Early this morning, folks were gathering at airports in Richmond, Norfolk, Charlotte, Denver and Dallas for a singular purpose. Each one was traveling to San Pedro Sula, Honduras for the latest Little Hearts Project surgical mission trip.
Depending on from where team members were traveling determined the ease of the trip; however, by late afternoon, everyone who was supposed to arrive today had arrived at Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport in San Pedro Sula.
Special guests of the team are three Rotary Club members whose clubs in Virginia and North Carolina were part of the Rotary International grant to help equip and train the Little Hearts Project team here in Honduras. After lunch at Ruth Paz Hospital, the Rotarians had the opportunity to visit and tour the public hospital, Mario Catarino Rivas. Stops included the pediatric emergency room, the pediatric intensive care unit, the neonatal intensive care unit, and the pediatric ward. It is difficult to describe the need for adequate medical care in Honduras. Current public facilities are beyond what most Americans have ever seen and lack space, supplies, personnel, and resources. It reminds us of how very important our work is and how much more there is to do.
The Rotarians’ evening ended with dinner with members of the Valle de Sula Rotary Club.
Other team members traveled to Cemesa Hospital to begin work in the cath lab. Eight children were evaluated in the afternoon. In the pictures are Astrid and Daisy.

Finally, several team members spent the rest of their day at Ruth Paz Hospital, setting up for the surgeries that will begin on Monday.