Journal 1 - Case Conference and Surgery Day 1
Ladies and gentlemen, please say hello to the September Little Hearts Project Mentor Team! As we did this past May, Friends of Barnabas has sent a small team of pediatric cardiac specialists to work this week with the local Little Hearts Project team in San Pedro Sula.
The September mentor team arrived over the weekend and is now in Honduras to help move the local medical professionals who are a part of the Honduran Little Hearts Project team to the next level. The Honduran Team will continue to provide surgeries this week at Ruth Paz Hospital but will work with guidance and support from their "mentor" colleagues.
The May Mentor Team focused on ASD surgeries - working with the operating room staff and the ICU staff to improve their skills and confidence caring for patients with this kind of cardiac defect.
This week, the plan is to do the same kind of work with children with VSDs - Ventricular Septal Defects. We have 6 VSD surgeries scheduled this week.
Yesterday, the mentor team - which is comprised of professionals from the U.S., Honduras (Tegucigalpa), and Guatemala - met with the Honduran Team for a case conference. They reviewed the upcoming procedures and decided together how best to care for these precious children.
Our first patient, Brisny, is 23 months old. She just came out of the OR and is the team here is getting her stable. All reports say she did great. Here she is (at left) with local pediatric intensivist, Dra. Belinda in the PICU, right after her surgery.
While the surgical side of the Little Hearts Project advances to the next level, progress is also being made with catheterizations taking place at Cemesa Hospital.
Amazing things are happening! The Little Hearts Project is taking a big step this week! Please pray with us and for the sweet faces you'll see in the coming days.
