Acts of Kindness

Here are just a few special acts of kindness from the Nakuru, KenyaTeam, as if the medical mission itself wasn't enough:

Student Team Necklaces and Tees!
Once we arrived in Kenya, Karina surprised Century and I with a special necklace, made just for us.  The initials K C B, stand for Karina Century Brittany.  This was a sweet surprise that instantly bonded us even more. 

    


Karina was not through with surprises.  She also created tie-dye t-shirts for the three of us! We planned to wear them on the same day, to the hospital and school and orphanage visits.  Everyone loved them and wished that we had more to give out. Though I am only the Student Sponsor, the fact that the girls included me in with the necklace and tee put a smile on my face.

Dresses for Girls in Africa!
One of the medical volunteers, Nancy Kraus (Recovery Nurse), brought more than 100 dresses that were handmade by her and a group of friends.  They make dresses to send to girls in Africa.  Nancy handed out dresses to all of the girls that had surgery, as well as sent some with us to handout at the orphanages and throughout the other patient wards.  All of the girls LOVED their new dresses, even if the only sizes left were a little big:)

Special Notes for the Team!
The Student Team wanted to do something special for all of the other team members and let them all know what an amazing job they were doing and thank them.  After a few nights of working on personalized cards for each team member (there was a lot of team members, so it took us longer than expected), we slid the cards under the hotel room doors on Thursday night.  So many thanked the Student Team the following day for the pleasant surprise.  They said it was a perfect lift to a tiring but fulfilling week, as they started off the final day of surgery!

Coca-Cola and Fanta!
In the United States and other developed countries, these two drinks are so plentiful, that you don't fully realize how great it was to have one during the mission.  They days were long and we were all in need of a daily pick-me-up of energy. Who knew a soda could taste so good!

Across from the hospital, there were small shops that sold Coke products and Fanta.  Coke-Light (or Diet Coke) was a hot commodity and you were lucky if they had some in stock.  Orange Fanta was good, but apparently those who tried they Pineapple Fanta could not get enough of it.  Rarely were the drinks cold, but it didn't matter.  Many of the volunteers were not able to leave the hospital to get a soda, so some of us would go across the street and buy a crate of as many Cokes and Fantas that we could.  The store would give us a crate to carry the drinks over, but we had to leave a deposit for the box and bottles:) After everyone had their drinks, we would return the crate and bottles back to the shop, with full intentions of returning the next day for more.

Never underestimate a random act of kindness.

Final Day of Surgery Week

Final day of Surgery Week

The new King and Queen of Smiles for the day were Kenyan volunteers, Doris (OR nurse) and Albert (plastic surgeon).

Century, Doris, and Karina

Every day, more people showed up to see if they could get help for their cleft.  The surgery schedule had been completely filled with patients who had arrived on the first two screening days.  However, if the person was healthy enough to receive surgery later that day or the next, the medical volunteers were always in agreement to add another person.  Though it would mean that their day in the OR would be longer, up to 12 or 15 hours, they were more than willing to give up a few more hours to create one more smile.

Commitment – the true meaning of commitment is portrayed by the many Operation Smile volunteers that have continued to give so much of their time to the cause. Here are a few that have been helping to change lives since almost the very beginning:

Doris – local Kenyan volunteer and OR nurse has been involved since 1987, when Operation Smile first came to Kenya.  She is an incredible person, always on the go and always with a smile on her face.

Florence – local Kenyan volunteer and nurse who has been involved for 17 years.

Dr. Robert Russell – plastic surgeon from the United States who has been involved for 23 years and has been on more than 35 missions.

Dr. Dan Sellers – plastic surgeon from the United States who has also been involved since almost the very beginning.  Dr. Sellers and Dr. Russell both came on a mission to Kenya in 1988, and shared their excitement to see so much positive growth in Operation Smile Kenya since then.

Operation Smile Kenya has been around for twenty three years.  There are 3 staff and more than 250 local volunteers and the efforts here in Kenya continue to grow.

