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

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

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.

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.