It is so exciting to be writing to you from the dental room in the Limón clinic! The FOURTH team of the year arrived in Honduras on Sunday and it has been a whirlwind every day. The team has felt your support and prayers! They feel your presence every step of the way. And they know they can not do this without you.
Yesterday the team traveled to the furthest community, Punta Piedra. Surprisingly, the roads were not terrible and we arrived first thing in the morning. We were greeted by a small group of patients and two children who cheered loudly – and then ran off to fetch the others. The community did an excellent job of distancing. Rather than arriving all at the same time, patients who were leaving went and told patients waiting at home. It was an awesome system they developed themselves!
Dr. Ted’s initial evaluation. Our teams are always in the right place at the right time, but we often do not know it. But yesterday at Punta Piedra, it was clear why we were there. A 2 year old child came to clinic with his mother. When she was asked what was wrong, she really couldn’t tell the doctor. She just knew something wasn’t right and she should bring her child.
After examining the child, Dr. Ted and others at the clinic noticed he was lethargic. They tried waking him, but even the loudest voices could not keep him awake. What a frightening situation! The entire team jumped into action. Dr. Lon listened to his lungs, nurse Debbie grabbed the steroids and the nebulizer she had packed and they got to work. Getting ready for remote clinics is difficult, but at this moment, the attention to detail in the packing list was extremely helpful. They had everything they needed and knew where is was.
It took 4 nebulizer treatments to help that child start breathing normally again. He was so brave during it all and did not fight the treatment. His aunt stayed by his mama’s side and his twin siblings stayed close at hand. Your support makes it possible for teams to serve in remote villages. It allows medical providers to be in the right spot at the exact right time. What a blessing you are to those in need! As we watched the child recover for the next hour, we were thrilled to see him “wake up” and start walking around. I knew he was feeling pretty good when I saw him put the chair on upside down on top of his head and start wander around. Sorry, but I was not quick enough to get a photo of that! It’s always a joy for me to serve with a team, but it is even a greater joy to be reminded of the importance of you – the person who is at every team’s side. You whose support works every day to ensure someone is in the right place at the right time.
