On Mission

Very early in my education and training, I became interested in helping the needs of those who are less fortunate. I was a member of the BAJA Project for Crippled Children based out of Los Angeles, California. While a surgical resident, I made over 70 weekend visits to Mexicali, Mexico. A team of residents and attendings spent a whole Saturday treating pediatric patients that suffered from ailments such as clubfoot, flatfoot, cerebral paulsy, spastic paralysis, spina bifida, and congenital malformations of the feet and legs. Five consecutive weeks were spent casting and caring for the children. Many of the children were only weeks old. It was there I learned about the extremes of my profession and the pathological problems that were at their worse. The 6th week, the residents put together a whole weekend dedicated to reconstructive surgery for the pediatric deformities.

It was these visits to Mexicali, I became humbled by their need for medical care. I grew a heart for missions and celebrated every trip to Mexico. Many Saturdays we didn’t get back home until midnight, but oh the feel of the accomplishment of helping little children. The last year of my residency, the medical team traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras and for a sold week. We treated the worse conditions of the foot and leg I have ever seen. It was then, I confirmed that I wanted to take part in missions when ever I could.

My second year in practice, I took the opportunity to return to Honduras with a medical team from Baylor of Garland. Four anesthesiologists, four general surgeons, a hand full of nurses and one podiatrist visited Catecomas, Honduras. We treated all sorts of problems and I assisted on many surgical procedures.

That same year, I went with E3 ministries to the Amazon river. Another team consisting of a dentist, two PAs, two internal medicine physicians and I travel down the Amazon river outside of Manaus. Clinic were set up during a week of travel. We established clinics in 5 seperate villages and supplied the medical needs through minor surgery, medications and clothing needs. We tended to the families both physically and spiritually.

I wanted to share my experience with you so that you can see how fortunate we are as Americans. We often take many things for granted and I would encourage any person to go on mission and step out of their comfort zone. I always come back from mission with a new respect and humility towards life in the United States and others. Please enjoy the photos.

(click on photos)