Healing Hands - ReSurge International

Healing
Hands
2010
S P R I N G
N E W S L E T T E R
Celebrating 20 Years in Vietnam 1
Ronald McDonald House Charities’ New Grant 2
Transforming the Life of a Burned Child 3
Monthly Giving Changes Lives 6
Celebrating 20 Years in Vietnam
In 1989, six years before the U.S. established diplomatic relations
with Vietnam, Dr. Bill McClure, then a 37-year-old plastic surgeon
from Napa with a wife and four
children, ventured to Vietnam
on behalf of Interplast. He
knew medical services were desperately needed and wanted to
help. McClure was inspired by
a Stanford colleague who cared
for the poor in Vietnam in the
early 1970s and his father who
had served two tours of duty
during the war.
Entering Vietnam was very difficult for Westerners, particularly
Americans, after the war. Few
visas were issued, but McClure
persevered. He traveled to Manila and waited for more than a week until the consulate there gave
him a visa---only after his Stanford colleague telegraphed a former
doctor friend in Vietnam who in turn, agreed to host McClure in Ho
Chi Minh City.
Twenty years ago, Vietnam was the poorest country in Asia, but its
new government was weary of foreigners and outside assistance was
almost nonexistent. Interplast was among the first, thanks in great
part to McClure’s courage, cultural sensitivity and determination, to
teach, not just provide free reconstructive surgery.
That desire to build medical capacity served Interplast well in building grassroots relations with doctors in Vietnam. After touring six
hospitals in 1989, it was agreed that Interplast would come for five
years to provide surgeries and to teach medical professionals.
Actor Paul Newman and his foundation provided the seed funding
so that Interplast could begin helping in Vietnam.
In 1990, McClure, with seven other Interplast medical volunteers,
returned to Ho Chi Minh City. Working as a team, American and
Vietnamese medical professionals began the task of reducing the tremendous backlog of children needing reconstructive surgery. More
than 500 families showed up for care the first day.
(continued on page 4)
Photo by John Urban
Ronald McDonald
House Charities’ New
Impact for Hope Grant
Over the past 11 years, Ronald McDonald
House Charities (RMHC) has helped Interplast provide more than 13,000 surgeries,
transforming the lives of children and their
families around the world.
Recently, Interplast received another generous donation from RMHC, in the amount
of $576,000, demonstrating our shared
commitment to bringing hope to communities that need it the most.
The “Impact for Hope” grant will help
build access to sustainable health care
and empower local medical professionals.
It will also provide surgery for more than
2,000 children over the next year. With the
current economic climate in mind, Interplast and RMHC have focused this grant on
our most cost-effective surgical delivery
model, our year-round surgical outreach
centers. By doing so, we hope to ensure
that the number of children receiving care
remains relatively unaffected by the economic downturn.
Interplast remains deeply grateful to RMHC
for their continuous support and strong
partnership. With the help of generous donors such as RMHC, Interplast can continue
to build the foundation for universal access
to surgical care for generations to come.
Message from the President and CEO
Susan W. Hayes
Two major earthquakes have rocked our world since the
beginning of the year. The resulting tragedies are countless.
Most of those killed were poor people living in substandard
housing. Those who survived face dire situations as they move
to rebuild---often with homes in ruins, no prospects for employment, disease looming and with new injuries and physical
disabilities. Our hearts continue to go out to them.
But while a natural disaster triggered the destruction in Haiti,
it is important to remember that the root cause of the enormity of the devastation was not the quake itself, but poverty—crushing poverty. (The 1989 quake
that rocked the San Francisco Bay Area was stronger than the Haiti quake, with
nowhere near the damage.) Before the quake, Haiti was already facing significant challenges in public health, education, food security and poverty, just as
much of the developing world experiences every day. When the quake hit, there
was simply no margin for withstanding it, as there is in a developed country. The
outpouring of donations and offers to help from around the world were encouraging. Some of our own medical volunteers went to Haiti with established groups,
such as Partners in Health, to provide needed medical care.
Interplast provides tertiary care and is not a first responder. That being said,
emergency and primary care—though critical—are not sufficient in and of themselves. For too long, the global health community has neglected tertiary care in
developing countries and at great costs to those with repairable deformities and
injuries. The World Health Organization estimates that injuries account for 12
percent of the burden of disease: more than HIV and greater than TB, diarrhea
and malaria combined. Further, for many people, a single surgical intervention
averts a lifetime of disability. Access to surgical care actually prevents disability.
