Everyone in the clinic eagerly anticipates 3:00 pm every day when Caitlin, our international development student (who is responsible for our medical records and statistics) visits every team member. She carries a “Keep Calm and Carry On” tin which contains a little sheet of paper with inspirational quotes and a small treat. Today I will open and close with two of yesterday’s quotes that arrived to us with a piece of ‘Double Bubble” chewing gum.
The world is full of good people. If you can’t find one, be one. – Mother Teresa
Dr. David is a new Ghanaian physician who was sponsored through school by NEA. He divides his time learning new surgical skills with our hernia team and working with the medical doctors in the village. When I work with David, I am reminded of how special our Ghanaian physicians are. They are very well trained, very thorough, and they remain so compassionate and patient regardless of the many challenges that come while (or should I say whilst) trying to provide care in a low-resource setting. We had a surgical emergency in the village today where I was reminded yet again of the calibre of Ghana’s health professionals. Dr. Elke was our surgeon in the village who dealt with this emergency. We consulted with Dr. David, whose first question to the patient was “Do you have health insurance?” When the answer was no, we asked each other whether our surgical team at Carpenter could handle this case. Dr. David’s response, “Please, it is his only hope. If we don’t try and save him he will simply die. By the time we got home from the clinic, this young man had been operated on by Dan and Magdi (with David Mensah observing, I hear) and the surgery was a success. The world is full of good people.
Nurse Rita just completed her nursing training in Ghana and is another one of NEA’s scholarship students. Rita has been a joy to work with and is bubbling with enthusiasm. As part of this team she has a chance to work with 13 nurses with a wealth of experience and she is soaking up every minute. We had a little boy in the clinic with a very unstable knee due to a football injury. His MCL and ACL was ruptured, so walking was difficult. I sent him over to our nursing station to see if they could rig up some kind of support for his knee. That sweet boy returned with the biggest smile on his face with nurse Rita, Nicole and Judy, wearing a perfectly fitted knee brace that gave him enough stability that he now walk freely. Team funds will be needed to assist him with the surgery he will need. The world is full of good people.
Our dentist Kyle is here for the 7th time. He had a very special patient from the Fulani tribe in 2009 and she returns for her annual check up every year. Kyle has been taking a picture of her and her large family every year. This year, he gave her printed copies of these family pictures. Can you imagine? Later than afternoon this woman presented Kyle with a chicken. You must understand the Fulani tribe of migrant cattle workers are the poorest people in Ghana. Yet she has given her dentist this expensive gift. The world is full of good people.
After dinner, team reports were enjoyed by all. Our surgical team say there are not enough adjectives to add to awesome to describe their last couple of days. Thus far, 150 hernias have been repaired and Rob believes they will meet the target of 300 by the end of the fortnight. (By the way, fortnight is my new favourite word). Perry and Eric (now referred to as Team Stellar) diagnosed a child with congenital heart disease, and this morning he will be seen by Dr. Anne our paediatrician and Dr. Charlie our heart surgeon. Oh, and newlywed nurse Mel received her first marriage proposal — I think that is 4 in total for our surgical nurses.
Nurse Sue gave a wonderful report on behalf of our surgical nursing team, Garrett on behalf of our dental team, Elise on behalf of the pharmacy team (who enjoyed 30 minutes of power today), and Jane on behalf of the eye team. We are not driven by numbers around here, but just to give you a sense of the scope of the work of our medical, dental, and eye teams, over 2,000 patients have already been cared for. Wow.
After dinner we gathered in the Mensah living room where David gave us his own quote worth noting: “We have come into agreement with tender hearts that everyone deserves things like clean water, food, education and health care. He introduced Mumuni, who is manager of the Leyaata Ane Project designed to rescue moms and babies from dying in childbirth. Between 2016 and 2017, 3814 pregnant women have been visited and assisted to deliver in a health facility and all of those babies are visited 3 times in the first week of life to look for danger signs such as fever, poor weight gain and jaundice that would require an emergency referral. Support and capacity building in neonatal resuscitation was provided by Dr. Carlye and me in 2015, but our Ghanaian master trainers have scaled up the ongoing training and support: neonatal resuscitation and early newborn care has been extended to 79 health workers and 105 traditional birth attendants. As a result, 1145 babies who would have died at birth were successfully resuscitated between 2016 and today. Our team was speechless. As a result of this program, which receives funding support from Global Affairs Canada, the neonatal death rate has dropped from 40-50/1000 to 5/1000.
