Wednesday, November 19, 2008
WELCOME
Thank you for taking the time to view the FTC Canada Corporate Blog
In some cases, change doesn't come quickly enough. This blog is a good example of that. However, we do hope to begin some more adventurous blogging fairly soon.
If you have been directed here, or discovered this blog at our FTC Canada website, we want to thank you for visiting. Thank you too for making an investment in the lives of hungry children in Canada and around the world.
In some cases, change doesn't come quickly enough. This blog is a good example of that. However, we do hope to begin some more adventurous blogging fairly soon.
If you have been directed here, or discovered this blog at our FTC Canada website, we want to thank you for visiting. Thank you too for making an investment in the lives of hungry children in Canada and around the world.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Day 5 Clinic
Yesterday was our last day to set up the clinic and this morning we pack and get ready for the plane ride home.
We anticipated that the number of people attending the clinic yesterday might be a little lower, but we were very surprised when we arrived and there were three people waiting. The smallest crowd we have seen waiting this week was about 50 and the biggest was around 300. The heat today, even early in the morning, was also the most oppressive we have experienced. Although the temperature was the same as other days, there was extreme humidity and absolutely no breeze; many of the clinic rooms felt like saunas.
The day started a little earlier for the dental team as we changed our logistics a little to allow them to begin treatments as soon as the set-up was complete. By that point the line had grown to 10 people and several needed dental work. We were up and running.
It would seem that slow and steady really does win the race. The line-up of 10 always stayed at 10 no matter how many we saw. By noon we had seen close to 300 patients.
Each community presented some uniqueness in terms of ailments. This area seemed to have the most diabetes and hypertension. Today we did an IV and stitches and attempted to educate people on the ill effects of constantly drinking pop instead of clean water. A steady diet of pop not only contributes to health issues like diabetes and hypertension, it is also the main reason their teeth experience so much decay.
As the day went on in the stifling heat, a small but consistent line persisted and by the end of the day we had seen 655 patients, 554 through medical and 101 through dental. This week we were fortunate to serve 3,114 patients. On our last night the Canadian contingent celebrated this success over dinner with everybody from the Guatemalan team and the host Nicaraguan team and the interpreters.
We extend a special thank you to all of our family, friends and FTC donors who have supported us. We will continue to post stories and pictures to this blog in the coming weeks and also provide updates on the next trip so please keep checking in.
The Children's Program Team:
Distribution Team
Dental Team
Medical Team
Pharmacy Team
We anticipated that the number of people attending the clinic yesterday might be a little lower, but we were very surprised when we arrived and there were three people waiting. The smallest crowd we have seen waiting this week was about 50 and the biggest was around 300. The heat today, even early in the morning, was also the most oppressive we have experienced. Although the temperature was the same as other days, there was extreme humidity and absolutely no breeze; many of the clinic rooms felt like saunas.
The day started a little earlier for the dental team as we changed our logistics a little to allow them to begin treatments as soon as the set-up was complete. By that point the line had grown to 10 people and several needed dental work. We were up and running.
It would seem that slow and steady really does win the race. The line-up of 10 always stayed at 10 no matter how many we saw. By noon we had seen close to 300 patients.
Each community presented some uniqueness in terms of ailments. This area seemed to have the most diabetes and hypertension. Today we did an IV and stitches and attempted to educate people on the ill effects of constantly drinking pop instead of clean water. A steady diet of pop not only contributes to health issues like diabetes and hypertension, it is also the main reason their teeth experience so much decay.
As the day went on in the stifling heat, a small but consistent line persisted and by the end of the day we had seen 655 patients, 554 through medical and 101 through dental. This week we were fortunate to serve 3,114 patients. On our last night the Canadian contingent celebrated this success over dinner with everybody from the Guatemalan team and the host Nicaraguan team and the interpreters.
We extend a special thank you to all of our family, friends and FTC donors who have supported us. We will continue to post stories and pictures to this blog in the coming weeks and also provide updates on the next trip so please keep checking in.
The Children's Program Team:
Distribution Team
Dental Team
Medical Team
Pharmacy Team
Friday, October 31, 2008
Day 4 Clinic
Distribution of food and supplies is a big part of the work that we do here. After passing through the medical and/or dental clinic, families are referred to our distribution station for food, clothing and shoes, and even toys.
It is hard to describe the difference in lifestyle here. Even the small towns feel densely populated and crowded, and dirty and simply lacking most everything.
Janice in distribution told us today that the most sought after item in distribution was not the brand new Crocs or the sandals that had been donated, it wasn’t even the toys or soccer balls for the kids, and it wasn’t even the food, although that was a close second. It was the large boxes the Crocs shoes came in! One lady vehemently asked for a box so she could have a mattress for her and her children. It would create a barrier between them and the dirt floor they normally slept on.
Pictured below is a family receiving some food, new shoes and hand made toys from Canada.
One of the tougher cases that we heard today was about a 9 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy. Christine was able to diagnose him and speak with his mother about his condition. He was confined to his wheel chair because his mother did not know that he should be encouraged to exercise. Mentally he was obviously sharp and of age, but a lack of knowledge about the disease had unfortunately ensured the family had not worked with him to make his life more normal.
It is hard to describe the difference in lifestyle here. Even the small towns feel densely populated and crowded, and dirty and simply lacking most everything.
Janice in distribution told us today that the most sought after item in distribution was not the brand new Crocs or the sandals that had been donated, it wasn’t even the toys or soccer balls for the kids, and it wasn’t even the food, although that was a close second. It was the large boxes the Crocs shoes came in! One lady vehemently asked for a box so she could have a mattress for her and her children. It would create a barrier between them and the dirt floor they normally slept on.
