Dr. Jennifer Wilson

Dear friends and family,

It is with a very thankful heart that I report that every team member and every piece of baggage except for one (piece of baggage, that is) is safe and sound on Carpenter soil.

After an 11-hour ride, the team climbed off of our special bus and was warmly greeted with the words “Welcome Home” by David, Brenda and many of the NEA staff. For two-thirds of our team who are returning to Ghana for a second, third, fourth or fifth mission, these words are ring true. This place has become a second home to so many of us and we were so excited to greet our dear friends, brothers and sisters once again. It was so special to me to then watch as the 43 of us formed a huge circle and joined hands with a large group of our Ghanaian friends. Pastor Yebohah thanked God for bringing us safely to this place for this special time of service and committed these next two weeks into God’s hands. It was a special reunion.

I had to dry my tears quickly as we needed to prepare for tomorrow’s patients. After setting up the clinic and preparing the operating rooms, the team is now settled for the night. Most of us are in a wonderful new dorm together! I hope they all sleep well … there is much work ahead of us!

Thanks to you all for following our journey. We are grateful for your prayers and your support.

Jennifer

Jennifer Wilson, a physician in Uxbridge, Ontario, launched GRID’s annual health team several years ago and continues to lead it. She and her husband Graham are committed to alleviating suffering among Ghana’s poor. Jennifer is a board member of GRID.

After watching thousands after thousands of people come through our clinics, it was hard for me to believe that a “last patient” actually existed. Sure enough, around 6:30 pm tonight, the last script was filled and the last patient walked out the gates. We did it!

It was a great day full of highs and lows. A four year old little girl with Downs Syndrome was sick with malaria. Her two eyes were darting around in different directions and it was obvious that she could not see very well. It was quite a sight to see her coming out of the eye clinic with a perfect little pair of glasses (donated by a Canadian child). Her vision was corrected which allowed her eyes to align perfectly. She could not stop playing with the fingers on her hands that she has never seen before. That was a high.

The low for me was the moment I looked up to see a look on Dr Lorna’s face. I recognized the look from across the room … I have seen it too many times before. It was the look of anguish as she counseled an HIV positive woman who was pregnant and whose 3 year old was at her side.

Tomorrow we debrief, pack up, plan for the future and rumor has it that there may be some African dancers arriving. There will be a huge party in the evening for us and all the NEA staff and their families. It will be a pressure free day as we prepare for our long journey home. Now that our mission has been accomplished we are really missing our loved ones and cannot wait to get home to them all. There is just so much to tell you all.

This morning began with a big group laugh as our dentist Dr Kyle reminded us to ask our patients if they are having dental pain. Dental pain is translated “CaCa”. Speaking of Dr. Kyle … he and Amanda are very busy and face many difficult extractions each day. They are doing a fantastic job!

Today was the biggest clinic we have ever had. We were too tired to count our charts. The rains continue to hold off which allowed us to work a long 13 hour day with one quick lunch break. We were faced with some very, very challenging cases and it took a huge team effort to make our way through the crowd one person at a time. Dr. Carol and I spent about 2 hours running what I like to call a “rapid assessment gynecology clinic”. I had a moment where I had to stop and collect myself when I recognized, once again, the reality that the majority of these women had lost one if not more of their children. Their pain was palpable and I found myself trying to imagine life without one or two or three of my children. Most of these kids died of the very things we are treating: diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia.

The surgical team continues to do amazing work despite receiving disappointing news that 2 surgeons due to arrive today for 5 days have been delayed by 48 hours. They are determined to help as many as humanly possible and are making lists and plans for 2011. I think they are up to 120 procedures.

Tomorrow we need to dig deep. We are all physically and mentally weary and we are expecting a huge crowd. David tells us that our fame is spreading so far that people from the Ivory Coast arrived to Carpenter already to wait for our clinic. Oh my. Please pray for strength for each team member and that our supply of drugs will be enough for what sounds like more people than we anticipated. The miracle of the loaves and the fishes would be very timely right now!

We were challenged by Pastor Jacob at church yesterday to consider our life and, in all things, love one another and push ourselves beyond what makes us happy. As I watch this group of people work I recognize that they are doing just that. They are caring for the sick, relieving suffering, and giving sight to the blind in the midst of sweat, tears, diarrhea, and insect bites, and missing their families. They have gone way beyond personal happiness. This mission has been a powerful demonstration of love on so many levels.

Jumboga.

Jennifer

As I reflect on the events of the last three days, it feels as though three weeks worth of events have come to pass and three weeks worth of work has been done.

Our two days in the remote, rustic village of Yaara were memorable in so many ways. We arrived to a huge welcome celebration with drums beating and women dancing. The chief of Yaara, who is David’s brother Joseph, and at least 15 other chiefs and elders from other villages were seated and ready to greet us. Despite the massive amount of work before us, time was taken to greet one another with speeches, gifts, handshakes, and dancing. My African friends teach me so much … they never rush into anything without taking time for protocols involving interpersonal interactions with one another.

