Miguel is a baby who came in to the Iowa Miles of Smiles Team for screening who is 8 months old and had been given cleft lip surgery at an extremely early age and the repair failed. Now that Miguel is older and more physiologically able to recover from surgery, the team decided to undertake…
Read MoreIt began with a text. An aunt sees a poster for this year’s Iowa MOST mission and wonders if it might help her nephew. She texts a photo of the poster to the parents. They call the number on the poster and talk with local Rotarian David Ramos. He encourages them to come. They leave…
Read MoreWe are excited to say that Iowa MOST in 2020 includes a cataract mission! The need for cataract surgery here is clear. Several years ago Huehuetenango Rotary Club member Dr. Solorzano and Juan Francisco Fernandez, Executive Director of Casa Colibri brought the suggestion to team leader Deb Dunkhase. The Rotary Wheel The success of the…
Read MoreIt is a little bit less obvious to detect than if a kid has come around to trusting you and finally gives you a smile, but those of you who traveled a bit will probably agree: There are times when “attentiveness” is only as skin deep as the surface of a fuzzy peach, because it…
Read MoreOur Sunday starts with good news: The local Rotarian team was able to move a back-up anesthesia unit into the hospital and got it up and running, also we finally found suction containers in our supplies = Both of our OR’s are open for business! The surgery schedule for today lists 7 interventions – tonsillectomy,…
Read MoreSo far the 2019 Mission seems to be under a good star: The government shutdown is paused just in time for us all travelling and also winter storm “Jayden” seems to move through the plains plenty ahead of the time for our take-offs – I hope I dont JINXX it by writing those lines. It is…
Read MoreThere are so many people we meet here who touch our lives and offer their trust and friendship so that their child has an opportunity to receive medical help. One very special kid is Fernand0–he certainly has a special place in our hearts. Fernando’s father, Ricardo, is a nurse at a private hospital in Guatemala…
Read MoreThe Iowa MOST team is 2 days into surgeries, and there have been a wide variety of needs: tooth extractions, obturators (when the palate cannot be closed), cleft lip, cleft palate, tubes in ears, and a tonsillectomy. Many kids with cleft lip/palate have ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat) needs. The team works together closely, assessing our…
Read MoreThis week marks the departure of the Iowa MOST team for the 2017 mission to Huehuetenango, Guatemala. It will be the 12th year of this successful Rotary project, thanks in large part to the amazing partnership between the Iowa medical team, District 6000 Rotary Clubs, the Rotary Club of Huehuetenango, and Dr. Oscar Marroquin, and…
Read MoreGary Pacha has served as the Iowa MOST Team Leader for the past ten years exemplifying the “Rotary Serving Humanity” theme of the upcoming year. This year Gary will step back from the annual cleft missions to Huehuetenango. Though he won’t be on the flight out of Cedar Rapids with the rest of the team…
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