Pictured below is a family receiving some food, new shoes and hand made toys from Canada.
The medical team and pharmacy were moving swiftly and effectively again today seeing 643 people, and the dental team saw an incredible 101 patients today. The team worked right until dark again. Unfortunately, today was a day that for all of our efforts, there were still at least a couple of hundred people we were not able to see.
Pictured below is Michelle from the dental clinic before the day began. Below that is a shot of the whole medical team seeing patients.
One of the tougher cases that we heard today was about a 9 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy. Christine was able to diagnose him and speak with his mother about his condition. He was confined to his wheel chair because his mother did not know that he should be encouraged to exercise. Mentally he was obviously sharp and of age, but a lack of knowledge about the disease had unfortunately ensured the family had not worked with him to make his life more normal.
In Canada someone with CP would receive physiotherapy and speech therapy among other things and that would greatly increase quality of life. That sort of treatment is not readily available here and is certainly not easily attained financially.
Susan works in the pharmacy, but by profession is a speech therapist. Today there was a unique case where a child was slow developmentally and had a very limited vocabulary. The mother and child were walked over to pharmacy and introduced to Susan. Susan was able to show the mother, through an interpreter, how this little 3 year-old could be helped to move beyond a vocabulary of just three words.
Tomorrow is a day off before our last day of clinics on Saturday, and then we return home to Canada on Sunday.
Susan works in the pharmacy, but by profession is a speech therapist. Today there was a unique case where a child was slow developmentally and had a very limited vocabulary. The mother and child were walked over to pharmacy and introduced to Susan. Susan was able to show the mother, through an interpreter, how this little 3 year-old could be helped to move beyond a vocabulary of just three words.
Tomorrow is a day off before our last day of clinics on Saturday, and then we return home to Canada on Sunday.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Day 3 Clinic
The mood today was a little more frenzied. The need seemed palpable in the air and there seemed to be more desperation to get help.
Today our medical team was able to see over 500 patients (final count tomorrow). And to be clear that means our pharmacy team also saw close to the same number as the doctors, nurses and paramedics. We do have the occasional patient who may have something like a common cold, and therefore no medication is prescribed, but as a general rule we need to give anti-parasites, vitamins and then something that treats a more acute condition.
Our dental team was able to see 119 people. Very few, if any, had to be turned away, so it was a great success. The dental team worked until dark, something we try to avoid, but head lamps and flashlights kept the work going and we felt the satisfaction of seeing everyone we possibly could. Today we fired up the gas powered generator because there was not enough electrical supply to run all of the machines. Once that problem was solved, we were on track to see a record number of dental patients. We have four dentists working constantly.
More people, more children, and the kids program was vivacious again. A great story from the kids program came in from yesterday. Leah Katerberg, who works for FTC Canada, has been working in the kids program with Anne Stewart a volunteer and retired teacher from Oakville.
Today our medical team was able to see over 500 patients (final count tomorrow). And to be clear that means our pharmacy team also saw close to the same number as the doctors, nurses and paramedics. We do have the occasional patient who may have something like a common cold, and therefore no medication is prescribed, but as a general rule we need to give anti-parasites, vitamins and then something that treats a more acute condition.
Our dental team was able to see 119 people. Very few, if any, had to be turned away, so it was a great success. The dental team worked until dark, something we try to avoid, but head lamps and flashlights kept the work going and we felt the satisfaction of seeing everyone we possibly could. Today we fired up the gas powered generator because there was not enough electrical supply to run all of the machines. Once that problem was solved, we were on track to see a record number of dental patients. We have four dentists working constantly.
More people, more children, and the kids program was vivacious again. A great story from the kids program came in from yesterday. Leah Katerberg, who works for FTC Canada, has been working in the kids program with Anne Stewart a volunteer and retired teacher from Oakville.
Yesterday they had children doing crafts, playing games, singing songs, and receiving face painting. In keeping with the trend of not being able to see everyone for dental medical care, as the end of the day neared it seemed that Leah was not going to be able to finish painting all the children’s faces. A little girl of about 7 or 8 had been helping Leah all day by holding the face crayons. She had not even had her turn yet. It occurred to Leah to teach her how to put a butterfly on a face so she could get more faces painted. She was timid, but Leah kindly insisted. Humorously, it seemed the training had already been done; having observed for a couple of hours, she simply took another crayon and began to paint faces as well!
Another integral part of the missions is our interpreters, many of whom are volunteers themselves from Nicaragua or a neighbouring country. Below, pictured with Anne and sharing a quiet moment, is Diana the interpreter for the children's program, . It has already been such a pleasure to team up with so many willing and skilled volunteers form Canada, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Another integral part of the missions is our interpreters, many of whom are volunteers themselves from Nicaragua or a neighbouring country. Below, pictured with Anne and sharing a quiet moment, is Diana the interpreter for the children's program, . It has already been such a pleasure to team up with so many willing and skilled volunteers form Canada, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Day 2 Clinic
Day 2 saw bigger crowds and unfortunately, we had to turn away many. Nevertheless, we were able to see 429 patients through the medical clinic and 102 through the dental clinic.
The work being done is really amazing. In the medical clinic everything from normal procedures (for us in Canada) like checking on the health of a newborn baby were being done, to more serious treatments of skin issues, and treatment of parasites, a common ailment down here.
Seeing Dr. Jack and his team work with the slightly to very nervous children is wonderful. The dentists are helping so many, but they are showing wonderful care and concern all the while.
The children’s program was terrific today! With three stations including crafts, games and face painting, it was a great treat for the kids and certainly a lot of fun. The children are able to take part in the program before and after medical treatment throughout the day.
