Thursday, March 10, 2011

After getting up at 3am, getting picked up at 4am, and taking off at 6am, two flights and 6 hours later...we have arrived at Cemisa Hospital on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula Honduras.  We saw our first patient at 1:30p.  Kensy is a 6 month old with a heart defect called transposition of the great vessels.  It basically is where the main vessels leaving the heart are switched, sending unoxygenated blood to the body.  Unless there is another defect, specifically a opening between the two sides of the heart, there is no oxygen going to feed the body.  So....first thing tomorrow morning, Kensy will have a cardiac cath done.  During the procedure a opening will be made between her atrium to allow blood flow to begin in the right direction.  This is will allow the Friends of Barnabas Foundation some time to arrange for her to come to the states for open heart surgery.  Our prayers are that this temporary fix really will give her more time. 
In all we saw 15 patients (with all having echos done) between 1:30 and 8:30pm.  Whew!  Some tired puppies here..and we are just starting.
Our team is made up three doctors, one med student, one sonographer, two nurses and three support people.  Most are from the Dallas area. 
All but three of our patients will be having either a cardiac cath or open heart surgery in Sept when the full FOBF surgery team comes.  One of those three children could not be helped.  Meidy is a 7 month old.  She has a grossly enlarged heart due to myocarditis.  She has taken all the medications that she can.  If she was in the US she would be on a transplant list.  Watching the doctors share this news with the parents was very difficult.  We want to help them all, but sometimes that just can't happen.  Please pray for Meidy and her family.
We enjoyed little ones who wore sparkly shoes, handing out stickers and encouraging smiles.  The day is filled tomorrow with 5 caths and a total of 22 for evaluation.

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