Medical Missions for Children (MMFC’s) Cleft Mission to Phalodi Brings 18 New Smiles

“Mom, was it mission accomplished ?”, my 10 yr old son Dan asks across the  miles from California. I had just called home on the last day of the mission - hard to believe it was the last day of the mission!To answer my son’s question: Yes, it was mission accomplished!, considering that we did not make it here last year due to lack of funds. The MMFC team of 9 members from various parts of the U.S, journeyed several thousands of miles ,just like many of our patients had travelled 2-3 days to see us at the HBS Trust hospital in Phalodi, Rajasthan. The distance or the journey did not deter these determined parents. We screened 25 patients that had been identified by the hospital staff during several of their health care visits to near and far villages. News of our impending visit was by word of mouth from midwives to patient families.

Parents waited with bated breath on screening day to find out if their child had made it to the surgery list. Our days started at 6 A.M and completed by 6P.M. Nightfall usually came quicker than expected and some of us would walk a short distance back to our hotel giving us the chance to unwind , discuss our day and have a laugh or share a story about one of our patients. The hospital run and maintained by Dr. Kanti Jain and her family is a gem in this desert state of Rajasthan. There is a blood bank, neonatal unit and a dialysis center at the hospital. We felt at home having been here for the fourth time in the past 5 years.

At the end of the week, as I look back and reflect upon each of the patients and their stories, I am humbled by their complete trust in us. I am grateful to the parents for permitting us to operate on their children without completely understanding all that the surgery entails. To me, this is what medicine is all about. Opportunities such as these keep me grounded to the real reason why I became a doctor. This mission also has given me the opportunity to give back to the country that helped formulate my medical career. I completed my M.B.B.S at Madras Medical College and then moved to the United States. I have been back a few times since then but the chance in leading the MMFC team to India has been my gratitude for the early years of my medical schooling. Some of the team members also have Indian roots and I know that I speak for all of us when I say “It is good to be home”.

We performed 18 surgeries on patients ranging from 8 months to 26 years. Many had both cleft lips and palates but we could only do the lip this year. We hope to return in 2012 to perform the cleft palate surgeries. So , if you would like to make a difference in the life of a child in India and give them an everlasting smile, and help us return to India in 2012, call our Executive Director Elizabeth Desmarais at 508-697-5821, or visit our website at  www.mmfc.org.  MMFC is happy to meet with any individual or business that might be interested in supporting our efforts in India.

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