Interplast’s work helps to address the root cause of global suffering: poverty. By
restoring function and the chance for education and employment that disability
and deformity often preclude, Interplast gives patients an opportunity to emerge
from poverty. Earthquakes cannot be prevented, but poverty can be addressed.
As Haiti rebuilds, we hope it will be able to develop a comprehensive health care
infrastructure with tertiary care. Surgery, whether it is for an injury or cleft, can
dramatically improve a person’s life, giving her a second chance to reach her full
potential.
Whether in Haiti or in the countries where we have worked for decades, Interplast stands at the ready to provide high-quality reconstructive surgery to the
poor. We have been able to build sustainable tertiary care in developing countries. You have helped us transform lives and communities, and we are deeply
grateful for your generous help, especially in this economic downturn.
Thank you,
Susan W. Hayes
Interplast President and CEO
2
INTERPLAST SPRING 2010
From Sierra Leone to Ghana
Transforming the Life of a Burned Child
As the director of international services at Interplast, Amy Laden is often
contacted by individuals and other
nonprofits seeking help for impoverished children who need surgery.
She works to connect patients in
need with our surgeons in developing
countries.
About a year ago, a man from a small,
faith-based organization contacted
her regarding an 11-year-old boy in
Sierra Leone named Sorie.
Sorie suffered from horrible burn
injuries. One day, he spilled kerosene
on his shirt but did not change his
clothes. In the evening, he was carrying a lit lantern when the wind started
to blow. To protect the flame from
the wind, Sorie placed the lamp beneath his shirt. Tragically, the flame
mixed with the residual kerosene
and ignited his shirt, causing terrible
burns from his waist to his chin, and
on his arms and legs.
Few people realize it, but more than
6 million people in poor countries
are severely burned each year. More
school-aged children die of fires each
year than of tuberculosis or malaria.
Almost all severe burns happen in
developing countries where open
fires for cooking, heating and lighting
are commonplace. Without adequate
medical care, burn victims are frequently disfigured, disabled and
shunned; they often lose the ability to
be productive citizens.
That is what happened to Sorie. His
wounds contracted and he was literally stuck, fused together, where his
burns improperly healed. He could
no longer use his arm and couldn’t
move his neck.
INTERPLAST SPRING 2010
After bravely enduring four surgeries to release his burn contractures, Sorie stands healed
and with a world of opportunities ahead of him.
“Interplast does not work in Sierra
Leone, but we do provide surgeries
year-round in Ghana and Zambia. We
contacted Dr. Pius Agbenorku, our
surgical outreach director in Kumasi,
Ghana, and he was happy to help,”
said Laden. “A small humanitarian
organization in Sierra Leone agreed
to get Sorie, his mother and a translator from Sierra Leone to Ghana,
where Pius could perform surgery
to help restore Sorie’s body back to
health.”
With Interplast funding and support,
Sorie has had a series of four operations to release burn scar contractures of his neck, armpit, wrist and
elbow. Now, he can use his arm and
move his neck.
improved his life and the life of his
family,” said Laden. “I’m really glad
we at Interplast had a chance to be
part of his transformation.”
Few people realize it,
but more than 6 million
people in poor countries
are severely burned
each year. Without
adequate medical care,
burn victims are frequently
disfigured, disabled and
shunned; they often lose
the ability to be
productive citizens.
“It’s exciting to realize that Sorie now
has a chance at a much brighter future. Just a few surgeries dramatically
3
Celebrating 20 Years in Vietnam
(continued from cover)
“There is a horrendous amount of
work to be done, more than Interplast could ever accomplish. Though
it was sad to turn away so many, this
sadness is tempered by the knowledge
that our Vietnamese colleagues have
great potential for helping themselves,” said McClure in 1990.
In eight days, 113 surgeries were
performed on 108 children with
clefts, disabling burns and hand
injuries. Interplast also began building the surgical capacity in Vietnam
by providing one-on-one training and
formal teaching symposiums, which
hundreds of Vietnamese medical
professionals attended.
In 1991, Interplast volunteer surgeon, Amy Ladd, M.D., was met by a crowd of patients anxiously
awaiting to be evaluated for treatment.