Dr. Mensah concluded our evening but sharing a little bit about the vision for the “Leyaata Hospital“: a 50-bed model hospital, staffed and run by Ghanaian health workers under the leadership of NEA. A hospital that is desperately needed right now. Back at home we are working very hard to complete the capital campaign and we are well over the half-way mark. This campaign will provide the funds to build and run the hospital for 3 years after which it will be sustainable — just like every other NEA program. Dr. Rob, who was part of our one-year hospital feasibility study, is hoping to put some of the engineering drawings up in our dining room for the team to enjoy. Please see the GRID/NEA website if you want more information about this hospital — our collective dream come true!
The last quote on our little piece of paper yesterday was
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9)
This week our team with tender hearts have spoken up and we have defended the rights of the poor. Every day the Leyaata team with tender hearts is speaking up for the babies that cannot speak for themselves. And the day is coming soon when the Leyaata Hospital, full of tender-hearted Ghanaian health professionals like Dr. David, nurse Rita and pharmacist Emmanuel, under the leadership of NEA, will be defending the rights of the poor and needy for generations to come. I pray really hard that as we add more good people and more tender hearts to the NEA fan club, these hospital doors could be open sooner than we think.
Andrea Baynton says
Thank you so much for these updates on your daily experiences. It so wonderful to read about what is happening in this country. What an inspiration your team is to others. Leslie I can’t say enough about your work there. We had snow flurries in St Catharines today.
Linda Fockler says
Thank you Dr Wilson for the inspirational updates. Blessings on you and your amazing team.
Julie Quilter says
Good to hear all the news through the updates
Thinking of you all
Charlie, Elijah, Debs &Simon says
So wonderful to hear all that you are achieving -keep up the energy you are making such a difference. We are now “Charlie less, “but it was so lovely having him stay and elijah enjoyed having a substitute brother for a few days. Go Hicks!!
Kate Inchley says
What an amazing team you are ,get very emotional reading your updates so many inspirational things happening there . We pray for God’s protection on you all, we miss Rob Jo, and Ted , Elsa and Charlie are great , Have a good second week see you next Sunday
Love and blessings
Kate xxx
Bryan Ferguson says
Hey Everyone!!! Man, I am missing being a part of another amazing adventure! Jenny your book-logs are so encouraging and inspiring to read. They move us to not only cheer you guys on day-to-day, but to rise up and do more in our own realms as well.
I do hope Dave is taking good care of you all. Is he standing out in the sun and entertaining the patients in the waiting room?! I expect nothing less of him. Hi to my team member Kim from last year as well and to my sweet niece Amelia.
Hey, who is speaking in the Carpenter service Sunday morning? Remember to join the worship dancing and entertain our Ghanaian family. Give hugs and high-fives to Abraham and my sister Jenn.
Blessings on you all!
Bry-ave 🙂 (Bryan…the 1st half of the Bryan-Dave team 2016)
Katherine Badali says
Dear Dr.Wilson,
Thank you for the beautiful work of God your team is engaged in. Please wish my baby sister Margaret a very blessed and happy birthday with love from Katherine and Michael. We will pray for all of you at mass tomorrow.
Marvelling at the generosity of your team and God ‘s children in Ghana.
Helen Dempster says
Dear my crazy aunt nurse Leslie (aka Tookie) and the rest of the wonderful Ghana health team
I have been thinking about this team daily and am loving the updates. Thanks Jenn for the care and detail you put into your blogs. They transport me back to Northern Ghana and reading them is the highlight of my day.