The work being done is really amazing. In the medical clinic everything from normal procedures (for us in Canada) like checking on the health of a newborn baby were being done, to more serious treatments of skin issues, and treatment of parasites, a common ailment down here.
Seeing Dr. Jack and his team work with the slightly to very nervous children is wonderful. The dentists are helping so many, but they are showing wonderful care and concern all the while.
The children’s program was terrific today! With three stations including crafts, games and face painting, it was a great treat for the kids and certainly a lot of fun. The children are able to take part in the program before and after medical treatment throughout the day.
Moreover, many families received food, we also gave toys, soccer balls and shoes to those in need.
Tomorrow we are going further out from Managua, so the drive will be a long one. More on that tomorrow.
Tomorrow we are going further out from Managua, so the drive will be a long one. More on that tomorrow.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Day 1 Clinic
Today we were in Villanueva at a little complex called Eden, a suburb of Managua. The lady who labours here is named Theresa. She runs a school the midst of unimaginable poverty. As part of her work she runs a feeding program three times a week which Feed the Children Nicaragua helps support.
Today we were able to see everybody who came. This is a first for our medical-dental trips so far. We arrived around 8:45am and were able to get started relatively quickly after set-up.
The three dentists were extremely busy, closing shop just after dark (our goal is to stop by dark) after seeing over 70 patients. They performed extractions and restorative work.
Our three doctors, three nurses and three paramedics were able to see over 355 patients who were then sent to pharmacy for the medicines and vitamins that were prescribed.
The children's program brings energy and distraction for the kids as we endeavour to process the crowds through the medical-dental stations. There is also a distribution station where food, clothing, and some age appropriate toys are distributed.
Today, a very young lady came to the clinic afraid that she was pregnant; a product of robbery and rape. Thankfully she was tested and was not pregnant. We were able to pray with her, encourage her and give her some preventative medicines as well.
Personal note. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve our humanity in this way. We do not want to bring anything to them they do not want (Western culture etc.) but we do want to bring health and love. [Note posted by Cliff Cline, FTC Canada's Director, Canadian Operations]
Here are some pictures from our day in Eden:
Before and After:
Helping through an interpreter:
Helping and remembering:
Pharmacy:
Today we were able to see everybody who came. This is a first for our medical-dental trips so far. We arrived around 8:45am and were able to get started relatively quickly after set-up.
The three dentists were extremely busy, closing shop just after dark (our goal is to stop by dark) after seeing over 70 patients. They performed extractions and restorative work.
Our three doctors, three nurses and three paramedics were able to see over 355 patients who were then sent to pharmacy for the medicines and vitamins that were prescribed.
The children's program brings energy and distraction for the kids as we endeavour to process the crowds through the medical-dental stations. There is also a distribution station where food, clothing, and some age appropriate toys are distributed.
Today, a very young lady came to the clinic afraid that she was pregnant; a product of robbery and rape. Thankfully she was tested and was not pregnant. We were able to pray with her, encourage her and give her some preventative medicines as well.
Personal note. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve our humanity in this way. We do not want to bring anything to them they do not want (Western culture etc.) but we do want to bring health and love. [Note posted by Cliff Cline, FTC Canada's Director, Canadian Operations]
Here are some pictures from our day in Eden:
Before and After:
Helping through an interpreter:
Helping and remembering:
Pharmacy:
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Medical-Dental Team Nicaragua 2008
The team has arrived safe and sound and we are currently settling into our hotel. It has been a long day of travel. Here are a few photos I took when we landed. We are a big team - 21 people, 39 bags, plus carry-ons and a massive amount of anticipation for what is to come.
Our Central Americal Director, Efrain, with some of his team.
Our Central Americal Director, Efrain, with some of his team.
A few members of the team on the way to hotel .
Dr.Tony and Efrain figuring something out.
And more to come. Tomorrow is orientation and planning and Monday is the first day of clinics.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Happy Camp!
When we arrived on the Mishkeegogamang Reserve, it was with feelings of anticipation, concerns for the unknown and excitement that a year of planning was coming to fruition.As the sun rose on our last morning in Mish, the feelings were of sadness that we were saying goodbye to our friends but with the full knowledge that camp went well and the children had a great time.
A day earlier, as the campers were getting on the bus for the last time, there were hugs, tears, waves and ‘please don’t go’ sentiments. Yes the work was hard and last-minute changes in our program plans challenging, but the smiles and hugs made it all worthwhile.
After many hours of swimming lessons, canoeing on Lake St Joseph, sporting events, colourful crafts and water balloon tosses, we knew we had accomplished what we set out to do. We gave the children of Mish a great camp experience, taught them new skills, and had many heartfelt conversations that conveyed a sense of hope that life can be good.As we gave out the awards for canoeing, swimming and sports, we noticed the children had a sense of pride in what they had achieved.
Thanking Diana, our lunch lady and Tommy our bus driver, we knew we had made new friends and that their lives had been affected as they helped with camp. There was a noticeable impact on the parents as well.“I didn’t realize what your camp
was doing for our children until I saw how they interacted with your staff and responded to the obvious love you have for them. I’ve not seen them react that way in their normal life in this community.” said one mom. 
No one knows what the future holds, but it is our hope and prayer that the futures of the children in Mish, will grow in a positive direction. Through the Mish Adventure Camp they discovered what great qualities they have inside themselves and they’ve seen that good relationships create a sense of hope in life.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Mish Adventure Camp Update
Week 1
Our first week of camp is over. It was a busy week full of surprises. We had planned camp for about 40 children, but when the bus showed up over 70 kids came off!
Our first week of camp is over. It was a busy week full of surprises. We had planned camp for about 40 children, but when the bus showed up over 70 kids came off!