The final day of surgery closed with the Final Party.  At another local hotel, the reception was set up for us.  There was initial introductions to the night, conducted by local volunteer, Alan, who I am pretty sure could make a side career being a comedian and mc.  Throughout the mission, he was always smiling, dancing, and saying something funny.

A dance group opened with tribal dancing and acrobatics.  Then we all proceeded to eat our final meal together.  Speeches were made by the coordinators and team leaders, special gifts and certificates were handed out, and to our surprise the Student Team was called up to 'sing a song or say a poem.'  We were totally caught off gaurd, as no poem was prepared and we weren't expecting to sing the song in this formal setting.  Dan had taught us a Kenyan song about togetherness and building Operation Smile.  Karina and Century had created some superlative awards to handout, so instead of singing - which I bailed on, they went up to announce and hand out the awards.  It was FUN break in the middle of the ceremonies, and they did great!  Here were a few of the awards:

'Best at knocking people and babies out'
Anesthesiologists

'Best at making babies cry'
Recovery Nurses

'Most Exercised'
Post-Op Nurses (the post-op ward was far away from pre-op, or, and recovery)

'Most likely to promise the student team an elephant'
Roy, the Kenyan coordinator

'Best Scrubs'
Doris

'Most likely to become a National Geographic Photographer'
Dr. Dan Sellers (he had the best camera on the safari and was getting the best shots)

'Most likely to miss their flight'
Russel (he missed it by a day on the way to Kenya) :)

After the ceremonies closed with a bittersweet thanks and farewell, there was cake and dancing.  Then the girls and I decided to go dancing with the team for a little bit, to celebrate this amazing time that we have had together.

I am so happy and proud to have shared this experience with Century and Karina.  They were an awesome Student Team and I enjoyed every minute of our journey to help give smiles in Kenya!

Surgery Week - Day 4

Surgery Week - Day 4

Another early day! Today the students and coordinator, Erin Kennedy, decided to do some surprise and delights for the team. 

First, at the team meeting, Dr. Russell (surgeon)  and Donna Franklin (clinical coordinator), were awarded the King and Queen of Smiles. They each received a crown to wear for the day, and were awarded a thirty minute massage at the hotel.  Tomorrow, they would have to select two volunteers to pass their crowns toJ

Karina and Century also gave out beaded necklaces that were to be passed around.  If you saw someone doing something special, wanted to thank them for their hard work, or just share a compliment, you would pass along your beads to them. 

There was also a ‘Name that Caption’ game in the tea break room. Three photos were cut out of the local news paper and posted up.  Anyone could write down a caption that they thought best fit the photo.  There were so many funny ones.  At the end of the day, a winner was selected for best caption of each photo.  Everyone enjoyed this so much, that we played it again on Friday.

Half way through the day, I was introduced to a young boy named Peter.  He was in eighth grade and his mother was a local nurse and Operation Smile volunteer.  Since schools in Nakuru just went on break, Peter had a free day and wanted to come and see what the Operation Smile was all about.  Since the student team and I were present, it was only fitting that we show him around.  I told him about Operation Smile, the history, what happens on a medical mission, and showed him around each area of the mission site.  He was fully engaged in learning more and wanted to help out as much as he could.

Karina and Century gave him more information about what student volunteers do on a mission and at home, in their schools and communities. They showed him about the four health care modules they had been presenting all week.  To our surprise he was well informed on all of them, including Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT), which he had learned as ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution).  They asked if he would be willing to translate for a few presentations and he was more than happy to. 

 ORT presentation

 Burn Care and Prevention presentation

 STOP

 DROP

AND ROLL!

Out of all of my mission experiences with student teams, I can honestly say that Peter was the best translator for the presentations, even compared to some adult volunteers.  He was a very intelligent boy (who hopes to one day be a neurosurgeon), and he was genuinely interested in helping get the word across to the patients, parents and families.  He was engaging and interactive and not one bit nervous about speaking in front of others. I was so proud of them all after the presentations and we were delighted to hear that Peter wanted to accompany us to our orphanage visits that afternoon.