Today, Interplast’s program in Vietnam is one of the organization’s largest. Nearly 1,000 volunteers have made 73 surgical team trips to help those who
have no other access to care. Making long journeys by boat and by bus across densely forested mountains and wide
river deltas in searing heat, Interplast volunteers have provided care to thousands in the country’s most remote regions. (After the first few years, Interplast was no longer needed in Ho Chi Minh City, as Interplast-trained Vietnamese
doctors could provide the needed care for the poor in that city.)
Access to medical care in the large rural swaths of the country remains difficult at best. There are only six doctors for
every 10,000 people, and they mainly work in Vietnam’s urban areas.
Interplast is able to accomplish its objectives in Vietnam in large part thanks to its partner physicians in the country.
With their help, Interplast has transformed the lives of 5,600 patients and their families.
In the last 20 years, nearly
1,000 volunteers have made
73 surgical team trips to
help those who have no
other access to care.
Pictured left: Dr. Bill McClure, during one of his
first vists to Vietnam. Pictured right: A young
mother and her child, who both received cleft lip
surgeries during a 2010 Interplast visit in Quang
Ngai, Vietnam. Photo by Zane Williams.
4
INTERPLAST SPRING 2010
Many more lives have been restored by Vietnamese surgeons who benefited
from Interplast’s medical training. Interplast believes that local empowerment is the best long-term answer for providing quality reconstructive surgery
to children living in poverty in developing countries. Dozens of workshops
providing hands-on training by Interplast volunteers for Vietnamese physicians
in anesthesia, microsurgery, orthodontics, hand and oculoplastic surgery have
been held. By training local doctors and building medical capacity, the numbers of those who are given new hope will continue to swell for generations to
come.
Vietnam is emerging as an economic powerhouse. Recently, its economy has
been growing at a fast clip. But, like other ascendant economies, the country’s
new wealth isn’t being enjoyed equally. The annual per capita health care expenditure in Vietnam is just $46. Compare that to $6,714 in the United States.
Our work continues.
Overall, Interplast has provided more than $25 million of medical services to
Vietnam since 1990. The numbers demonstrate the impact but the images illustrate the depth to which lives are being transformed. Please view below and
on our website for a new slideshow on Vietnam.
Remembering
“A Story of Healing”
In 1997, a Dewey-Obenchain film crew
accompanied an Interplast volunteer
surgical team to An Giang province in
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The filmmakers
donated their services to document the
team’s experiences and produce “A Story
of Healing.” It earned the 1997 Academy
Award® for best documentary, short
subject.
The film shows not only how the Interplast surgical team changes the lives
of the 110 patients who undergo surgery, but also the lives of the volunteers
themselves.
Interplast has transformed the
lives of 5,600 patients in Vietnam, while providing hands-on
training to local medial staff.
Photos below by John Urban.
The award-winning documentary is also
the first Academy Award®-winning film
in history to be licensed under a Creative
Commons license, allowing free and legal
distribution of the film via the Internet.
We hope that by publishing our media
under a Creative Commons license we
can encourage people to spread the word
about Interplast’s work.
You can watch “A Story of Healing” and
many other Interplast videos on our website or on the Interplast YouTube channel,
http://www.youtube.com/interplast857.
If you would prefer a free DVD, please
email us at info@interplast.org.
Spread the word!
INTERPLAST SPRING 2010
5
Loel Barnes:
Her Monthly Giving has Changed Lives for 22 Years
When her first husband passed away
in 1988, Loel Barnes wanted to
find some way to help others. She
felt lucky to be left with more than
enough funds to care for her family’s
needs and wanted to share.
Seeing information about Interplast,
her “heart went out to the children”
and she sent her first donation.
“From the beginning, I had great affection and sorrow for those children
and their families,” said Barnes, now
75. “I was touched, and continue to
be touched, by Interplast’s work.”
“I have a gigantic family with 10
children, 28 grandchildren and 11
great-grandchildren. They are all
healthy and none have suffered any
terrible problems,” said Barnes, who
lives in Maryland, happily married
again. “I am fortunate and think it
is important to share with those less
fortunate.”
And that is what Loel Barnes has
done for more than 20 years. Almost
every month, Interplast has received
a check from Loel. Most of the time,
those checks are accompanied by a
very kind note---not only thanking us
for the work Interplast does, but also
asking us how we are doing, hoping
we are okay after a storm she read
about and sometimes even sending us
a family photo. We cherish her notes.
