Discharge/Pack/Sadly Drive Away

Saturday started a little later than the early days during the week. But there was still a lot of work to do. On the ward patients received final physiotherapy and final instructions about how to be careful once they were home. Final farewells with hugs and kisses sent most of our last few patients on there way.

Jair is a little handicapped child and he spent the night in the hospital before heading home with his parents. Many of the pediatric cases are day surgery.

Here's Ana Maria and Deb Chalupa. Patients and staff alike become fond of each other.

When Jorge had demonstated his ability with stairs using his crutches and with a bagful of presciptions for use at home he headed home. His family steered him out the door and into a waiting taxicab.

Meanwhile on the main floor the packing was in earnest. Everything in each of those hockey bags has been catalogued in our spreadsheets by Tom Shearer after being packed by one of the Adult OR, Peds OR, Recovery, Ward or Admin team members. Here's Mathew Moreau on the left and Jacquelyn in the middle. Eileen is on the right. Jacquelyn is the charge nurse at the Tierra Nueva and we are happy to see her coordinate our activities year by year at the Tierra Nueva. Those bags are going to stay right where you see them -- we are storing about 20 bags until next year with mostly disposable items but also surgical instruments.

And of course there a lot of things to return to Edmonton. Here's the bus being loaded to take the CAMTA team and those bags back to the hotel.

It was a wistful time! Last minute pictures help to stem the sense of sadness that comes with the end of another mission.

And so we get on the bus for the last time!

Off we head through the heavy traffic back to the hotel. The first people headed home on Sunday morning and the majority are gone on Monday morning, very early -- about 0700h.

Back at the hotel at 1700h there was a ceremony. Patricia Jarrin is presenting Adela Sandigo with her certificate of thanks and appreciation from the Tierra Nueva Foundation. The next picture shows Melissa Mackell. Everybody received a small gift.

There was time for some fun this weekend too. After saying goodbye at the Tierra Nueva some took the gondola or "funiculo" up the side of the volcano Pinchincha for a view of the city of Quito.

Tomorrow is the final blog posting until everybody is back in Edmonton. But read it! It'll be the story of Pablo's experience with CAMTA and the Tierra Nueva in his own words and in two languages. Read it -- it is powerful!

Thanks,

John and Boris