Timor Leste

Beautiful Timor Leste

Day 10 in Dili, Timor Leste.  I'm amazed at how quickly the time has flown since arriving in timor.  We only have 3 full days here before we head out.  Thus far, Mercy staff has seen 13,036 patients ashore for medical, dental and opthamology treatment.  We've admitted 146 patients onboard the ship and performed 119 surgeries.... as of last night.  We are still in full swing admitting more patients and the OR is still running.  Those numbers do not include the Operation Smile patients. 

Sleeping in the peds ward after cleft surgery.

Operation Smile came on board for a few days.  They brought their own staff and supplies, using our facilities to operate.  They mostly do cleft lip and palate repair, but also perform other plastic surgery as well. 

A little boy going home with his dad after cleft repair.

A little boy selling peanuts and limes.

So many surgeries are incredibly life changing for those receiving them!  In the US, infants born with such deformities are treated right away.  Here, we are correcting clefts on people into their 20's and beyond.  They've suffered their whole life with a deformity that causes them to be made fun of and shunned in society, but they leave here normal!

As always, there are those that we can not help.  We've seen cancer and other serious illnesses that simply can't be treated.  We have to send them home for family to care for.... no hospice, no comfort care or medications to ease them through dying.  I feel so incredibly blessed that both of my parents had such excellent medical care during the last days of their life.