EL SALVADOR - DAY 4: FLOOD-TORN JOYA GRANDE

Today we headed inland to the shores of Lake Ilopango and a village named Joya Grande (translation: large jewel).

After an hour on the road we entered an isolated area, driving down a mountainside on a twisting, dusty road bordered by 40 foot walls of mud. As we arrived at the local school, the site of our clinic, it was clear that things were not quite right in this part of the world.

Just three months earlier, this entire area was submerged. In November, heavy rains drove a wall of water down the mountain with such force that it uprooted huge trees, obliterated homes and washed away entire villages leaving devastation in its wake. After the flood waters receded, the school became an emergency centre for families who had lost everything. Many of those same families returned today to see a doctor or a dentist and receive medications, clothes, shoes and food from the FTC Canada team.

Now, over three months after the crippling flood, many are still living in tents and what was once a "hard life" has turned to desperate survival. We heard many stories of loss from patients and we also learned that we are the first medical team to visit them since the disaster. Needless to say, our work today, amid the debris and destruction had special meaning for us.

The Medical team has been hard at work all week and have really made a difference in the lives of the people they've seen. But a few cases really stick out for a variety of reasons and ought to be recounted.

Yesterday, Dr. Mike Gilmour saw a 29 year old woman who was dehydrated and suffering from a worsening kidney infection. She is also five months pregnant. While sitting in front of Mike and his interpreter, she vomited and was clearly feeling faint. The kidney infection was one thing, but it was her dehydration that had put her unborn child in grave danger.

Acting quickly, Mike administered IV fluids hanging the bag on a nail sticking out of the classroom's blackboard. In time she rebounded and was feeling more alert and comfortable. Medication to treat the kidney infection and other prescriptions to help her through the rest of her pregnancy were also provided.

This was serious situation and without the support of Mike and the Medical Team, she could have lost the baby. He said: "Back home in Canada, this patient would have been airlifted to a hospital for immediate treatment. Luckily, we were in the right place at the right time."

This morning, Dr. Channy Muhn met Antonia, an 88 year old woman with a massive Basal cell cancer tumour on her face. Channy, an accomplished dermatologist, removed the tumour under local anesthetic in a makeshift operating room at the back of the Pharmacy. Once healed, Antonia will look like herself again. Needless to say, she was both happy and grateful.

Francisca, a 32 year old woman, showed the signs of a rare skin condition that can best be described as an allergy to the sun. Paramedic Glen Canavan, who has been on all five FTC Central American Medical/Dental missions and also volunteered for the recent Haiti trip, consulted with Channy, who confirmed that the white spots on her arms were caused by Actinitis Dermatitis.

This is clearly not an ideal situation for someone living in the interior of scorching hot El Salvador. The team provided medication and education to Francisca arming her with all she needs to keep the condition in check.


Dr. Elizabeth Russell removed two large moles from the face of another patient and expertly sutured up the sites leaving the cleanest of scars. This patient wasn't sick, but had lived with these large growths on her face for her entire life. Dr. Russell was able to change that. It's not always just about simply making patients feel better. Once in a while, it's about making patients feel better about themselves.

Tomorrow we're off to Verapaz, another area that was hit hard by the November floods and landslides. Another long and gruelling day is ahead of us, but the tea is really excited about the difference we are making in the lives of those who have so little. Everyone is growing and changing through this experience - it's hard to describe but it feels good nonetheless.