in intake. Upon reconnecting in the intake room, "... they started to cry. The mother turned to me, and through our translator said, 'He has been waiting for this operation all his life.' I was shaken by this experience,” reflects Andy in a letter to his mission trip supporters.
Andy returned from his trip with a great appreciation for the work of the surgeons, referring to them as, "miracle workers." Over the course of the 12-day mission, workers performed 137 procedures on 90 patients, improving the appearance, vocal abilities, and esteem of these individuals.
More information about this trip, as well as other Rotaplast Mission trips can be found at the Rotaplast Missions blog.
Photos courtesy of Andy Johanson. |
