The Life-Changing Magic of Changing Lives
OFNHP’s Caring Beyond the Bedside Series
“One, two, three, four, five.” Sarah Lazarides counts out loud. “Ok, adding five Raytecs to the count.” I say in response.
We are about an hour into our 6-flap cleft palate surgery and I hear loud cheering coming from the hallway. The cheering being two lines of staff with their arms in the air excitedly celebrating a young patient walking to their operating room like a champ.
This is only the tip of the iceberg of the phenomenal acts the healthcare team performed during the 11th Surgical Campaign for the FACES (Foundation for the Advancement of Cleft Education and Services) Foundation. In 7 days, 40 FACES team members cared for 53 patients performing 68 procedures in conjunction with 62 Speech Therapy sessions.
“During this FACES campaign, we provided life-changing care to 53 patients. But what I found even truer was the way my life was changed…”
FACES, a non-profit volunteer-run program was started in 2001 in Portland, Oregon. Since its inception, the program has performed hundreds of cleft lip and palate surgeries on patients who are medically isolated.
Hospital Belen de Lambayeque and Hospital Regional de Lambayeque provide the operating rooms for our surgical teams to work in along with the Lions Clubs, the Catholic Church, and Café Feminino all whom provide logistical support from transportation from the airport, keeping supplies safe for us to return to the following year, and even providing lunch to us every day we work at the hospital.
Being a team member means volunteering time away from work and professional skills in caring for patients. The most challenging thing in this experience of being on a medical mission has been coming back to questions of “How was your vacation in Peru??”
Vacation? You must be confusing me with someone else — unless you consider over 24 hours of traveling, working from 0630 to 1900 each day, and having a love affair with the only fan you have in your stuffy room a vacation; then sure, vacation it is!
Please do not misunderstand — the love and appreciation expressed by every family member and patient are absolutely priceless. Many of the patients were on their 2nd or 3rd surgery with this foundation, which speaks volumes to the reputation of FACES amongst the Peruvian people, who often travel a day ahead of their scheduled procedure in order to arrive on time.
The culture of Lambayeque is very family-oriented. Walking home from the hospital after a shift, one notices the streets lined with people out and about, especially around the parks that occupy entire square blocks with kids running around, skate-boarding or roller-skating. The local street vendors have their ‘restaurant’ set up for the night — some complete with tables in the shape of a “U” around the delicious cooking.
Although the month of January was calling for possible snow in the Portland area, across the equator in Lambayeque, January meant stifling temperatures of 90 degrees with 70% humidity. Peruvians know how to navigate this heat by taking advantage of the nightlife. This was my favorite time of day. To experience this collective culture where neighbors know each other and are invested in one another’s lives can be a very foreign concept to an American visitor.
True, during this FACES campaign we provided life-changing care to 53 patients. But what I found even truer was the way my life was changed through the love and joy experienced in Lambayeque. Being open to the change this love and joy can provide in a person is the real mission I think, and I know I am fortunate from having been a part of it.
Alisa Valles is and OFNHP steward who works at the Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center Operating Room. She was a 2019 FACES volunteer.
