Our team will arrive back in Minneapolis in a few hours. The first time going to Liberia that they have not been delayed by snow on the way back.

Mission Partner Jennifer Malaret

Jennifer Malaret, was our third mission partner. She hails from California and is the sister of CSI board member and surgical lead for the mission, Dr. Tim Lander.

Here she is seen with Jolene, who lives at the Francis Gaskins Rescue home.

Firestone

Firestone executive, Dan Adomitis and his wife, Johnine with the Duside nursing staff.

Bridgestone corporate executive, Patti passes out balloons to our patients during screening

Mission Photos

The plane leaves tonight at 6:30p after a program at the hospital gives us a chance to thank their staff, and them to do the same. We hope to be back here next year, as 'the need has the ability to swallow you.....

Final Post from our blogger, Sally Lannin

Friday

I am up at 5am on auto pilot, despite the fact we get to 'sleep in' until 7 this morning. It is our last day in Liberia , and that means packing supplies, leaving scrubs and stethoscopes and whatever else we can leave here for the staff at the hospital. Yesterday, Thursday, was our last day of surgery. The surgeons packed in as many patients as possible, despite the fact that there is a nasty flu bug running through the entire team. This little girl had a hernia repair, plus clefts were repaired and various urological issues fixed.

Team Members Theresa Reichert, Katie Houle,Mary Johnson, Mary Bye and John Hehre

Firestone Staff

And as usual, the Firestone Staff continues to go above and beyond to make our stay comfortabl, and to assure that each of us feel the kind of hospitality of this wonderful country. To the right, Wadei Powell, who has gone above and beyond to assure our mission is a success.

Above, Martha the pre-op nurse who is among the many who is so helpful.

Firestone School bus transports the patients back to Liberia once their stay with us is done.

Saturdayma

There are so many wonderful stories of children's lives who have been changed by their surgeries. Dr. Tim Lander performed surgery on Saturdayma, a girl in her 20"s who returned from last year to have final work done on her cleft. She looked at herself in the mirror this morning as she left the hospital.

Francis Gaskin Rescue Home

Several members of the team spent yesterday approximately one hour away from the Firestone Guesthouse at an orphanage called Francis Gaskin Rescue Home, named for the founders grandmother who taught them to care for the unwanted. The visit was coordinated by Debbie of Orphan Rescue and Relief, a wonderful local NGO. Mission Partner, Mary Moore supervised the preparation of a traditional rice dish for the 120+ kids. Comprised of approximately 100 schoolchildren and 30 orphans, the kids started their meal with nasty tasting de- worming pills followed by a dum-dum sucker which they were allowed to get after proving they'd fully chewed their pills by sticking out their tongues. Next came one, two and three servings of rice with sauteed chicken, boullion, carrots, onions and tomatoes. The kids also each had half of a bright red apple, which is the symbol of love in Liberia. Finally, each got a packet of coconut cookies, a small stuffed toy, and plenty of new games, schoolbooks, toys and balls which have been donated over the past year by everyone from Dr. Tetzlaff's children to Lora Koppel's neighbors. They were hugely appreciated.

Wednesday

The past three days( Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) have been full days of surgery, starting each day at 8 am and going until 6 or 7 each evening. All three of the surgeons, Dr's Lander, Muehlstedt, and Vandersteen have each had every single surgery slot filled with no room for additions. The support staff at Duside Hospital has been extremely helpful, from the OR nurses to the staff in the Pediatrics ward. Patients have been very good about returning to the hospital to spend the night prior to the next day's surgery in order to assure the children have nothing to eat or drink after midnight the evening prior to surgery. It makes for a lot of crying babies in the Pre- Op area the next day, especially toward the end of the day. Here is a picture of one young patent Marvelous, who is awaiting hernia surgery as we speak.

Sunday

It is 9pm and everyone is back at the terrific Firestone Guesthouse. I can't say enough about how wonderfully the Liberian people treat us. Lillian, the exceptional house manager, goes out of her way to meet our every need. I complimented her last night on the best dessert that may have ever graced my palate- a tradional Liberian rice bread- and voila! An entire additional batch appeared at dinner tonight, along with fresh cut sugar cane. Our team truly appreciates these special touches as everyone is very tired, but inspired.

A few special moments from today. One patient, a young 4 year old gentleman by the name of Luckyboy, was brought in by his grandfather. Told on Friday that they should return to the hospital late Saturday afternoon for Sunday surgery, they opted to walk 45 minutes down the road, find a safe clearing, and sleep there rather than make the 4 hour trek back from home. When they arrived on Saturday, luck granted them one of the premium lodging options at the brand new Firestone Friendship House. Truly a blessing for this grandfather and his lucky boy! He was successfully treated for a hernia.

Another child had a huge gall stone removed by Dr. Vandersteen. The stone would have eventually killed him. We have seen more than one urological procedure that had been poorly performed here in Liberia and needed to be redone. Palates were fixed by Dr. Tim Lander, and Dr. Steve Muehlstedt is fixing hernias and connected the bowel of a 3 year old gifl who was born without a functioning bowel system. A patient, 16 year old Henry, who is having a neck issue repaired, transfixed us all with numerous a capella gospel songs, which he kept singing as he walked down the hall and up on the operating table until the anesthesia put him to sleep. A highlight for all of us.

We saw that is is 10 degrees today in Minneapolis, and all smiled....