When asked why she donates monthly, Barnes explained that she liked
setting aside a little each month to
help; it helps her to budget, prioritize
and share consistently. What does
she get in return? “It feels wonderful to help monthly. I also appreciate t he t hank you n otes I rec eive.
6
Loel Barnes, pictured right, surounded by her family.
They are personal and make me feel
like I am close to everyone and really
part of the Interplast community,”
said Barnes.
Loel Barnes is part of our community
and our hearts. We are grateful for
her tremendous generosity, which
helps to transform lives every month.
Healer’s Network
Visit our website, www.interplast.org, and learn about our Healer’s Network.
The Healer’s Network is a group of people dedicated to making monthly gifts
to provide access to care to those who need it the most. As a member of the
Healer’s Network, you can choose the giving level at which you are most comfortable and know that you are empowering incredible results.
Your donation of:
• $25 a month can help a child receive cleft surgery and restore
the family’s hope for the future.
• $65 a month can fund a child’s surgery for a disabling burn
injury and train developing world medical professionals.
• $130 a month can finance two hand surgeries and help the
patients reach their full potential.
Join the Healer’s Network and with a monthly donation, large or small, you can
help Interplast continue its mission to transform lives in developing countries
for generations to come.
INTERPLAST SPRING 2010
Leadership
President & CEO
Susan W. Hayes
Board of Directors
Chairman
Daniel B. Higgins, J.D.
Vice Chairman
Russell J. Fuller, C.F.A., Ph.D.
Treasurer
Robert Reed
Radha Basu
Lori Bush
Gail Cohen
Thomas Davenport, M.D.
Joseph M. DuCote
Stefanie Feldman, M.D.
Lorry Frankel, M.D.
Richard Gillerman, M.D., Ph.D.
Russell Hirsch, M.D., Ph.D.
Hoyoung Huh, M.D., Ph.D.
Heidi L. Huntsman
France Leclerc, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Thomas McConnell
Marion McGovern
Gary Pinkus
James G. Plewa
Timothy Smith
Sanjay Vaswani
Emil Wang
Rosemary Welde, R.N., M.B.A.
DeAnn Work, J.D.
Kathleen B. Yates
Erica Yew, J.D.
Kevin Young
Legal Counsel
Arun Patel, M.D., J.D.
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Interplast Staff
Scott Corlew, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Nicole Friedland
Chief Development Officer
Sara E. Anderson
Chief Information Officer
Susan Babiarz
Executive Assistant/Office Manager
Jane Chen
Trip Logistics Coordinator
Joyce Chen, M.D.
Webster Fellow
Francine Cunniffe
Medical Education & Outreach Coordinator
Michael Demian
Associate Dir., Foundation and Corp. Relations
Jim Dirck
Director, Medical Supply Services
Michelle Dodge
Director, Finance
George Gregory, M.D.
Anesthesia Director
Sharon Hart
Senior Development Assistant, Donor Relations
Beverly Kent
Director, Volunteer Services & Strategic Initiatives
Amy Laden
Director, International Services
Ken Nessel
Medical Supply Assistant
Anne Phuong Nguyen
Vietnam Sites Liaison
Teresa Olson
Development Coordinator
Dora Rusin-Gomez, M.D.
Volunteer Services Coordinator
Jogi Sikand, R.N.
Medical Supply Assistant
Liliana Vazquez
Communications and Technology Coordinator
INTERPLAST SPRING 2010
Interplast Medical Committees
International Partnerships
Medical Services Committee
Bangladesh
Rosemary Welde, R.N., M.B.A., Chair
Marlene (Molly) Attell, R.N.
Ingrid Crocco, R.N.
Tom Davenport, M.D.
Carter Dodge, M.D.
Carla Epps, M.D.
Lorry Frankel, M.D.
Dorothy Gaal, M.D.
Richard Gillerman, M.D.
Mary Hermann, M.D.
Duke McMillan, M.D.
Mark Singleton, M.D.
Tim Sproule, M.D.
Janet Volpe, M.D.
Jim Wallace, M.D.
Dawn Yost, R.N.
George Gregory, M.D., Ex-Officio
Dr. Shafquat H. Khundkar,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Anesthesia Committee
Richard Gillerman, M.D., Chair
Michael Beach, M.D.
Dorothy Gaal, M.D.,
Carter Dodge, M.D.
Duke McMillan, M.D.
Jay Mesrobian, M.D.
