With one in every 1,000 children affected at birth, clubfoot is one of the more common deformities found in infants. Here in the U.S., treatment usually begins shortly after birth when non-surgical methods are most successful. But in places like Ecuador, treatment often comes too late… or not at all.Victor […]
An Act of Bravery, Kindness, and Charity: Becoming a Surgical Volunteer
So many of us can pick up the phone and make an appointment with our doctor when we have a cold or the flu. It’s heartbreaking to realize that half the population on our planet can’t afford medical care. In fact, more than three billion people worldwide live on less than $2.50 […]
Hernia Surgery Gives Alberto a New Lease on Life in Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, there is no retirement for the general population. Family members, regardless or age or gender, contribute to the daily housework, which generally consists of fetching water, tending crops, and caring for a few animals. Alberto Gonzalez is 69 years old, a widowed father of six, still doing what […]
Peru Ophthalmology Mission – Day 2
By Elizabeth Meyers, MPH MSW, Esperança volunteer translatorOur group, made of surgeons, doctors, nurses, Certified Scrub Techs, Certified Ophthalmic Techs, public health experts, and translators traveled with 25 suitcases full of medical equipment and medicine, for over 24 hours to meet the Esperança crew in Cusco for our first trip […]
A Mother’s Strength Helps Her Daughter Stand
Cinthya is a beautiful 13-year-old girl from the community of Ccochua, Apurimac, Peru. Despite the fact that she cannot walk or talk, she is a happy child whose family loves her dearly.
Cinthya’s hometown of Ccochua sits at approximately 10,600 feet in the Andes mountains. Ccochua is rich in fertile