Healing The Children - Arizona Chapter

Programs: Medical teams program - in feb 2010 htc arizona sent it's 2nd surgical team to cuenca, ecuador. The 12 member team, (consisting of 2 surgeons, 2 anesthesiologists, 3 nurses, 3 scrub techs, one translator and one htc team administrator), specialized in pediatric ophthalmology and ent. All the supplies needed were collected by the team and were donated by offices and hospitals throughout the valley. They were brought along by the team, carried in large storage bins. Over the course of the work week 161 children were examined. Out of those 58 children were operated on, (receiving 87 surgical procedures in total). The ent surgeon also delivered a lecture at the local medical school. In december htc arizona sent a small pediatric urology team to ecuador consisting of 1 surgeon, 1 anesthesiologist, 2 nurses, 1 scrub tech, 1 translator and an htc team administrator. Even though this was just a small team, they ended up screening a total of 48 patients and operated on 21 children (providing 23 surgical procedures). The surgeon also provided a lecture to other medical providers in the hospital.

international project programon april 16, 2010, the organization donated 10 boxes of assorted medical and surgical supplies to project c. U. R. E. , which were valued at $2,000.

local assistance programalthough there had been no request for local patient services, the organization did support a local non profit organization called vision quest 20/20. Through this partnership the organization has agreed to help fund vision screenings for school age children, targeted specifically to identify amblyopia. The cost for each exam comes to $5 per child. Amblyopia, or "lazy eye", is the leading cause of monocular blindness in america. This treatable condition, if left undetected, can lead to lifelong and significant academic, health and psychological consequences. In november and december, the organization provided vision screenings for 479 children at two schools in a low-income area by working with vision quest 20/20.

stateside foreign assist programthe arizona chapter brought five children to the united states for medical treatment in 2010. 1. Lorena, a 5 year old girl from the philippines was in desperate need for an open heart surgery, which was provided by donating doctors and hospital in tucson. This was the first time that htc arizona used resources outside of the phoenix area. 2. In october hussein from iraq arrived whose services would be provided for through the shriners in la. This was also a first for our chapter to work in partnership with shriners to help a child in need. Although the doctors and hospital is located in los angeles, our chapter works through el zaribah shriners clinic located in phoenix. Hussein was in need of a prosthetic arm and plastic surgical repairs to his face. This is the second time hussein had been brought to the united states. He had already been brought to arizona in late 2005 when he received extensive services for the injuries he incurred due to a land mine blast. 3. The third patient was 8 year old girl, ana, from honduras. Ana was in need of a repair to her esophagus, which was destroyed when she drank a caustic liquid at the age of 2. This precious child went through an extremely complicated surgery that now enables her to eat by mouth. 4. The fourth patient was a teenage girl from the bahamas, shantal. Shantal had a problem with her jaw, which had been locked due to a bad fall and needed reconstructive surgery to unlock the jaw. Shantal had had two failed surgical attempts in jamaica, which made her procedure all the more difficult. Fortunately for shantal our surgeons were able to reset her jaw successfully. Shantal will need to return in another 6 months to complete the 2nd stage of her repair. 5. The fith patient, beatriz, came from nicaragua. Beatriz, a lovely 17 year old girl, needed reconstructive surgery on her feet to help improve her ability to walk and to take pressure off her knees. All the patients with the exception of lorena arrived late in the year and will be required to have treatment that carries into 2011 to complete their treatment. The organization has not been able to determine the total donated value of the services provided for all of the children but estimates that it is in excess of $300,000.