Medical Missions for Children

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Please CLICK on a star to read about a specific MMFC Mission.

Medical Missions for Children (MMFC) is dedicated to providing much-needed surgical and dental care to under-privileged children and young adults throughout the world.

We are also committed to expanding the educational horizons of those same communities through a series of conferences, grand rounds, lectures, workshops and hands-on training for the local surgical, anesthesia, pediatric, nursing, dental, and biomedical engineering staff.

		Antigua, Guatemala (1) 11 Years of Consecutive Missions Since 2000, MMFC.org has traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, delivering free surgical and dental care to infants and children with cleft deformities and other congenital anomalies. Working closely with Partners in Surgery through the Hermano Pedro Hospital, MMFC.org facilitates bringing impoverished families from very distant corners of Guatemala to our host hospital for surgical treatment. Most of the rural communities in Guatemala have no access to any level of medical care. Therefore, many families travel two or more days seeking MMFC.org’s help for their child. Each year, MMFC.org staffs this mission with two volunteer teams that enable a variety of surgical and dental procedures to be completed at this one location. Date of our last mission: January 1-9, 2010 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 27 Hospital where the mission was based: Hermano Pedro Hospital Total number of patients screened: 104 Total number of surgeries performed: 81 Surgeries performed: Cleft lip and palate repair, excision of facial neoplasms, Stage I, II, III microtia repair, and excision of scalp squamous cell carcinoma Total number of dental procedures performed: 72 Return to top.

		Quito, Ecuador (2) 12 Years of Consecutive Missions Cleft Lip and Palate Team Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is located in the Andes Mountains, 9,500 feet above sea level. Despite this mountainous terrain, some families travel for two or three days to wait in line at Fundación Tierra Nueva Hospital, our home base for this mission, with the hope of finding reconstructive care for their children. In Quito, MMFC.org team members concentrate their efforts on helping children with cleft lip and palate deformities. Along with the surgical and dental procedures that are performed, MMFC.org also provides educational conferences for local medical staff. In 2009, MMFC.org donated a full dental clinic suite and equipment. Date of our last mission: September 27 – October 3, 2009 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 25 Hospital where the mission was based: Fundación Tierra Nueva Hospital Total number of surgeries performed: 80 Surgeries performed: Cleft lip and palate repair; rhinoplasty, lip revisions and re-do, nevus exision, burn scar excision, pharyngoplasty, etc. Total number of dental procedures performed under general anesthesia: 35 $3,000.00 to cover hospital fees for 2010 patients Return to top.

		Quito, Ecuador (2) 9 Years of Consecutive Missions Microtia Team Our Microtia team performs reconstructive ear surgeries at Fundación Tierra Nueva Hospital. As with clefts of the lip and palate, Microtia (or absence of the ear) is a devastating deformity. This is a common congenital defect in the indigenous population of the Andes. An average of three surgical procedures is required to repair such a deformity. The incidence of Microtia in Quito is among the highest in the world, almost 7.5 times higher than the average incidence. Date of our last mission: April 17-24, 2010 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 24 Hospital where the mission was based: Fundación Tierra Nueva Hospital Total number of patients screened: 100 Total number of surgeries performed: 73 Surgeries performed: Stage I, II and II Microtia Repair Return to top.

		Cusco, Peru (3) 8 Years of Consecutive Missions At an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet, working in Cusco is a challenge for all team members. MMFC.org’s first mission to Cusco, Peru, was completed at the Cusco Regional Hospital in 2003. Like all of our mission sites, Cusco is rife with poverty and the need is overwhelming. In 2006, MMFC.org partnered with the Social Security Hospital to provide surgical and dental humanitarian services. This cooperation also extends to equipment donation and educational activities. Date of our last mission: May 14-23, 2008 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 26 Hospital where the mission was based: EsSalud Social Security Hospital Total number of patients screened: 108 Total number of surgeries performed: 68 Total number of dental procedures performed: 91 (6 under general anesthesia) Total number of speech pathology cases seen: 93 Surgeries performed: cleft lips and palates, cleft lip rhinoplasties, scar revision, Stage I, II and III Microtia repair, nasal stenosis repair Donations given: Miscellaneous anesthesia equipment, medications and supplies Return to top.

		L’viv and Chervonohrad, Ukraine (4) 12 Years of Consecutive Missions After 70 years of Soviet domination, Ukraine achieved independence in 1991. Despite this new found freedom, progress in health care delivery has proceeded very slowly. Most citizens have little if any access to state-of-the-art surgical care, particularly in regard to complex surgical procedures. Since 1999, MMFC.org teams have traveled at least once per year to L’viv, working simultaneously at two hospitals: the Regional Specialized Children's Hospital and the Pediatric Burn Hospital of L’viv, in conjunction with the local Foundation Emergency Medical Aid to Ukraine. In addition, MMFC,org is now working at the Hospital for Invalids and the City Hospital of Chervonohrad. The needs at Chervonohrad are overwhelming, and at present the MMFC.org team is also focusing on pediatric thyroid surgery. Date of our last mission: May 14-22, 2010 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 6 Hospital where the mission was based: The Regional Specialized Children’s Hospital, City Hospital of Chervonohrad Total number of patients screened: 77 Total number of surgeries performed: 40 Surgeries performed: The MMFC.org Ukraine team has successfully completed the first free flap tissue transfer procedures ever performed in that country. Both operations were on burn injury victims with chronic, non-healing wounds. These two patients have both made a full recovery. Other surgeries include: thyroidectomies, cervical tissue expansions, nasal septoplasty, neck scar revisions, debridement acute facial burn with Alloderm; Stage III Microtia, lower eyelid burn reconstruction with skin grafts, medial cathopexy/canthoplasty, otoplasty, inguinal hernia repairs, and laparoscopias. Donations given: MMFC.org has installed the HINARI medical literature electronic library at both The Regional Specialized Children's Hospital of L'viv, and as well the L'viv Pediatric Burn Center. MMFC.org has also donated an endoscopic surgical tower, surgical texts, anesthesia equipment and supplies and facial plastic sutures, alloderm and dermabond. Return to top.