It was amazing to see the children so excited and eager to come to camp. The staff, unprepared for over 70 campers, was flexible and improvised to make the day successful; so the kids would want to come back. After that first day we revamped the schedule and brainstormed ways in which we could run the program with almost twice as many campers. We have changed our schedule from offering one session of skill instruction to a creating a rotation of skill sessions. The amount of rotation in each area depends on the number of campers we have interested in each of the activities.
The excitement the campers had for swimming was unbelievable. We have had to create four times slots where the kids come to swimming lessons. Some of the children love being in the water so much that they do not want to get out. Even when the weather is a bit cool and the water feels cold the children want to keep swimming. Three cheers go out to Heather who spends all day in the water with the kids.
Canoeing has also been a huge hit. The older campers love to go out on the lake with Penny and Charina in the canoes. There are so many of them interested in getting on the water we had to split the group into a morning and an afternoon session.
Greg, Sam and Maurice have been spending time teaching campers how to play soccer, baseball and ball hockey.
Christina has kept busy coming up with craft ideas for both early teens and young children. Some of the kids spend hours at the craft tables making jewelry and taking advantage of the other great crafts we have brought.
Making meals has been a bit of a challenge but with the help of a woman in the community, we were able to feed up to 85-90 people each day.
Week 2
Week 2 is being run simultaneously with the communities Youth Conference. The weather so far has been incredible; sunny hot days with no rain and the children are enjoying water activities for most of the day. We are half way through our time here and we are really getting to know a lot of children and adults in the community. We really feel welcome and have made many new friends.
More to come ... Karen
Karen Ward
Coordinator, First Nations Program
Friday, June 20, 2008
Boston Pizza Fundraiser
On Monday night, Mish Adventure camp staff, family and friends enjoyed a special fundraising event at Boston Pizza in Grimsby, ON.Several of our First Nations camp staff, helped serve the Boston Pizza guests who came out that night for dinner. This gave them the opportunity to briefly talk about the camp and encourage people to support their efforts.
Many people were interested to hear what staff would be doing this summer and were genuinely captivated with their desire to work with First Nations children on the Mishkeegogamang reserve.
Boston Pizza graciously donated a portion of the dinner sales from that evening to FTC Canada to support the First Nations camp staff. Good job staff and thank you Boston Pizza!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Nicaragua Team departs October 25
It seems that we just returned from Guatemala, and already we are beginning to plan the schedule for our next project in Nicaragua.
Dr. Tony and I will be visiting Nicaragua in July to identify the five communities that will be visited by our team in late October. This will be done in cooperation with the Feed The Children Central America director, Efrain.
The Nicaragua team is in place. About one half of the 22 people involved are new. For some, it will be their third time on the team. Our team will include 3 doctors, a dentist, dental assistant, paramedics, 2 pharmacist and several nurses, complimented by several support staff. We will be joined by a dentist from El Salvador and other local support staff and translators.
While the clinics are going on each day, we will provide an exciting program for the children.
Along with medicines and vitamins, we will be distributing food and clothing.
All this takes money, so if you want to help support this project, please go to our web site and make a donation. Contact us if you have any questions.
Keep your eye on this blog, as we will be reporting activities before and after the trip.
Ken Dick, FTC President.
Dr. Tony and I will be visiting Nicaragua in July to identify the five communities that will be visited by our team in late October. This will be done in cooperation with the Feed The Children Central America director, Efrain.
The Nicaragua team is in place. About one half of the 22 people involved are new. For some, it will be their third time on the team. Our team will include 3 doctors, a dentist, dental assistant, paramedics, 2 pharmacist and several nurses, complimented by several support staff. We will be joined by a dentist from El Salvador and other local support staff and translators.
While the clinics are going on each day, we will provide an exciting program for the children.
Along with medicines and vitamins, we will be distributing food and clothing.
All this takes money, so if you want to help support this project, please go to our web site and make a donation. Contact us if you have any questions.
Keep your eye on this blog, as we will be reporting activities before and after the trip.
Ken Dick, FTC President.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sponsor a child to go to camp!
First Nations Camps for Kids
For $60.00, you can give Mishkeegogamaang (Mish) First Nations kids 3 weeks of great summer camp experiences at Mish Adventure Camp, July 13 - August 1, 2008.
Camp Activites include: Swimming lessons, music, canoeing, windsurfing, fishing derby, crafts, drama, sports, golf, BBQ's and much more!
For $60.00, you can give Mishkeegogamaang (Mish) First Nations kids 3 weeks of great summer camp experiences at Mish Adventure Camp, July 13 - August 1, 2008.
Camp Activites include: Swimming lessons, music, canoeing, windsurfing, fishing derby, crafts, drama, sports, golf, BBQ's and much more!
"Last summer I saw children at Mish Adventure Camp who didn't have many reasons to be happy. First Nations children right here in Ontario lack purpose because they are impoverished. I want to help, care for, and love these children. It's the smiles on their faces that beckon us back to do camp again."
- 2007 Camp Counselor
For more information contact:
To make an online doation click the link below:
Please mail financial donations to:
First Nations Camp Sponsorship
FTC Canada
P.O. Box 30
Guelph, ON N1H 6J6
Monday, June 9, 2008
CCI/Canada Welcomes FTC Canada
FTC Canada was welcomed as a member of Christian Camping International/Canada (CCI/Canada) early in 2008.
FTC Canada submitted the membership to create a partnership with the Canadian and international camping community.
Christian Camping International is an international alliance of Christian Camping Associations helping one another develop effective Christ-centered camps, conference and retreat ministries. CCI operates as a non-denominational evangelical organization through national and regional associations in countries around the globe.
