The Numbers Do Not Tell The Whole Story

Today is our last day. The numbers are important, but they do not convey the teamwork and coordinated effort that is necessary to achieve such a successful Interplast trip. Our two weeks in Loja achieved the following: 139 initial clinic evaluations; 65 registered patients; and 57 operations that totaled 97 procedures. There were 20 clefts; 32 burns; and 45 other procedures (mostly ear and hand cases).

You have seen many photos of the patients whose lives where changed during this trip. They all touched me so much. I am very proud of Ronald McDonald House Charities for sponsoring this trip, and extremely grateful for my own volunteer experience. I have lived and breathed the whole picture of what it takes to deliver the medical care for the people served here, and I have felt apart of something very special, unique, and compassionate.

This is one of my last entries on this blog, and I wanted to finish with a tribute to the Interplast team themselves. If I have absorbed and retained just a portion of their humanitarian selflessness, I will be a fortunate recipient of their generous spirit.