Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines –World Pediatric Project (WPP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment with support from donors and supporters continue to transform the lives of children in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and across the Eastern Caribbean. This latest mission was one with a difference as it was a dual operation with Pediatric Eyes and Plastics running concurrently.The assessment and care of our children began in clinic on Sunday and ran from February10th-15th, 2019 for all children up to the age of 21 years old. WPP has been working here since 2002 providing surgical and diagnostic services through visiting pediatric teams and children getting services in the US.
The Pediatric Plastic Surgery team evaluated children with many different physical anomalies and was led by plastic surgeon Dr. Blanchet of The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Dr. Blanchet was supported by anesthesiologists Dr. Jay Stone and Dr. Marvin Shapiro as well as pediatric plastic surgery resident Dr. Jeremy Powers, Lisa Sizemore Operating Room nurse and Marilyn Sage Surgical Technician. The team’s focus provided care for children with complex cases and follow up cases of children seen previously. A total of forty one (41) children were seen in clinic on Sunday with six (6) regional cases, four (4) from St.Lucia, one (1) St.Kitts and one (1) from Dominica with twenty one (21) children receiving surgical care this week.
Dr. Donna Brown Pediatric Ophthalmologist who is passionate about her work here not only as volunteer but also a citizen led the optical team with support from daughter and optician in training Dr. Karen Brown, Mary O’Hanley a certified registered nurse anesthetist as well as local doctor Dr. Sherice Grant-Ledger. The team dealt with some complex cases but was successful leaving parents happy and grateful. Dr Brown also assisted Dr. Grant-Ledger with three (3) adult surgery cases. There were a total of forty eight (48) patients seen. The one (1) regional patient for optics was from St.Kitts and Nevis. There was a total of twenty two (22) surgeries.
Dr. Brown said “through the years and we’ve been coming for 20 years we’ve seen progressive improvement in the infrastructure here that allows us to do more and more things and I think the human resource piece is probably the hardest to come by, we can with work get donation to get equipment andsupplies, but if you don’t have a doctor here to do the post operative work its limits the types of cases we can be able to do here so that’s a challenge but it also leads to one of the most rewarding things which is being able to do more and more now that we do have that human resource piece here. I work very closely with Dr. Sherice Grant she just back from Richmond she was with us for 3 weeks and she is basically my colleague here who takes care of the pre and post operative work and that allows me to do the cataract surgery here and the cornealtransplant surgeries because I know I have a colleague who can take care of these post operatively’
Brown added“I think one of the most rewarding things though is taking the patch off the baby this morning and seeing the smile and knowing that the little guy can see now, that’s the most rewarding thing and seeing the expression on the parents faces when they know their children’s lives have been changed so I think it’s changing lives in where you find yourself and we are Vincentian citizens now and this is our country so where God put you in the world you change that place that’s what we are about so it’s just rewarding in general”.
WPP continues to mobilize pediatric specialty teams with anOrthopedic mission being led by Dr. Miller slated for April 7th. Parents and guardians of children who may need to be assessed are asked to contact World Pediatric Project office at 784-451-2989 for more information.
