An exciting day for CAMTA. Los pacientes estan muy bien / La embajador de Canada visito a la hospital

L to R:  Judy Black, Jaime McInnis, Naomi Casiro (lay person) with 10 year old Shayla. Shayla had pins removed.  She had been hit by a bus and we operated last year to improve her gait.  Shayla was trapped under a bus and almost died!  Watch for a full story on Shayla on the new CAMTA website.

When the ward staff arrive at the hospital they change to their scrubs and then check on the patients.  Medications are adjusted first.  After vital signs, ambulation starts.  That means walking with crutches!  And in order to be safe in their homes the patients must learn to walk up and down stairs with the crutches (muletas in Spanish).

Maylena was a 10 kg girl about 18 months of age.  She had bilateral hip surgery last week.  It was a big operation on a little person and she has taken about 5 days to recover.  Here she is sleeping whilst her Dad stays with her.  That's Adela Sandigo RN and Adela is a superb long time, Spanish speaking RN.  What we do without Adela?

This young man is about 10.  His birthday is next month.  He was born with a deformity of his left foot and it was impossible to repair.  With an amputation of his foot, he can get a prosthesis and walk normally.  That's Stacy Rivalin, Physiotherapist on the left and translator Roma Sobieski on the right in both pictures.

About 10:30 on Wednesday, the Ambassador for Canada in Ecuador arrived.  Mr. Andrew Shisko and his wife Margaret spent 2 and 1/2 hours touring the hospital.  Here they are with little Shaylee and Mom is taking the picture.

Dra. Patricia Jarrin is telling Mr. Shisko about the project and the Tierra Nueva's strength in the community of Quito Sur.

Here's Marta.  She's a 42 year old lady who received a right hip.  She had polio at a young age.  As a consequence her opposite leg is quite a bit shorter than the new side. She wears a lift to balance the length.  The husband is pictured here and he is unemployed since he was attacked in his taxicab and the cab was destroyed. Watch for the new website and a complete story on these parents and their five children. 

Now Andrew and Margaret Shisko are visiting with a very short lady.  We were all impressed by their compassion.  They were so friendly and supportive of each and every patient they met.

Here's Julie Venner and Betty McRae sorting charts to find Womac and SF-36 files.

And finally the Ambassador and his wife visited the surgical theatre and saw the last few minutes of surgery on a young lad with cerebral palsy.  Stay tuned for pictures from the Ambassador's reception at their house in central Quito.