FTC Canada submitted the membership to create a partnership with the Canadian and international camping community.
Christian Camping International is an international alliance of Christian Camping Associations helping one another develop effective Christ-centered camps, conference and retreat ministries. CCI operates as a non-denominational evangelical organization through national and regional associations in countries around the globe.
CCI/CANADA is one of many Christian Camping International associations in more than 30 countries. Currently, there are approximately 200 regular and 20 business members in the CCI/CANADA directory.
The welcome has already translated into support for the camps FTC will operate in Northern Ontario this summer.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Special Report from Front Lines April 2008
ONA Members Help Needy in Guatemala
ONA members have once again proven that when it comes to helping those in need, their charitable work extends well beyond their own communities.
Melanie Fallis, a clinical research coordinator at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and Anna Jewell and Charlene Dart, who work in the surgical services department at Lakeridge Health Corporation in Port Perry, were part of a contingent of Canadian doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and paramedics who travelled to Guatemala in Central America for five days in late February 2008 to provide medical/ dental clinics to children and families – who average eight to 10 members – in desperate need of primary health care, and to distribute food, clothing and toys.
Feed the Children Canada
The trip was organized by Feed the Children (FTC) Canada, which, in partnership with Canadians, responds to the needs of children and their families in Canada and around the world by providing food, medicine, education and other essentials.
"We take our medical and dental teams to lesser developed countries because, in most cases, in the poor communities that we visit, the children and adults we treat have never seen a dentist or doctor," said FTC Canada President Ken Dick. "These services are unavailable due to the distance to a clinic and/ or the lack of funds to pay a doctor or dentist and/or to purchase medicines."
In conjunction with a local Guatemalan team of doctors, dentists, administrators and interpreters, and accompanied by members of the Guatemalan police to ensure their safety, the team treated more than 3,500 medical patients and 450 dental patients in five regions in the country.
Role of Our Members
"While in Guatemala, we worked as a team, assessing patients and delivering basic health care," said Dart, who along with Fallis and Jewell learned of the medical trip through Fallis’ brother-in-law Dr. Tony Brown, who is the medical advisor for FTC Canada. "We took blood pressures, blood sugars, listened to chests, checked ears, noses and throats, and listened to people via our translators."
"Vitamins and medications for parasites were given to everyone," pointed out Jewell, noting that a pharmacy was set up at each site.
"Poor living conditions, lack of clean water, substandard diet and a difficult life of hard labour all contributed to the medical issues we saw," which included dysentery, lice, parasites, scabies, respiratory ailments, gastritis, hypertension, diabetes, advanced tooth decay, colds, fevers, asthma, viral infections and injuries, said Fallis. She is hopeful "the local team will continue what we have started."
Giving Back
For the three nurses, who gave up precious vacation time to go – although they don’t look at it that way – it was a chance to give back to those less fortunate.
"I was looking for a new and different type of nursing experience that would contribute to the greater good and challenge me at the same time," said Fallis. "Guatemala was a compelling opportunity to help and learn."
"This was the perfect opportunity to see what most tourists wouldn’t be able to experience," added Jewell, who traveled on a FTC Canada medical trip to Honduras last year.
For Dart, Fallis and Jewell, the biggest reward was the genuine appreciation they felt from the local residents they came to help.
"Through education, encouragement, friendship and hope, I think we made a real difference in the lives of the people we met," stated Fallis.
"The Guatemalans were so thankful that we came to help them," added Dart. "The sincere ‘gracias, señora’ is what will take me back on another mission."
And she’s not the only one. Jewell said that she is hoping "for the privilege of participating in a medical/dental mission next year to El Salvador," while Fallis added that she would "volunteer again without hesitation."
The trip also helped the nurses appreciate what they have back home.
"I was very thankful to return home safely to a country that has a health care system like it has," remarked Jewell.
What ONA Members Can Learn
Fallis said if there’s one thing she wants other ONA members to take away from this story, it’s that these medical trips are an opportunity to invest your time and skills outside your current job.
"They serve as a reminder that the Learning never stops," she said. "There’s always a way to make a difference in the lives of others who need our help."
Reprinted with permission of the Ontario Nurses' Association
ONA Members Help Needy in Guatemala
ONA members have once again proven that when it comes to helping those in need, their charitable work extends well beyond their own communities.
Melanie Fallis, a clinical research coordinator at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and Anna Jewell and Charlene Dart, who work in the surgical services department at Lakeridge Health Corporation in Port Perry, were part of a contingent of Canadian doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and paramedics who travelled to Guatemala in Central America for five days in late February 2008 to provide medical/ dental clinics to children and families – who average eight to 10 members – in desperate need of primary health care, and to distribute food, clothing and toys.
Feed the Children Canada
The trip was organized by Feed the Children (FTC) Canada, which, in partnership with Canadians, responds to the needs of children and their families in Canada and around the world by providing food, medicine, education and other essentials.
"We take our medical and dental teams to lesser developed countries because, in most cases, in the poor communities that we visit, the children and adults we treat have never seen a dentist or doctor," said FTC Canada President Ken Dick. "These services are unavailable due to the distance to a clinic and/ or the lack of funds to pay a doctor or dentist and/or to purchase medicines."
In conjunction with a local Guatemalan team of doctors, dentists, administrators and interpreters, and accompanied by members of the Guatemalan police to ensure their safety, the team treated more than 3,500 medical patients and 450 dental patients in five regions in the country.
Role of Our Members
"While in Guatemala, we worked as a team, assessing patients and delivering basic health care," said Dart, who along with Fallis and Jewell learned of the medical trip through Fallis’ brother-in-law Dr. Tony Brown, who is the medical advisor for FTC Canada. "We took blood pressures, blood sugars, listened to chests, checked ears, noses and throats, and listened to people via our translators."