Steven Parker, M.D.
Les Proctor, M.D.
Frank Ruiz, M.D.
Mark Singleton, M.D.
George Gregory, M.D., Ex-Officio
Nursing Committee
Dawn Yost, R.N. Chair
Marlene (Molly) Attell, R.N.,
Nurse Educator Credentialing
Susan Bruch, R.N.
Tina Beth Cerruti, R.N.
Martha Clark, R.N.
Ingrid Crocco, R.N.
Rosemary Welde, R.N.,
OR Credentialing
Cheryl Ellen Wraa, R.N.
Kimberly Yates, R.N.
Kay Clarke, R.N.,
Committee Advisor
Pediatrics Committee
Janet Volpe, M.D., Chair
Evan Bloom, M.D.
Carla Epps, M.D.
Lorry Frankel, M.D.
Kathy Gallagher, M.D.
Mary Hermann, M.D.
David Norton, M.D.
M.J. Pionk, M.D.
Surgery Committee
Tom Davenport, M.D., Chair
Gary Fudem, M.D.
Steven Garner, M.D.
Eric Mooney, M.D.
Tom Moore, M.D.
Delora Mount, M.D.
Dan Sherick, M.D.
Vinny Singhal, M.D.
Tim Sproule, M.D.
Kristin Stueber, M.D.
Simone Topal, M.D.
Jim Wallace, M.D.
Quality Improvement Committee
Dorothy Gaal, M.D., Chair
Tom Davenport, M.D.
Kathy Gallagher, M.D.
Steven Garner, M.D.
Steven Parker, M.D.
Mark Singleton, M.D.
Janet Volpe, M.D.
Kimberly Yates, R.N.
Dawn Yost, R.N.
Order Your Mother’s
Day Cards Today
Bolivia
Dr. Jorge Terrazas
Surgical Outreach Center Director
China
William Chiang
Ecuador
Dr. Jorge Palacios,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Luis Jaramillo
Dr. Fernando Quintana
Dr. Nelson Samaniego
Cora Cameron de Samaniego
Ethiopia
Dr. Tewodros (Ted) Gedebou
Dr. Yegeremu Kebede
Ghana
Dr. Pius Agbenorku,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
India
Dr. Yogi Aeron,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Puneet Pasricha,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Kush Aeron
Mali
Dr. Mamby Keita
Dr. Oumar Coulibaly
Nepal
Dr. Kiran Nakarmi,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Shankar Man Rai,
Director Emeritus
Nicaragua
Dr. Mario Perez,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Humberto Briceño
Dr. Ivette Icaza
Honor a mother in your life with the gift
that changes lives.
Visit www.interplast.org/give/appeal.
html, make a donation and we’ll mail
you the lovely card shown above for you
to send to all the mothers you love and
honor.
Your gift will help transform the lives of
disabled children and give hope and joy
to mothers across the globe.
Peru
Dr. Jorge De La Cruz,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Percy Rossell,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Sri Lanka
Dr. Chandini Perera
Remember to Visit our
Social Network Pages!
Vietnam
Dr. Pham Thi Hao
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hien
Zambia
Dr. Goran Jovic,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Founder
Donald R. Laub, M.D.
Facebook
Flickr
Twitter
YouTube
Translator / Coordinator Committee
Mary Whitehead, Chair
William Chiang
Ana Maria Keating
Tue Thu Khoa
Kim Satterlee
Hoa Ton
Sheila Wolfson
Fran Cunniffe, Ex-Officio
Maggie Loya, Ex-Officio
Albert Lu, Ex-Officio
Simply search “Interplast” the next time
you are on these sites.
7
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Mountain View, CA
Permit No. 70
857 Maude Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94043
Tel: 650.962.0123
Fax: 650.962.1619
info@interplast.org
Interplast has transformed lives for 40 years. The
first organization of its kind, Interplast provides free
reconstructive plastic surgery for the poor in developing countries. Interplast treats children and adults
with clefts, disabling burns and hand injuries. Unlike
many organizations, Interplast’s focus is to train and
to empower developing world doctors to perform
surgeries on their own for generations to come.
www.interplast.org
Save-the-Date
Transformations Gala
Mark your calendars for a joyful celebration of new beginnings, as Interplast
hosts its annual Transformations Gala on
Saturday, November 6, 2010.
Photo by John Urban
Donate Online:
www.interplast.org