The anecdotes highlight the tenderness, patience, and stamina that this team working alongside amazing Ghanaian colleagues brings to each day. The amount of patients you’ve cared for in one week is phenomenal. I hope everyone had a bit of well-deserved downtime this weekend and a fun talent show last night!
As you enter your final week, I hope for you that the road to Asantekwa is smooth, the weather cooperative, the crowds manageable and that you all stay in good health yourselves.
I can’t wait for a full debrief from Leslie when she returns home.
Lots of love from Canada,
Helen
Nadine Armour says
Loving the updates! Thanks for taking us on your journey and allowing us to feel part of the team!
We knew our eye team would be amazing! Uncle Dan and Aunt Barb don’t know how to do anything less… we miss you guys but all is well on the home front!
Nate, Zach AND Elmo say Hi!! 😉
We are all with you guys from Canada!! Enjoy everything this trip has to offer!
Lots of love the Armours
Ian and Margaret says
Greetings from Northern Ireland.
We are highly impressed by the sterling work done by all departments of a highly efficient team.
To have achieved so much in under a week speaks volumes of the foresight, preparation, and dedication of a well motivated group of professionals.
150 hernias in six days! – this must be a record – well done the
surgical team and David H.
So – rest on the seventh day ( if this is possible) and back to work on Monday. Safe journey home!
Kang-il and Young-ae Yoon says
Whenever you encounter those kind of surgical emergencies,those will be overcome in the presence of God. God will be always with you and work with you who have tender hearts and compassionate. God bless you all.
Tess Demoster says
Ron and I enjoy reading about your successes and exploits. Your photos are such a bonus. So much worthwhile work is being done and will continue to be done next week. Say hi to my crazy sister (wait until the talent show) and our friends Barb and Dan .
Jo Smith says
Realy enjoying daily updates you are all working very hard and doing some much good.
Pauline Pankewich says
Amazing work is being done by your team may God continue to bless you and keep you
Sam Cunningham says
Lovely to read these daily updates, the world certainly is full of good people. Great to hear that Rob is working hard on those hernias!
Lots of love to Jo, Rob & Ted. Elsa has been the perfect house guest, Charlie staying here tonight as him & zach are off to a party together! Take care, keep up the great work & can’t wait to hear all about it on your return xxx
Young Yoon says
I’m sure Jesus , our Lord will remember your hard work , Gahna Health Team!
God bless!
Peter says
Well realizing you are not about numbers those numbers are all about what you talk about. What a terrific update!
Tracy Bees says
Hi Melissa hope you are having fun whilst burning in the sun. It is cold here. I helped with the lighting at drama and i felt really important. Mum reads me the blogs and always gets teary and says how pround she isvof you. See you next week. Lv u Chaz xx
Marjorie Miller says
I can’t wait for each update, when I read them I feel part of what your doing,
The first week as gone very quickly, look forward to the next update love to Di Dugdale.
Tony Brown says
Thanks Jenn for your updates so well written. It makes me feel like I am there with you all again. Great work done so far and many people’s lives are obviously changed. It is so wonderful to know the effect of this ongoing relationship over the past ten years.
A special hello to Eric and Perry of the Team Stellar (sounds like Star Trek talk). It sounds like you continue to ‘raise the bar’ with the anaesthetic cases you are doing.
I pray for good health for all the team over the next week but a great time of rest today and tomorrow.
Peace,
Tony Brown
Tom and Julie Eustace says
Very much enjoying your updates, and so touched by the inspirational work you are doing. Thank you for your selflessness.
Debbie C. says
Thank you so much for these daily updates , I look forward to reading these every day.
Your team and the teams in Ghana are a true inspiration. I’m in awe of how much the team has accomplished in such a short time.
God bless you all and if I may take just a moment to wish Margaret a VERY Happy birthday on the 19th – this one will be one to remember for sure! Sending love xxoo
Joe Frost says
Missing you so much Melissa, im so proud of what you are doing out there! Keep up the good work all! Can’t wait to have you back home though. I love you! xXx Joe