Following the General Orthopedics Mission in September 2023, World
Pediatric Project’s (WPP) Urology team is on the ground and hard at work. Compared to other teams, this team was small and led by Dr. Doug Coplen who was accompanied by Dr. Thomas Bohannon – Anesthesiologist and
Joanna Thomeczek – Nurse. Local support was extended by Pediatric General Surgeon, Dr. Jasmine Ellis and Urologist, Dr. Diana Martinez as well as local Operating Theatre and Recovery nurses. Though the team
composition is smaller compared to other WPP teams, they were able to assess 45 children, both local and regional, at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital on Sunday 15 th September, 2023. Twenty-seven (27) of the children assessed were Vincentian, three (3) Grenadians, six (6) St. Lucians, seven (7) Barbadians, (1) one Dominican and
one (1) Kittian. Eighteen (18) surgeries are scheduled to be completed between October 16 th and October 19th 2023
Joanna Thomeczek, surgical OR Nurse, said she is very happy to be back in SVG and continues that “it is fun to see
familiar faces that we’ve seen in previous years and continue the complex cases we’re here to do.” She stated that most often they do hypospadias repairs which sometimes can be done in one or two surgeries.
The Cherry family from St. Lucia travelled to SVG and received services from WPP for the first time and has expressed their satisfaction with the services offered in an interview.
WPP expresses their fervent gratitude to The Mustique Charitable Foundation and Trinity School of Medicine for sponsoring this mission and their continuous support in making a difference in the lives of our Caribbean children.
Individuals interested in supporting the work of WPP can contact the local office at 784-451-2989. WPP continues
to prioritize the medical needs of our children and enhance the lives of their families, ensuring no child is left
behind. The work of WPP and its impact can be followed at www.worldpediatricproject.org.
