by Steve Kiester
A Journey of Healing and Hope
Surgical missions offer a unique opportunity to bring life-changing care to communities with limited access to medical services. You may recall from my prior blog post, before embarking on my second career as a Realtor, I had a career in medicine as a surgeon. During that time, I had the privilege of participating in 10 medical missions to Guatemala, where our dedicated teams of multi-specialty surgeons, nurses, and volunteers worked tirelessly to provide much needed care to Guatemalans.
Guatemala faces significant healthcare disparities, as do many developing countries. Many health conditions go unaddressed, leading to unnecessary suffering, and in some cases, life-threatening complications. In fact, conditions often become permanent disabilities and further add to human suffering. Ultimately, surgical missions are not just about performing procedures. They encompass so much more, such as building relationships and leaving a lasting impact and hope. With each mission I undertook, I was humbled by the most beautiful people, who are armed with faith and courage.
Mission Preparation
Organizing a surgical mission takes months of preparation and is no small feat. Coordinating logistics, gathering medical supplies, and securing funding and volunteers is extremely challenging.
Our trips lasted one week, and then another team would come in from other parts of the USA or the world. This enabled us to collectively provide surgical follow-up and continuity of care. Our multi-specialty teams would perform 100+ surgeries on each visit, including but not limited to OB-GYN, General surgery, Plastic surgery, ENT, and my specialty – Foot and Ankle surgery. As such, the teams we brought were full service, from surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses to translators and volunteers.
Opportunity and Hope
Upon arrival at the hospital, Hermano Pedro, in Antigua, Guatemala, we were always met with literally hundreds of awaiting patients, many of whom had traveled from the furthest parts of their country, hoping to find care. I have had the opportunity to perform hundreds of surgeries and most importantly, offer hope and support to some of the most wonderful people in the world. Our patients included Guatemalans, Mayans, and anyone else in need.
My wife, who accompanied me on these trips, and I have kept in contact with so many of the patients. Additionally, we have sponsored a family for over 20 years through another organization, Common Hope. The children we sponsored are now adults, and we are connected for a lifetime.
My inspiration was to put my surgical skills to use in ways I never knew existed. More importantly, however, is that each and every patient has given me hope, humility, fortitude and strength. In the end, I received much more from my patients than any of my patients ever received from me.