"Vitamins and medications for parasites were given to everyone," pointed out Jewell, noting that a pharmacy was set up at each site.
"Poor living conditions, lack of clean water, substandard diet and a difficult life of hard labour all contributed to the medical issues we saw," which included dysentery, lice, parasites, scabies, respiratory ailments, gastritis, hypertension, diabetes, advanced tooth decay, colds, fevers, asthma, viral infections and injuries, said Fallis. She is hopeful "the local team will continue what we have started."
Giving Back
For the three nurses, who gave up precious vacation time to go – although they don’t look at it that way – it was a chance to give back to those less fortunate.
"I was looking for a new and different type of nursing experience that would contribute to the greater good and challenge me at the same time," said Fallis. "Guatemala was a compelling opportunity to help and learn."
"This was the perfect opportunity to see what most tourists wouldn’t be able to experience," added Jewell, who traveled on a FTC Canada medical trip to Honduras last year.
For Dart, Fallis and Jewell, the biggest reward was the genuine appreciation they felt from the local residents they came to help.
"Through education, encouragement, friendship and hope, I think we made a real difference in the lives of the people we met," stated Fallis.
"The Guatemalans were so thankful that we came to help them," added Dart. "The sincere ‘gracias, señora’ is what will take me back on another mission."
And she’s not the only one. Jewell said that she is hoping "for the privilege of participating in a medical/dental mission next year to El Salvador," while Fallis added that she would "volunteer again without hesitation."
The trip also helped the nurses appreciate what they have back home.
"I was very thankful to return home safely to a country that has a health care system like it has," remarked Jewell.
What ONA Members Can Learn
Fallis said if there’s one thing she wants other ONA members to take away from this story, it’s that these medical trips are an opportunity to invest your time and skills outside your current job.
"They serve as a reminder that the Learning never stops," she said. "There’s always a way to make a difference in the lives of others who need our help."
Reprinted with permission of the Ontario Nurses' Association
By Jennifer D. Foster
For five days in February 2008, Dr. Jack Cottrell and his Feed the Children Canada comrades gave nearly 500 children and adults something to smile about.
On a temperate afternoon in late February, 6,500 feet up in the mountains of the Saxsuy community of Guatemala City, Dr. Jack Cottrell bent over the febrile, dehydrated body of tiny three-year-old Ingrid. Travelling five miles on foot with her grandmother, Ingrid, who had never seen a dentist, was expressionless as the bright operatory light revealed 20 primary teeth completely decimated by dental caries and abscesses. After Dr. Cottrell removed two of her teeth, she was rehydrated, given antibiotics and taken to a local hospital to complete her treatment.
“I always wanted to give back — to help people,” says 58-year-old Jack Cottrell, who has lived and worked in Port Perry, Ont., for the past 33 years. He is co-partner of a thriving full-service clinic, which boasts eight dentists and 10 hygienists. An ODA member (and president for 1997-98) and a CDA member (and president for 2005-06), Dr. Cottrell’s impressive list of credentials includes being chair of the North American Regional Organization of Dentistry, a fellow of the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy and recipient of many honours and awards.
In Guatemala City, the boyishly handsome dentist’s dream to help the less fortunate became reality, as he, his wife Michelle, a dental assistant and the co-ordinator of the preventive dental program in his practice, along with the entire team from Feed the Children (FTC) Canada provided primary health and dental care for people in desperate need for one week in February.
Dr. Cottrell first became involved with FTC Canada via FTC Canada’s medical advisor, Dr. Tony Brown. Early in 2006 Dr. Brown, a family physician and anesthetist, returned from a dental mission to Honduras. Saddened that the three American dentists and three assistants could only perform extractions (they had no compressor or power source), he approached Dr. Cottrell upon his return. “Jack is an extremely skilled dentist with superb technical skills and a fabulous bedside manner. And he’s probably the most energetic individual I’ve worked with, so that’s why I asked him to help out,” recalls Dr. Brown. Dr. Cottrell rose to the challenge of providing free, mobile, first-class oral-health care abroad, envisioning clinics where teeth are repaired and preventive dentistry is de rigueur. In the summer of 2007, Dr. Brown introduced Dr. Cottrell to FTC Canada president Ken Dick, and the rest is dental history.
In just five days in five different Guatemalan suburbs, Dr. Cottrell’s dental team — his wife Michelle (who monitored sterilization protocols and provided equipment maintenance), a local woman who’d assisted on previous FTC Canada missions, a Spanish translator, a handful of Guatemalan dentists and a dentist from FTC El Salvador — treated nearly 500 children and adults. Dr. Cottrell and Michelle didn’t stop at all — even for lunch — during the long days. “Our feeling was, if you took 10 or 15 minutes, that was one less person we’d be able to see in the day,” he says. That sense of urgency was heightened daily by the armed police escort that shadowed the team all day long, ensuring their safety and also preventing their pharmacy from being stolen by local bandits. Despite strict departure times, the team managed to squeeze in a few extra patients each day.
Patients received treatment in school classrooms that had become makeshift dental clinics, featuring state-of-the-art sterilization equipment, three to four portable dental chairs, dental drills and all the high-volume suction and high-powered lights critical for restorative work, bonding and extractions. The level of disease and decay they witnessed was catastrophic. “Everywhere we went we saw mouths at the end stage of dental disease. There was not one person who did not have something going on in their mouth,” says Dr. Cottrell.