		Gitwe, Rwanda (5) 4 years of Consecutive Missions Gitwe, Rwanda, is a small village three hours by unpaved roads from Kigali, the country’s capital. The country itself is about the size of the state of Maryland. Gitwe Hospital, where our mission is based, is responsible for serving a population of nearly 2 million people. 2007 marked MMFC.org’s third visit to this desolate country and brought the first medical team that provided general anesthesia to the Gitwe hospital. MMFC.org has helped build an operating room and recovery area and has outfitted both with over $500,000 worth of medical equipment. Date of our last Mission: March 1-12, 2010 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 18 Hospital where the mission was based: Gitwe Hospital Total number of patients screened: 176 Total surgeries performed: 77 Surgeries performed: Cleft lip repair and thyroid surgery/head and neck tumor surgery; hernias Dental Screenings: 255 Dental Procedures: 95 (extractions, fillings) Dental education provided and toothbrushes and toothpaste distributed to over 850 children Donations given: State-of-the-art anesthesia machine, medications and operating room supplies, clothing for children and teenagers, and essential hygiene products; Portable Dental Unit ProQuest Model 1405 Return to top.

		Phalodi, Rajasthan, India (6) 3 years of Consecutive Missions In January 2007, and at the invitation of the International Human Benefits Services Hospital (HBS), Medical Missions for Children began to provide corrective cleft procedures in the impoverished region of Phalodi, Rajasthan. Located between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, HBS promotes self-sustainable infrastructure development of education, healthcare and sanitation in rural Rajasthan’s Khichan-Phalodi region. This region of India has a population close to 56 million and an overwhelming need for expansion of healthcare services. The daily income of many of the patients cared for on these missions is 50 cents/day. Date of our last Mission: Jan 24-31, 2009 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 10 Hospital where the mission was based: Human Benefits Services Hospital Total number of patients screened: 38 Total surgeries performed: 30 Surgeries performed: Cleft lip repair with primary rhinoplasty, cleft palate repair, facial scar revision, ear tag exision, lipoma resection Donations given: Surgical and medical supplies for the operating room; portable ventilator Return to top.

		Leyte, Philippines (7) 4 years of Consecutive Missions MMFC.org made its inaugural mission to the Philippines in February of 2005. The chosen site was the island of Leyte, southeast of Manila. The primary focus of this mission was on the care of children with severe congenital deformities. The MMFC.org team quickly noticed that the local hospital was desperately in need of state-of-the-art anesthesia and surgical equipment. Over the next MMFC.org helped to improve the medical technology available in Leyte by providing more equipment donations. Date of our last mission: September 26-October 8, 2008 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 13 Hospital where the mission was based: Leyte Provincial Hospital Total number of patients screened: 115 Total number of surgeries performed: 52 Surgeries performed: Cleft lip and cleft palate repairs Donations given: Surgical supplies Return to top.

		Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (8) 4 Years of Consecutive Missions At an invitation from Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation of Tanzania (CCBRT), in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, MMFC.org completed its first mission in 2007. Throughout Tanzania, there are approximately 120 tribes, many of which have their own indigenous languages. Our team evaluates and treats the most impoverished children in Dar-Es-Salaam, and as well refugees from Burundi, Uganda, and The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). Date of our last Mission: July 10-25, 2009 Total number of MMFC.org team members who participated: 4 Hospital where the mission was based: Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation of Tanzania Total number of patients screened: 89 Total number of surgeries performed: 38 Surgeries performed: Cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, skin grafts Donations given: anesthesia machine with SEVO vaporizer, surgical instruments, supplies, medical texts and clothing Return to top.

		Angeles City, Phillippines (9) Inaugural Mission 2010 At an invitation from Dr. Fortuna Vardeman, a Native Filipino with her own dental practice in Texas, MMFC.org made its inaugural mission to Angeles City in 2010. The mission was sponsored by Dr. Vardeman and her fellow alumni of Holy Family Academy Batch ’83. Date of our Mission: February 12-20, 2010 Total number of MMFC team members who participated: 12 Hospital where the mission was based: Dee Hwa Liong Medical Center of Angeles City Total number of patients screened: 102 Total number of surgeries performed: 48 Surgeries performed: Cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, rhinoplasty; facial/neck nodule and cyst exisions, benign and malignant Return to top.

Medical Missions For Children, Inc. Suite 500 10-G Roessler Road Woburn, MA 01801

E-mail:	info@mmfc.org
Phone:	+1 (508) 697-5821
Fax:	+1 (781) 501-5225

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