We were able to visit two orphanages.  At the first, we were able to meet the children and get a tour of the facility.  It was basically a large home and the children were referred to as a family.  There was a room for boys, a room for girls, and a room for infants and toddlers.  In the rooms there were bunks, and typically two children slept per bed.  The caretaker did not own a car, so there were a number of strollers in their garage.  The kitchen was very clean and there was a small front and back yard.  The home was fenced in with a tall cinderblock wall and heavy metal gate.  They children seemed happy and everyone was welcoming.  After Peter, Karina and Century presented on burn care and prevention and dental hygiene, they handed out toothbrushes, and then some toys, clothing and school materials.

The ride to the visits were bumpy, to say the least.  We rode in the enclosed back on metal benches, and because most roads aren’t paved other than the main road, there were dips and pot holes everywhere.  We were bouncing around in the back as our driver, who later admitted getting lost, drove in circles on the back roads until we finally made it to the next orphanage, school, and home for adolescent girls. 

At the second visit, most of the students were already gone for the day, and for the ones there we had a difficult time getting the administration to gather them for presentations. So, we settled on a tour of a portion of the facility.

That evening, we were delighted to take a break from eating at the hotel. Dan Odaba, aka – Dan the Man (Electronic Medical Records volunteer), took us out to a Chinese Restaurant. Of course you don’t think about eating Chinese food in Kenya, but I think it was one of my favorite meals of the trip. Donna (Child Life volunteer) came with us too.

The Kenyan’s philosophy seems to not only be ‘No worries – Hakuna Matata’ but also ‘No Hurry.’ Dinner at the hotel always takes more than an hour to get served after you order. Most of the international volunteers showed a little frustration with this, as we are all so used to the fast pace in our daily lives. At dinner, we talked to Dan about this and he says that people are always in too big of a hurry to just sit back and enjoy.  In Kenya, it is usual for dinner take longer because it is a time to relax, socialize, and fully enjoy your company and meal. If you think about it, it makes so much sense! 

Surgery Week - Day 3

Day 3 – Surgery Week

On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to observe in the OR, watching the surgery process and children’s lives transform before our eyes.  This was Karina and Century’s first time in the OR and my third.  Each time, the expertise and drive of surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists never ceases to amaze me.

We changed into our brightly colored scrubs and animal print scrub hats.  Donna Trent, the Child Life Therapist, had made some fun scrub hats for the team and Karina, Century, and I chose the animal print. Perfect for the OR when you’re in Kenya!  We saw some other cool scrubs, including an Obama scrub hat worn by quite a few of the Kenyan volunteers.

Once changed, the Clinical Coordinator, Donna Franklin, showed us around the OR, so we could see the schedule, the five surgery tables, and best practices in observing. I must say that Donna is a truly amazing woman and clinical coordinator.  Never once did I see her stop and rest throughout the week.  Her role is to coordinate the surgery schedule and make sure everything runs as scheduled.  She would retrieve patients from child life, when they were up next for surgery.  Her beautiful smile and warm heart, always kept the patients at ease as they left their family members to walk into the OR for surgery. 

We were all a bit nervous to view a surgery, as there have been horror stories of people and students passing out in the OR.  I myself almost passed out on my last mission in India, while in the OR. A student did too.  There were a few tips to try and avoid this: don’t lock your needs, don’t forget to breath, and step outside to set and get some fresh air if you start feeling the slightest bit off.  Karina and Century were initially cautious about getting to close, but in a short time they were accustomed to the OR and watchig surgeries as they happened, right along side the medical volunteers.  The surgeons and other volunteers were very engaging and welcoming to us and happy to share their knowledge and the surgery process with the students.  I was able to capture some photos of their incredible work.

