Uplift Internationale http://www.upliftinternationale.org Mending faces ... one child at a time Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:36:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Sunday http://www.upliftinternationale.org/785/sunday/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/785/sunday/#comments Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:37:39 +0000 vol2012 http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=785 Continue reading →]]> Final blog from the Philippines! The last remnant of our week two mission team is here in Manila awaiting our second of three flights headed for Denver, arriving about 1:15 am Monday morning. A little over a week ago our whole team flew into Tagbilaran on the island of Bohol as strangers to the locals and to the new members joining our team from New York and Manila. Within hours of landing the Rotarians embraced us, our personal luggage, and almost 40 fifty-pound crates. They gave us a hugely entertaining welcome party making us all warmly welcome if not immediate friends. As the team focused on getting our operating units functioning properly, we all settled into a week doing what each of us does best. Most of us will come back home with life-changing stories-certainly of our patients and their families but often of ourselves as well. We received overwhelming support of the local medical personnel in the hospitals and cities in which we worked, the Philippine and Colorado Rotary Clubs that personally cared for us, and the Uplift Internationale Board of Directors and its advocates. What a privilege it is to have this heart-felt support to allow each member of the Operation Taghoy Mission 2012 team to use his and her God given skills to do what Uplift Internationale has done for 23 years-mending faces, one child at a time.
-Dr. Jerry Capoot

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/785/sunday/feed/ 0 Hospital searches for future missions http://www.upliftinternationale.org/782/hospital-searches-for-future-missions/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/782/hospital-searches-for-future-missions/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:08:47 +0000 vol2012 http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=782 Continue reading →]]> Whenever there is time, we try to search out hospitals nearby to evaluate for possible future missions. However, out of the blue a Dr. Grace Lim, sought us out to invite us to see a private hospital owned by her and her physician husband. Steve, Patti, Megs, and Jerry were picked up by Dr. Grace and took a 2 hour drive along a beautiful coastline to her hospital. It was surprisingly modern. We all felt this place could serve us well for a mission perhaps as early as 2013. Dr. Lim promised to start right away to seek out opportunities to recruit children with cleft lips to give us some idea as to what reasonable likelihood there is to have enough patients for next year. We are cautiously optimistic and very encouraged by her enthusiasm and “can-do” attitude. As soon as we return home, if our email exchanges warrant, we will include Dr. Lim’s hospital on our Emissary trip next summer. Jerry Capoot, MD

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/782/hospital-searches-for-future-missions/feed/ 0 The mission http://www.upliftinternationale.org/779/the-mission/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/779/the-mission/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:54:09 +0000 vol2012 http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=779 Continue reading →]]> Our mission has been a wonderful experience by all – team members as well as patients. Patients have come as far as five hours away just to be evaluated for surgery. Most have been accepted a few were not due to heart disease, TB, and infections. Some young adults with cleft palate are regularly rejected by missions because the surgery would not improve their speech. However we were able to serve several teenagers and young adults due to the expertise of our surgeons. One of our lead surgeons, Doctor Hector Santos, has a clinic in Manilla and we were able to refer a few to his clinic where he is conducting a study of the best way of treating the older cleft palate patients. We all felt very good about the mission and truly feel blessed to be a a part of this mission.

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/779/the-mission/feed/ 0 http://www.upliftinternationale.org/777/777/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/777/777/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:13:42 +0000 vol2012 http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=777 Continue reading →]]> Wow. What a week it has been. We have not been able to update the blog as frequently as we would have liked as internet access has been less available than we anticipated. Our second week, in Tagbilaran, is complete. We met many incredible patients, their families, Rotarians, hospital staff, and people in general. I think I speak for all of us when I say that the Filipino people are truly one of a kind. Their kindness and generosity is inspiring. Being a part of this mission and helping these children to have lives where they are no longer bullied out of school and are able to later find employment has been nothing short of life-changing.

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/777/777/feed/ 0 http://www.upliftinternationale.org/774/774/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/774/774/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:06:21 +0000 vol2012 http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=774

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/774/774/feed/ 0 Week Two http://www.upliftinternationale.org/700/week-two/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/700/week-two/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:17:16 +0000 Bret Scott http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=700 Continue reading →]]> Yesterday, Sunday, February 12, 2012 was the mission’s first day in Tagbilaran and the beginning of the second week of our mission. The day was spent screening patients and planning the schedule for the upcoming surgeries. In the evening our mission group attended a welcoming party thrown by the Rotary Club here in Tagbilaran. We had a wonderful time at the celebration and we were given the opportunity to meet all the members of the local Rotary Club. Today, the 13th of February, the mission is completing 13 surgeries on patients ranging from 6 months to sixteen years of age. We are also continuing to screen patients on a drop-in basis. So far all is going well and we are excited for the days to come.

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/700/week-two/feed/ 2 O.R. Staff hard at work http://www.upliftinternationale.org/768/o-r-staff-hard-at-work/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/768/o-r-staff-hard-at-work/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:28:40 +0000 Bret Scott http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=768

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/768/o-r-staff-hard-at-work/feed/ 3 Rowel’s story http://www.upliftinternationale.org/761/rowels-story/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/761/rowels-story/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:04:25 +0000 Bret Scott http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=761 Continue reading →]]> Rowel is 15 years old. He has a cleft lip. He’s been bullied so badly in school he was forced to leave and has only completed the 3rd grade. Because of his condition its hard for him to talk. He stays quiet.  Sadly, the statistics show that without more education and having a cleft lip…finding a job will be very difficult for him and chances are strong he will die. It’s a hard thing to hear about and a hard thing to write. If you made a financial contribution to Uplift Internationale you probably just saved his life. Thank you.

Rowel got his cleft lip repaired with surgery yesterday. It wasn’t easy and he’s in pain but he still let me take his picture. And he thanked me. But it wasn’t me…it was you. Raul is going back to school after April and with all the challenges hes already been through I’m convinced he’s going to catch up. I think he’s going to have a good life ahead of him. Heres a couple of his pictures.

 

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/761/rowels-story/feed/ 1 Morning Rounds http://www.upliftinternationale.org/758/morning-rounds/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/758/morning-rounds/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:52:24 +0000 Bret Scott http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=758 Continue reading →]]> Steve Krebs(MD) Mission Leader making his rounds and seeing who looks well enough to go home. We discharged 8 patients this morning. That’s the post-op ward where 15 patients and their families share one room for 1-2 days after surgery. Not one person complained. Happiness is all about perspective.

]]> http://www.upliftinternationale.org/758/morning-rounds/feed/ 2 Bubbles and an iPad http://www.upliftinternationale.org/752/bubbles-and-an-ipad/ http://www.upliftinternationale.org/752/bubbles-and-an-ipad/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:31:51 +0000 Bret Scott http://www.upliftinternationale.org/?p=752 Nancy Rosi on the Outreach Team entertains/distracts a young guy right before his surgery with bubbles and her iPad! Nice job Nancy!

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