The clinic was set up and we went to work caring for many, many people with serious health issues. The breadth of disease we saw was astounding. Every area of the medical, dental, optometry, and physio sections of the clinic worked at such a high level with so much heart and soul over the two days.

We seemed to always have an emergency just as we finished our clinic. This time a young pregnant woman collapsed and we are thankful to report that she is well and has returned to her village. One remarkable story involves a man who presented with acute angle closure glaucoma in both eyes. His eye pressures were 4 times normal. With no laser in the country, our eye team and medical team worked together. Sixteen hours after treatment his pressures were down and he was out of danger. Dr Martin predicts he would have been blind in three days without treatment. “The blind will see” took on extra meaning for this man who was healed in the eye clinic which was held in the church.

This was the first time ever we were able to see all patients who came to the clinic … no one was turned away.

Other highlights include the bucket baths, the stars, the tour of Yaara, and the awkward white people trying to dance! I was presented to some baby Jennifers who were born to infertile women after being treated by the 2009 health team. The village presented the team with yams and another ram and eggs and fruit. The family of Joshua who almost died last year gave the team more yams and a guinea foul and a speech that will not soon be forgotten. We were thankful for the safe three hour journey home on the narrow, muddy, rut-filled road … or perhaps I should say path.

We had a great clinic today in New Longoro. 15 chiefs and elders greeted us in the new Peace Building built by NEA. It rained in the morning which cooled everything down so nicely. We sneaked out at lunch for a quick trip to the local market.

The surgical team have completed 114 procedures and three new surgeons are coming tomorrow! The team is doing an incredible job with the hernia patients and the urgent cases we send in from the villages.

We are two thirds of the way through our mission. Tonight we will play games, relax, and laugh. My jaw has been sore from laughing so much with this fantastic group of people. Tomorrow will be our day of rest. We will go to the local church and rest up for our final three days of work.

Much love to all our friends, family and supporters. We miss you and can’t wait to tell you even more when we see you face to face in one week.

Jennifer Wilson, a physician in Uxbridge, Ontario, launched GRID’s annual health team several years ago and continues to lead it. She and her husband Graham are committed to alleviating suffering among Ghana’s poor. Jennifer is a board member of GRID.

So much has happened this day that it is hard to capture in words. Through a beautiful display of teamwork, cooperation and generosity the team saw over 500 patients in sweltering heat in the village of Nyamboi.

It was quite a sight to see the headlamps blazing as everyone worked to finish in the pitch black. We thought we were finished when a young boy was carried in after falling from a moving motorbike. Team members worked in the dark to provide emergency care to this little boy who is going to be okay. The village thanked us with a huge pile of yams, a beautiful ram, and a stool (that you sit on) which is a symbol of welcome.

Despite such a busy day the bus ride home was full of animated conversation and it was 9pm when we returned to the compound. The surgical team also had a very busy day operating on 22 patients!

We are packed and ready for our two-day adventure to the very remote village of Yaara where we will sleep over. Yaara is my favorite village and we hear the village is just so excited about our arrival tomorrow. I don’t think we will be able to get a message to you tomorrow but will update as soon as we are back.

Thanks to all our friends and families for your support and prayers!

Until Thursday …

Jennifer

Jennifer Wilson, a physician in Uxbridge, Ontario, launched GRID’s annual health team several years ago and continues to lead it. She and her husband Graham are committed to alleviating suffering among Ghana’s poor. Jennifer is a board member of GRID.

We had a day in Carpenter that is hard to put into words.

After morning devotions the team was summoned to the chief’s palace before breakfast and we were greeted so warmly. After breakfast the rookies went on a tour of the development compound and saw with their own eyes the different sectors and how the medical work fits into this big picture.

We set up for the staff clinic and before we even began our work a contingent of elders from the village arrived with yams, a white ram, and words of gratitude that left many of us teary!

This incredible team went to work and this half-day clinic resulted in care being given to 260 patients and 17 hernia surgeries were completed! My favorite moment of the day was when David’s mother told us that ” before you were created you were all destined to be my sons and daughters”.

While we gave our all today to these dear people, I am quite certain that we received much more. Thanks be to God.

Jennifer Wilson, a physician in Uxbridge, Ontario, launched GRID’s annual health team several years ago and continues to lead it. She and her husband Graham are committed to alleviating suffering among Ghana’s poor. Jennifer is a board member of GRID.

We have landed safely in Accra and were welcomed by the Minister of State who simply waived us through customs with all of our bags. An African band played while the luggage was loaded onto the truck. [Read more…] about Arrival in Accra