I have only been on three Operation Smile medical missions, and out of those three, this mission has the most burn patients, by a lot.  In previous OR visits, I have viewed cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries, which are truly a work of art by the surgeons.  This time, there were quite a few burn patients on the schedule, so I was intrigued to try and watch the process. 

One burn surgery was on a young girl named Debra.  Since the first time I met her during screening, her sweet smile and somewhat shy personality touched me.  She had been badly burned on her entire right arm, chest and some of her back.  Without the proper care, the skin will become contracted as it heals and can leave a previously mobile part of the body, immobile.  This was the case with Debra.  The skin had contracted and she could no longer flex or move her arm well at the elbow and under arm area.  Two dedicated Kenyan surgeons, Gome and Albert, worked together to adjust the skin in certain areas, so to correct the problem.  Since the skin had contracted so much, they also had to do a small skin graft, taking skin from her stomack and putting it on a small spot on her arm.

 Debra in Pre-Op the morning of her surgery

This is her burn scar, before surgery photo

The girls and I were hesitant to watch the second burn surgery.  The little girl’s story was painful enough, but to watch was even more heartbreaking but also uplifting knowing that Operation Smile volunteers were going to help her as much as we could.

Her name was Joyce and she was seven years old.  She had recently been burned over more than 25% of her body (all over her head and face, her back, her arms and hands, and her chest).  The burn had happened a month ago. Joyce and her family are refugees and lived in a refugee tent community.  One tent caught on fire, and with it being windy out, other tents quickly caught on fire too.  The tent that Joyce and her sister were in also caught on fire.  We came to learn that Joyce’s older sister escaped the fire but returned to the tent to help get Joyce out.  Somehow, Joyce survived with the extreme burns, but sadly her sister did not. 

Not only did Joyce survive a devastating fire, but she lost her sister.  I myself have lost a sibling and know that words cannot describe how that alone can turn your world upside down.  I know I will continue to think of Joyce and hope that as her scars on the outside heal, that the scars left on the inside too will heal.  No doubt it will be extremely hard, but I have confidence that Joyce and her mother, who tried to remain calm and strong at the hospital, will be able to endure through this terrible tragedy.

It was difficult to watch the surgeons unwrap her bandages.  Though a month had passed, the burns on her forehead and forearms seemed fresh.  In hopes that her burns would heal better, Dr. Robert Russell, a surgeon who I later found out has been volunteering for 23 years, and Resident Surgeon, Ryan, worked together along with many others, to take skin grafts from her thigh and fix them to the worst burned areas (forearms and forehead). Because her entire face had been burned, as it healed, the skin around her eyes had contracted to the point where she was not able to close them.  They also created new eyelids for her. Once you removed yourself from the emotions and Joyce’s life situation, it made it easier to just watch in amazement, the work of the medical volunteers. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to be among such talented, compassionate individuals, and witness them working alongside one another in the OR to change lives.

We spent all morning in the OR.  Afterwards, we helped out in Child Life and Post Op and visited the patients in Pre-Op that had arrived to receive surgery the following day.  Later, we had the unique opportunity to accompany another Operation Smile staff, a few guest volunteers, and a previous Operation Smile world care patient, to a local Kenyan Museum, Hyrax Hill.

It is a pre-historic site near Nakuru that is considered one of Kenya's most important neolithic excavation sites. The museum was much different from our museum standards, but very interesting.  Hyrax Hill was an archealogical site, where they had found artifacts and other information about earlier peoples that had lived in the area dated as far back as 1500 B.C.  They were pastoral tribes that traveled around with livestock.  After we walked through the small museum (three rooms), we followed a path over Hyrax Hill to see some of the actual excavation sites.  It was an enjoyable experience.