Arrival and Screening Days

Sally Lannin, our blogger had sent us messages earlier last week but they were lost in cyber space.
Welcome Back to Liberia, CSI!!!

We arrived in the dark of the evening and as we walked off the plane and felt the tropical weather we knew we were back in Liberia!! Up early the next morning to attend the ribbon cutting of the wonderful Firestone Friendship House courtesy of our host, Dan Adomitis and the Firestone Company. Inspired by seeing all of the families who came to screening in 2010 and had no place to stay, Dan worked with Firestone to creat the Friendship House near the Duside Hospital. Now open, the facility will house up to four families who are in need of a place to stay while their loved ones are having surgery. It is truly a wonderful place.

And today was the first day of screening... it is almost midnight and we are still up printing the photos of the over 100 patients who will receive surgery over the next five days. We screened more patients today than CSI has ever screened in one day; over 150. Sadly, we saw only about 1/4th of the patients that were waiting to be screened. It is utterly heartbreaking to see and to wonder what will happen to these families. But the very good news is that due to the demand, we have decided to start surgery a day early... so tomorrow's day which was supposed to be all screening will have two of our surgeons operating.

Everyone on the entire team is literally slaving. Thankfully Firestone has spent the entire year prepping their team here in Liberia for our return, and the preparation has paid off. Many many of their staff have been pulled to be dedicated to us being here... they are helping guide patients up to the screening area, walking to and waiting at the laboratory with parents and their little kids. Firestone has helium ballons up everywhere and the kids are thrilled. We are always amazed at how wonderfully patient the Liberia parents and their children are. The kids, many of whom spent the night outside waiting for the next day's screening, arrive dressed in the best clothing they have( one little fellow arrived wearing a necktie), hoping to be selected for surgery. Dr. Dave Vandersteen even performed a very quick but essential on the spot surgery for a little 6 year old boy who had been unable to urinate more than a trickle for years. He had been screened a couple of months ago here at the hospital and was put on hold until Dr. Vandersteen's arrival. Upon examination, Dave discovered a hard rock- like mass at the tip of the boy's penis, which he cut open to release a hazelnut sized calcification that had literally been blocking the boy's ability to urinate. The rock popped out, and immediately the boy "peed like a race horse" and the mother screamed "Lord Jesus, its a miracle!!". Quite a way to start our trip of service, don't you agree?

Miracle Smith

Miracle is having surgery today

Dave Tetzlaff, pediatrician, with a young patient.

Johnine Adomitis with a young baby and Mary Moore with young patient

Scenes from the Mission

Our CSI Team was warmly welcomed by the
Duside staff.
There was also an article in the Liberian paper.http://www.theinquirer.com.lr/story.php?record_id=3517&sub=14

Saturday, January 15

It is Saturday evening and despite our original plan of starting surgery on Sunday, two of the three physicians began operating at 11 am this morning after completing screening of several additional kids. The need is endless and today, in part , was about prioritizing and figuring out how to deploy the resources we have to the greatest benefit. Medical records champions, Ruthann Randall and Haley Bye are doing a great job of keeping the patient information straight. This is our first year of the Mission Partners Program, and we are honored to have Jennifer Malaret, Mary Moore and Kim Poplawski with us to observe, learn, and roll up their sleeves as full-fledged working cogs in the wheel. And every set of hands are needed.

Today we screened 8 children from local orphanages, and all are being operated on tomorrow, including a 13 year old boy who has lived a life of being teased by other children. When the woman who runs the orphanage, a warm woman in her 60's, came into recovery to ease Joshua's anxiety, she burst into tears with gratefullness.

Tomorrow's surgeries, three very full schedules with three surgeons, Tim Lander, Steve Muehlstedt and Dave Vandersteen and anesthesiologist, Ryan Rekuski,pediatrician, Dave Tetzlaff, plus all of the Crnas, Lynn Randall, Denise Blankenship, Celeste Gaiser, Danielle Patti, OR Nursing staff, Mary Johnson, Charlee Kimmes, Leon Randall, nurses on the pediatric ward, Patience Kankeh, Theresa Reichert and Louann Randall, the recovery room staff, Mary Bye, Dody Barr,and Katie Houle, nursing coordinator, Lora Stege Koppel and a number of support professionals including CSI board member and logistics coordinator, John Hehre going top speed promises to be a full day.

One young girl kept losing her balloon so her mother figured out a creative way for her to hang on to it.

Balloons were a big hit with the children while they waited to be seen.

A young patient holding on to mama as they wait to be seen by our doctors.

We welcome three CSI Partners on this mission, Kim, Mary and Jennifer.

They will see first hand the work of our medical team.

Here is Kim with one of our young patients.

Tatiana came last year to have surgery on her cleft palate. She was too young so her family brought her this year and she will also have hernia surgery

Day Five

Our team screened over 200 patients on Friday so surgery began today. The team will do five and one half days of surgery to accomodate all the patients.
Sally Lannin, CSI Partner coordinator sent photos.
A huge thank you to Dan Adomitis and Firestone Duside Hospital for welcoming our team and our patients. Thank you for giving hope to the children of Liberia.

Preparations

Our team arrived on the ground running. Today was a day of teaching and screening and unpacking supplies. Tomorrow they will see about 200 children and set the surgery schedule.
Surgery begins Sunday morning.

Departure Day

Our team departed early this morning for Brussells to avoid the snow.
They will arrive in Monrovia at 8:10p on the 12th. Please watch for future posts.