Time to Go Home!

After our third and final day of surgery, it’s time to do final rounds, give care instructions to parents, exchange hugs and say farewell to Hermosillo for another year.

Most patients spend just one night in the hospital, and after being examined by their surgeon and pediatrician, they are sent home with detailed care instructions and necessary medications. They are also given gifts of food, diapers and toys from the Hospital CIMA volunteers.

Most importantly, a detailed plan is made for follow-up and possible subsequent surgeries. This is what makes this trip so unique: When CSI returns to Hermosillo annually, we can follow up on past patients and perform further surgeries as necessary. It’s THIS aspect that can really make the difference for a child to grow up with a normal appearance, normal speech and full self-esteem.

Dr. Jon Grischkan, our surgical team lead this year, brought up Ana Karen – introduced to you in our first blog post. “This young woman, now 19, has had her complete cleft care treatment: cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, speech surgery, alveolar bone graft and rhinoplasty. She’s beautiful, amazing and a great representation of the work that is possible when strong organizations come together! Kudos to Children’s Surgery International, the CIMA Hospital volunteers and St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic.”

CSI depends on support from private donors in order to continue offering this continuum of care. Thank you so much for your support! With your gifts, along with the moral support you offer CSI team members, YOU are changing children’s lives, one smile at a time.

Click to make a donation today.

Click for photos from the Hermosillo surgical trip.