Iowa MOST (Miles of Smiles Team) of Rotary International District 6000 is in full preparation for its 2012 medical mission to Guatemala. The team leaves on February 23.
For those new to this blog spot and the Iowa MOST project, here is a brief history....
Iowa MOST is a Rotary District 6000 project, which provides cleft lip and palate sugical repair to individuals living in the western highlands of Guatemala where there is a significantly higher incidence of the anomaly than in the US. This free surgery serves individuals of extremely limited financial means. Families come from many miles around over mountain roads and rough terrain. They make the difficult trip in hopes that a family member can have the surgery that will change a life.
This is the seventh annual mission to Guatemala. Last year, the mission was performed in Huehuetenango, this year Quetzaltenango. These two cities and their Rotary clubs host the mission every other year. The project was developed by several Iowa City Rotary Club members who had the desire to mount the project and who knew that the expertise to carry it out was available in their own Rotary district. After a scouting expedition to Guatemala in 2005, a willing , able and enthusiastic partner was found in the Rotary Clbu of Huehuetenango and later the Rotary Club of Quetzaltenango. The in-country Rotarians publicize the mission, find the patients and care for them during the week of surgeries as well as support the Iowa team in a myriad of ways.
The 2012 Miles of Smilies Team has 36 members from the US, mostly Iowans; 27 are medical personnel: surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, dentists, medical and dental students, bio-medical engineer and nurses. The rest are volunteers who will assist in various capacities. In addtion, we will be joined by two Guatemalan doctors and a local translator/organizer.
To read about the experiences of earlier teams, please click on the previous years' blogs identified on this site. You will find some of the same staff has returned numerous times, thus explaining the commitment, passion and rewards of making a "difference in people's lives". Every individual on the team makes a dedicated contribution - each individual is part of the wheel turning smoothly. There are several people who are the driving force behind this endeavor and you will learn about them in future blogs throughout the mission.
Part of making a mission of this kind come to fruition is adequate funding. The goal is to completely fund the medical staff whereas the volunteer staff is self-funded. Every dollar donated is greatly appreciated. Rotary clubs and individual donations are the source of most funding. However, this year MOST received two substantial contributions which completed funding for this year's mission and part of next year's mission. Medical Team Leader Dr. John Canady was nominated and awarded the 2011 Volunteer Recognition Grant from Johnson and Johnson. As the recipient of the prestigious award, Johnson and Johnson donated $10,000 to Iowa MOST in his name. What an honor for "our" Dr. Canady! The Gabus Family Foundation best known for Gabus Ford of Des Moines provided the second substantial contribution. After hearing an Iowa MOST presentation at his Rotary club, Gene Gabus invited the presenters to the family's annual foundation meeting and the Gabus Family Foundation gave a very generous gift of $20,000 to Iowa MOST in January. MOST owes deep gratitude for the generosity of our benefactors who help to make this important work happen. Thank you and applause!!!
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