Closing with another photo to SMILE about:

Debra the morning after her surgery!  I was able to visit her before she left and gave her a pillow made by a student volunteer in California:)

Surgery Week - Day 2

Though today was the shortest day of the week that we've had so far, this is the most tired I have felt and many are feeling a little under the weather, including the student team.  Karina started to feel a little sick yesterday, and it has gotten worse today, so we decided to go back to the hotel so everyone could get rest and hopefully come back 100% tomorrow.

It is 3:00pm and we are back at the hotel.  Century and Karina went straight to their rooms to sleep.  I on the other hand am sitting in the lobby trying to access this spotty internet.  My roommate, Julie, is volunteering as a night nurse, so for the duration of surgery week she will be at the hospital from 7:00pm to 7:00am.  She has a ‘do not disturb’ sign on our room door, so I opted not to bother her.  Just snuck in for my laptop and a book.

For the hours we were at the hospital, we did get a lot in.  We were able to say bye to most all of the patients who received surgery yesterday and were being released this morning, including my new friend Haron.  Operation Smile doctors did surgery on his eye, releasing his eye/eye lid so that it would be more functional.  The skin was very tight around the eye and it was much smaller than the other, due to the burn that happened to him when he was a toddler.

Many new people showed up for screening again today.  There were six surgeries scheduled for each surgery table, and then more were added on this afternoon.  With five surgery tables, that comes to more than 30 surgeries.  The doctors, surgeons and nurses had a long day yesterday and will likely have another today.

In addition to helping, observing, and presenting at the hospital, the Student Team visited an orphanage and primary school. Century, Karina, Polly (a special guest), and Afia (Kenyan non-medical volunteer) brought many donations along with us to both places.  We gave the orphanage and school pencils, pens, sharpeners, paper, stickers, soccer balls, calculators shaped in rulers, and more.

The orphanage was the first stop.  It was for an orphanage for children from infant to eighteen years old. The orphanage is well known in the community and they say hospitals, local community groups and other organizations know of their work and refer orphan children there.  At the orphanage they receive care, food, and education.  At any one time they can have more than 150 orphans and some will stay until they are eighteen years old.  They also work with the government to allow adoptions of the orphans, mostly the infants and younger ones.

Some babies are abandoned at the hospital shortly after they are born; the mother walks out for a few minutes and never comes back.  They use a fake name when they check in.  Some children's only guardian is a grandparent and if the grandparent passes away, the children are left orphaned. If parents abandon their children and then come to claim them back, the must get a court order to prove that they are the parents.  

When we arrived, school was getting out so there were no older children there.  Only babies and young children.  We visited the nursery first, where we had to take off our shoes before entering.  Then we saw where the toddlers sleep.  Afterwards, we were able to hang out for the children for a little bit.  Many were running around barefoot with runny noses.  It took a minute for them to realize what we were asking, but we were able to get a great group photo!

The Moi Primary School was the second stop. On the way there, we found out that the school actually did not know we were coming.  Afia told us that the schools welcome guest and it should be no problem.  Immediately upon arriving we met with the Headmaster.  She was delighted to see us, and happy to arrange a visit with her students.  We found out that the school had a large attendance - 2,000! She was also happy that we were leaving so many things and said since tomorrow will be the last day of school until break, she would make sure they each received a gift.

We visited a 1st grade class and the students were great.  Typically, each class has 50 or more students in it.  They were very attentative to Karina and Century, as they presented on Burn Care and Prevention and Dental Hygiene.  Before we left, each student received a new toothbrush and pencil.  As we walked out, so many students followed us and wanted to have their photo taken.  They followed us all the way out the front gate of the school.

It was great to see a school.  The schools are very different from schools in the United States, though there are still the basic similarities.  The buildings were older, with the paint peeling.  There were wooden tables and chairs as desks.  A chalk board but the teacher had no chalk.  The room decorations on the wall were old newspapers.  But they all knew English well and seemed to be happy to be in school and learning.  It was so great to feel so welcomed, though we showed up unannounced.  I don't imagine that would ever go over well at a school back home.  Just getting through visitor check in can be a hassle.