Irene Maher's Health Report - Medical Mission to Peru -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 12/20/2000
Last Visited: 4/18/2001
You know Dr Gallant from our many stories from All Children's Hospital in St.Petersburg.He's a veteran of medical missions around the world to repair cleft lips and palates.
---Dr.Michael Gallant , ACH Plastic Surgeon : To see a 12 year old girl with a big hole in her face who's never been fixed , who when she looks at you and when she sees you looking at her , instantaneously covers her face , is heart breaking."---.
Gallant gets more cleft cases than the typical plastic surgery practice.On this day at All Children's , two month old Jennifer Vasquez is one of the six to eight patients he will see in an average week.
Repairs in the U-S begin within months of birth and the multi-stage surgeries are completed before the child reaches school age.
But in Huanuco , children of parents without money for a private doctor may never get surgery.It's not uncommon to see teenagers with this birth defect.
---Dr.Gallant : It is , to an American , it's unthinkable."---.
...
Dr Gallant agrees to be chief surgeon on the Rotocleft mission.Volunteers are recruited from his own office , All Children's hospital , Bayfront Medical , University Community , USF and Rotary.35 in all.They collect donated medical supplies , get the necessary vaccinations , and take vacation to join the team.
They'll work without many of the conveniences and comforts of home , but the results will be the same.