Friday, February 21, 2025
After a group Celebration Dinner Thursday evening, the team had Friday off to tour Antigua and prepare for the trip back to the States on Saturday.
Friday morning, the surgeons visited the remaining patients and scheduled them for discharge. While there is satisfaction in reassuring patients that their procedure went well and they can return home, there is also sadness in saying goodbye.
Friday afternoon a group of us took a bus ride to the Casa de Angeles orphanage outside Antigua. Dr. Ted Peters and his wife, Nan, are very active with this orphanage and have invited our team many times over the years to visit the two nuns (who are also sisters) and the children they care for. The children are a delight to visit and have so much fun showing everyone around … not to mention playing a little soccer!
As we wind up another amazing week in Guatemala, I want to take the time to acknowledge all the people that made this such a memorable experience both for the patients and their families as well as all of us who have the privilege to work together:
To our hard-working and dedicated team leaders and admin: Eric Stehly, Jim Gill and Jack Freeman, Kellie Boyd and Kelly Brashier, whose organization and planning brought us all together.
To our surgeons: Peter Apel, Ammer DBeis, Dennis Eisenberg, Eric Stehly, Julie Vu, Melissa Bailey, Quanita Crable, and Ted Peters, whose surgical talent changed so many lives.
To our PA-C: Cari Hall, who assisted in surgery, and so lovingly interacted with the patients.
To our anesthesia team: Cindy Linenthal, Dani Friedman, David Holder, Tara Gardiner, and Rocky Adcock, who provided comfort and reassurance to the patients prior to and during their surgeries.
To our nurses: Becky Herman, Carrie Thompson, Felicia Bessman, Felecia Green, Jessica Rife, Kesla Tatum, Michael Gervasi, Valeria Mateiciuc, and Vandalina Holcomb, who so attentively cared for each patient and lit up the room with their smiles.
To our scrub techs: Amy Carlson, Jay Goucher, Katie Messer, Rick Brashier, Sarah Nathan, who spent many hours preparing for the trip, packing & unpacking, and were so essential to a smooth surgery.
To our pharmacist: Daryl Greebon (retired surgeon), who stepped out of his comfort zone to fill this vital role.
To our pastor: Dave Jobe, who not only kept our team focused on God but brought joy and tears to so many patients and their familes as he interacted and prayed with them.
To our interpreters: Carlos Duke, Sandy Litschi, David Calderwood, and Kathy Gomez, who were the bridges to any language barriers with our patients.
The acronym TEAM, Together Everyone Achieves More, describes the beautiful way each person’s talents were interwoven into the colorful tapestry of care and compassion that Faith in Practice exemplifies. What a privilege to again spend a week with these amazing care providers!
To all of our family, friends and supporters of this mission, you too were an essential element of our team, and we thank you!!
Therese Kiernan, Photojournalist