And he attributes much of it to their diet. Soft drinks and tortilla chips — cariogenic food staples — are available at every corner store and are much cheaper than bottled water. Sugar cane, a primary export, is another daily foodstuff, eaten raw or made into a honey-like liquid and given to children in their bottles. Unfortunately, many Guatemalans have never owned a toothbrush and have never been shown how to clean their teeth. “It’s not unlike what we had here in Canada and the U.S. 60 to 70 years ago,” says Dr. Cottrell. “People expected that they got to a certain point in their life, and they got all their teeth taken out — that was the norm.” But the natives “came to this clinic thinking they were having their teeth extracted, and some ended up getting restorative work, instead, which is really exciting,” says Dick.
Charity work is nothing new to Dr. Cottrell. From 1975 to 1981, he volunteered one or two nights per week at two different inner-city dental clinics in Toronto, treating immigrants, poor families, drug addicts and street people. He’s seen the effects of poverty firsthand on dental health and knows it’s a reality in any country, “but when we take the neediest situation here, it doesn’t hold a candle to what exists in these types of countries,” says Dr. Cottrell, a father of four. “These people die from dental infections; they die from problems that would be unheard of to die from in our culture.” Dick concurs. “I wouldn’t think there’s an adult or child who could walk into any emergency department here in Canada and not be treated. Social services are here. There’s no transportation and no infrastructure in these other countries. It’s pay before you get treated.” Why Central America? “It’s closer than Africa, so it’s less costly,” says Dick. “And we have Spanish translators and an office with staff in Guatemala City, so that helps us with preparation.”
Dr. and Mrs. Cottrell’s first dental clinic experience with FTC Canada was so successful, they’re already booked for the next 2008 mission — Nicaragua in October. “We can hardly wait to go to Nicaragua, because we have now seen just a glimpse of the needs in these countries. We have found that we can make a huge difference,” says Michelle Cottrell. And Dr. Brown is equally thrilled. “The Cottrells were very sensitive to the Guatemalans’ customs and practices. I was impressed with Dr. Cottrell’s balance of sensitivity and his desire to teach new ways of doing things.”
And teaching and collaboration, says Dr. Cottrell, are the keys to all future dental missions. “My goal is to develop a comprehensive model of care — rather than a unilateral model of just extracting teeth — and teach the professionals how they can best use these preventive programs. I want to leave a legacy behind, where people learn how to look after themselves — that’s the key.”
What’s changed for Dr. Cottrell after this trip? “The need to get bigger faster,” he says. “There’s so much need, and it’s the urgency I sense now. It broke my heart to turn people away at the end of the day.” His solution is to train enough “sub-leaders” so that they can conduct myriad dental clinics annually, even without his presence. Dr. Cottrell is also determined to introduce regular fluoride rinse programs at FTC feeding stations in all future missions.
Does Dr. Cottrell recommend other ODA members get involved? Without hesitation. “We live in a society of self-interest and self-indulgence, so it’s really an important part of our position and our responsibility to give somebody a hand. The joy you get from seeing somebody appreciative, not even from the treatment, but from the fact you took the time to befriend them, warms your heart. You’re giving them hope. And that’s what it’s all about — hope for a better tomorrow.”
Reprinted with permission of the Ontario Dental Association and Ontario Dentist, 2008.
For five days in February 2008, Dr. Jack Cottrell and his Feed the Children Canada comrades gave nearly 500 children and adults something to smile about.
On a temperate afternoon in late February, 6,500 feet up in the mountains of the Saxsuy community of Guatemala City, Dr. Jack Cottrell bent over the febrile, dehydrated body of tiny three-year-old Ingrid. Travelling five miles on foot with her grandmother, Ingrid, who had never seen a dentist, was expressionless as the bright operatory light revealed 20 primary teeth completely decimated by dental caries and abscesses. After Dr. Cottrell removed two of her teeth, she was rehydrated, given antibiotics and taken to a local hospital to complete her treatment.
“I always wanted to give back — to help people,” says 58-year-old Jack Cottrell, who has lived and worked in Port Perry, Ont., for the past 33 years. He is co-partner of a thriving full-service clinic, which boasts eight dentists and 10 hygienists. An ODA member (and president for 1997-98) and a CDA member (and president for 2005-06), Dr. Cottrell’s impressive list of credentials includes being chair of the North American Regional Organization of Dentistry, a fellow of the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy and recipient of many honours and awards.
In Guatemala City, the boyishly handsome dentist’s dream to help the less fortunate became reality, as he, his wife Michelle, a dental assistant and the co-ordinator of the preventive dental program in his practice, along with the entire team from Feed the Children (FTC) Canada provided primary health and dental care for people in desperate need for one week in February.
Dr. Cottrell first became involved with FTC Canada via FTC Canada’s medical advisor, Dr. Tony Brown. Early in 2006 Dr. Brown, a family physician and anesthetist, returned from a dental mission to Honduras. Saddened that the three American dentists and three assistants could only perform extractions (they had no compressor or power source), he approached Dr. Cottrell upon his return. “Jack is an extremely skilled dentist with superb technical skills and a fabulous bedside manner. And he’s probably the most energetic individual I’ve worked with, so that’s why I asked him to help out,” recalls Dr. Brown. Dr. Cottrell rose to the challenge of providing free, mobile, first-class oral-health care abroad, envisioning clinics where teeth are repaired and preventive dentistry is de rigueur. In the summer of 2007, Dr. Brown introduced Dr. Cottrell to FTC Canada president Ken Dick, and the rest is dental history.
