Medical Team Visit

Medical Team Blog November 2013

Here is our blog from the recent medical team visit.  Things are going well here and it's been great to see growth in Makarios, the positive impact that Makarios has within the community, and the lives of the children and families that we are changing for the better.  You can also see this blog with some better pictures from the team on the Makarios website   http://www.makariosinternational.org/blog.html

Makarios recently had the opportunity to host a medical team from the states.  This group was comprised of 4 medical providers (2 MDs, PA, NP), an optometrist, RNs and other ancillary staff.  There were 13 people in total from Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia.  They brought a lot of medications and other supplies for the weeklong clinic as well as to keep in the Makarios clinic to use throughout the year (a huge blessing). 

 Makarios has been hosting a medical team since the fall of 2007 when my family and I brought the first team.  We have been bringing a team each year since until this year when we had the pleasure to host them since we are on Makarios staff now! It was great being on this side and hopefully we will continue to improve the health of the Mak kids and their families through us being here and the visits of the medical team.

This was an exciting week.  There is a great need for medical and eye care here in the DR. They saw about 550 patients in the 4 days they had clinic.  They saw all of the kids in the school, their families, the Makarios staff and their families, Chichigua, and many people from the local church (Templo Biblico) and the surrounding community. They had 2 half days to visit one of the villages (Pancho Mateo) to see how and where the kids and their families live.  The cafeteria was transformed into a 4 room hospital treating everything from fungal infections, respiratory illnesses, skin abscesses, foreign body in the ear, urinary problems to hypertension.  Rex (our eye doctor) was a very busy man as well.  He checked all of the kids in the school (115 or so) and hundreds of others.  It was awesome to see some of the elderly come out with glasses and immediately pull out their Bibles to see if they could read.  To see the smiles on their faces when they could see what they were reading was priceless!  They also spent a morning in Chichigua seeing anyone who wanted to be seen there.  The highlight was having one of the student’s moms come to know Christ because of this team.  She was having depression and other problems and with the help of a great translator she lead her to the Lord. 

This week was a huge blessing to the people of Makarios as well as those near or associated with this wonderful organization.  Thank you so much Medical Team 2013!  Start preparing for next year.

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  We will be back in the states in December and hope to see a lot of you.  Thanks so much for your support.