1/17/08

Local residents help agency provide medical care for children in impoverished countries

by Beckye Randall

The photos are hard to look at. Faces rendered unrecognizable by bomb blasts, bodies disfigured by fire, congenital defects that tilt the odds against survival.

These are the photos that arrive daily at the offices of Healing the Children (HTC), a national non-profit agency with local roots that arranges medical care for needy children in poor countries throughout the world.

The Oregon and Western Washington chapter of HTC is located in Everett. The office is staffed by two part-time administrators, one of whom is Marysville resident JoAnn DeLazzari.

Nationally, Healing the Children functions almost entirely on donated and volunteer services, with administrative salaries accounting for only 5 percent of the organization’s total operating budget.

In fact, HTC’s mode of operation allows a $1 donation to be turned into $300 of services. Not only are professional services and supplies donated to the cause, medical volunteers also pay for their own expenses to carry out the treatments.

“Healing the Children is apolitical, non-religious and non-social,” said DeLazzari. “Our goal is to heal the world one child at a time.”

Healing the Children was founded in 1981 by a Spokane couple after their adopted Korean daughter died from a condition that could have been cured with a $5 antibiotic at birth. Gary and Cris Embleton, grieving over the death of little Lori Jo, heard about a child in Guatemala who would die without immediate treatment for a heart condition. They sprang into action and arranged for the child to come to Children’s Hospital in Seattle for surgery, with all doctor and hospital fees donated. The procedure was a success, inspiring the Embletons to found Healing the Children to continue their work.

HTC has two important components to its work. Low-income children from other countries who need surgery that can only be performed in the U.S. are brought to the States to live with host families while the child is undergoing treatment. Common procedures include cardiac surgery, cancer and tumor therapy, orthopedic corrections and plastic surgery to repair burned tissue or cleft palates, but the ailments are as diverse as the children who need help.

A second important function of HTC is assembling volunteer teams of medical and surgical health professionals who travel to host countries to provide free treatment to children and young adults. Teams from the Northwest have visited Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia.

Dean and Myra Gudgeon are both registered nurses who live in Marysville. Dean is a specially-trained recovery room nurse with a background in pediatrics, working at the Everett Clinic’s Kemp Surgery Center. His wife Myra is a clinical nurse, employed by Marysville Family Medicine Clinic, who speaks Spanish.

In 2003 Dean was approached by Dr. Ronald Krueger, a physician specializing in ear, nose and throat problems (ENT) and a Healing the Children volunteer, about participating in an upcoming medical excursion to Guatemala City.

As the country’s capital, Guatemala City is a modern metropolis of more than 1.2 million people. While most of its inhabitants share in the city’s economic vitality, a large population lives on the peripheral of the city’s garbage dump in extreme poverty and squalor.

Named Camino Seguro (Safe Passage) by an international non-profit agency that works to improve the lives of those living at the dump, the makeshift community is a prime example of the need for the work performed by Healing the Children.

 “I didn’t know what to expect on my first trip,” said Gudgeon, “especially since I didn’t go with Dr. Krueger’s team but with an orthopedic surgical team out of Seattle.”

Medical team volunteers pay their own way, with HTC furnishing consumable supplies, like bandages, hypodermic needles and medications, and some equipment. Healing the Children coordinates the team’s itinerary and acts as a liaison with local doctors and hospitals to identify children in need. The agency also makes sure the necessary international paperwork is in place for the traveling team, including medical licenses and any other required certification.

“We only travel to countries where we’ve been invited,” said DeLazzari. “We pack an entire hospital into a shipping container. The supplies that are left over stay behind, but all the equipment is shipped back.”

Dean Gudgeons admits he was overwhelmed with the intensity of his first visit. “These kids have nothing and they’re so grateful for every little kindness,” he said. “You’ve never seen so many smiles. But it was heartbreaking to see how they lived.”

A big presence at well over 6 feet tall, Gudgeons says he was “embarrassed” by the attention he received. “They treated us like rock stars,” he said. Male nurses are unheard of in many undeveloped countries, and many patients and their families were surprised to learn he wasn’t a doctor. 

Gudgeons jumped at the chance to return to Guatemala in 2004, and this time he recruited Myra to come along. Her Spanish language skills were especially needed in a country that has a large indigenous Mayan population, most of which is broken into separate tribes with unique dialects.

The Dudgeons rose to the challenge of working in a facility without modern technology. “You get to use your raw nursing skills,” said Dean, “your powers of observation and intuition, and just providing a caring presence.” Electronic monitors are as scarce as fresh air in Camino Seguro.

“The real health issue in Guatemala is poverty,” Dean explained. “Most of the procedures we handled were common practice in the U.S. but they had been out of reach for these people.” Deformities like clubfoot or extra digits, left untreated, can be devastating to the child and his or her extended family.

Myra recalled the case of Mario, a Mayan orphan of 13 who had the stature of an 8-year-old. “He’d been hit by a car years ago. His leg was broken and it had healed so badly that he couldn’t walk.” In the pre-op photos of Mario’s leg, it looked as if he had two knees, one in the middle of his shin.

The orthopedic surgeon had to re-break the bone and set it properly, and even with the cast still on, Mario was more mobile than he’d been before. People from his village told Myra, “You don’t know what you’ve done for this boy. You’ve given him a life.”

Since they began volunteering with Healing the Children, both nurses have noticed an increase in international mission involvement by fellow medical professionals. “Talking about our experiences, showing the pictures, has opened a floodgate,” Dean said. Other nurses are volunteering for church and medical missions, and the word is spreading.

In mid-February the Dudgeons will pack up and head off to Honduras, the first visit to that country for Healing the Children.

“The accommodations in Juticalpa seem more primitive than in Guatemala City,” Dean said. “The introduction letter tells us to prepare for cold showers and to bring candles.”

Despite the inconveniences and the personal costs, the Dudgeons are excited to be part of the HTC team.

“It’s an opportunity to make a difference in somebody’s life,” said Myra. “You end up getting more than you give.”

Dean added, “When you give just a little, a lot of good can be done.”

JoAnn DeLazzari would agree. “Kids who come here for treatment are exposed to the everyday heart of America. They go home restored to health, influenced by the humanitarianism of others, and inspired to make a positive impact on their own society.”

For more information on Healing the Children, call (425) 252-4505 or send an e-mail to HTC.orwwa@verizon.net. Visit the organization’s Web site at www.healingthechildren.org.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Host a child. Host families care for foreign children, ages 3 months to 18 years, while they are in the U.S. receiving treatment. Hosts arrange for transportation for medical visits, ensure the child attends school (if appropriate and physically able) and provide a comfortable and supportive environment for the child. Typical stays are 3 to 6 months in duration and respite care is available through HTC.

Join a team. Health care professionals travel to foreign countries to bring medical care to those who have no access to medical services or can’t afford them. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals arrange for time off work and pay their own airfare, housing and meal costs.

Volunteer. Time and talent are valuable commodities for HTC special projects and everyday activities.

Contribute. Tax-deductible donations are always gratefully accepted, helping fund the critical work the organization does at home and around the world.