In just five days in five different Guatemalan suburbs, Dr. Cottrell’s dental team — his wife Michelle (who monitored sterilization protocols and provided equipment maintenance), a local woman who’d assisted on previous FTC Canada missions, a Spanish translator, a handful of Guatemalan dentists and a dentist from FTC El Salvador — treated nearly 500 children and adults. Dr. Cottrell and Michelle didn’t stop at all — even for lunch — during the long days. “Our feeling was, if you took 10 or 15 minutes, that was one less person we’d be able to see in the day,” he says. That sense of urgency was heightened daily by the armed police escort that shadowed the team all day long, ensuring their safety and also preventing their pharmacy from being stolen by local bandits. Despite strict departure times, the team managed to squeeze in a few extra patients each day.
Patients received treatment in school classrooms that had become makeshift dental clinics, featuring state-of-the-art sterilization equipment, three to four portable dental chairs, dental drills and all the high-volume suction and high-powered lights critical for restorative work, bonding and extractions. The level of disease and decay they witnessed was catastrophic. “Everywhere we went we saw mouths at the end stage of dental disease. There was not one person who did not have something going on in their mouth,” says Dr. Cottrell.
And he attributes much of it to their diet. Soft drinks and tortilla chips — cariogenic food staples — are available at every corner store and are much cheaper than bottled water. Sugar cane, a primary export, is another daily foodstuff, eaten raw or made into a honey-like liquid and given to children in their bottles. Unfortunately, many Guatemalans have never owned a toothbrush and have never been shown how to clean their teeth. “It’s not unlike what we had here in Canada and the U.S. 60 to 70 years ago,” says Dr. Cottrell. “People expected that they got to a certain point in their life, and they got all their teeth taken out — that was the norm.” But the natives “came to this clinic thinking they were having their teeth extracted, and some ended up getting restorative work, instead, which is really exciting,” says Dick.
Charity work is nothing new to Dr. Cottrell. From 1975 to 1981, he volunteered one or two nights per week at two different inner-city dental clinics in Toronto, treating immigrants, poor families, drug addicts and street people. He’s seen the effects of poverty firsthand on dental health and knows it’s a reality in any country, “but when we take the neediest situation here, it doesn’t hold a candle to what exists in these types of countries,” says Dr. Cottrell, a father of four. “These people die from dental infections; they die from problems that would be unheard of to die from in our culture.” Dick concurs. “I wouldn’t think there’s an adult or child who could walk into any emergency department here in Canada and not be treated. Social services are here. There’s no transportation and no infrastructure in these other countries. It’s pay before you get treated.” Why Central America? “It’s closer than Africa, so it’s less costly,” says Dick. “And we have Spanish translators and an office with staff in Guatemala City, so that helps us with preparation.”
Dr. and Mrs. Cottrell’s first dental clinic experience with FTC Canada was so successful, they’re already booked for the next 2008 mission — Nicaragua in October. “We can hardly wait to go to Nicaragua, because we have now seen just a glimpse of the needs in these countries. We have found that we can make a huge difference,” says Michelle Cottrell. And Dr. Brown is equally thrilled. “The Cottrells were very sensitive to the Guatemalans’ customs and practices. I was impressed with Dr. Cottrell’s balance of sensitivity and his desire to teach new ways of doing things.”
And teaching and collaboration, says Dr. Cottrell, are the keys to all future dental missions. “My goal is to develop a comprehensive model of care — rather than a unilateral model of just extracting teeth — and teach the professionals how they can best use these preventive programs. I want to leave a legacy behind, where people learn how to look after themselves — that’s the key.”
What’s changed for Dr. Cottrell after this trip? “The need to get bigger faster,” he says. “There’s so much need, and it’s the urgency I sense now. It broke my heart to turn people away at the end of the day.” His solution is to train enough “sub-leaders” so that they can conduct myriad dental clinics annually, even without his presence. Dr. Cottrell is also determined to introduce regular fluoride rinse programs at FTC feeding stations in all future missions.
Does Dr. Cottrell recommend other ODA members get involved? Without hesitation. “We live in a society of self-interest and self-indulgence, so it’s really an important part of our position and our responsibility to give somebody a hand. The joy you get from seeing somebody appreciative, not even from the treatment, but from the fact you took the time to befriend them, warms your heart. You’re giving them hope. And that’s what it’s all about — hope for a better tomorrow.”
Reprinted with permission of the Ontario Dental Association and Ontario Dentist, 2008.
Monday, May 26, 2008
2008 Mish Adventure Camp Staff
Kim Hamming - Camp Director
Penny Dobson - Community Liaison
Lives in Hamilton and has just graduated from Sheridan College with her Social Work Degree
Kandy Ostrosky - Program Coordinator
Lives in Burlington and has just graduated from Sheridan College with her Social Work Degree
Heather Kooiman - Swimming Director
Lives in Smithville and has just spent the last several months in Africa working with ‘Save the Mothers’
Greg Williams - Sports Director
Christina DeOliveira - Creative Director
Lives in Brampton and is very busy helping out at the Brampton Music Theatre
Naketa Pinnock - Program Assistant
Resides in Hamilton
Kim Hamming - Camp DirectorLives in Dunneville and has graduated with her Bachelor of Arts: Child & Youth Studies from Brock University
Penny Dobson - Community LiaisonLives in Hamilton and has just graduated from Sheridan College with her Social Work Degree
Kandy Ostrosky - Program CoordinatorLives in Burlington and has just graduated from Sheridan College with her Social Work Degree
Heather Kooiman - Swimming DirectorLives in Smithville and has just spent the last several months in Africa working with ‘Save the Mothers’
Greg Williams - Sports DirectorLives in Hamilton and has just completed his first semester at Bible College
Christina DeOliveira - Creative DirectorLives in Brampton and is very busy helping out at the Brampton Music Theatre
Naketa Pinnock - Program AssistantResides in Hamilton
Maurice Brown - Program Assistant
Sam Williams - Program Assistant
Charina Betty - Program Assistant
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