Rosie was one of our stellar team players – I think this mission was her first, and she so thoughtfully shared excerpts from her letters (email) to her family. Now about three weeks out from the mission, it’s nice to read her thoughts and observations. I learn from this many things – how I hope she joins us again and how as a team surgeon, I see only a very small part of the bigger process of our mission (and would like to see more). It’s really a treat to see a similar experience through another’s eyes….

About our arrival to Linyi People’s Hospital:

“Walter told us that they were going to have a little ceremony to welcome us. Well, we drove up and there was a mass of people waiting in the parking lot. There were huge balloons and signs. There were about 20 men dressed in costume playing drums and two chinese dragons dancing with a young woman. The rest of the people lined the way and were locals as well as it seemed just about everyone from the hospital all dressed in white nurses and doctors uniforms. The nurses all still wear hats here. They were all clapping for us as we got out of the bus and they put a good luck necklace around each of our necks as we stepped out. I had goosebumps and it brought tears to my eyes. Iwas just stunned at the welcome. Our main guy, Tim, was given a huge bouquet of flowers and then we were all lead by the dragons dancing to the door of the hospital. Talk about feeling welcomed!”

One of more poignant patient stories (of which there are MANY):
“Heartbreaking story of the day. A middle aged man came in with about a 4-5 month old baby. Obviously totally in love with this baby. He explained that he wasn’t the parent. He said that he found the baby by the side of the road and took him home to care for him. My first thought was “how does this happen? People just leaving their baby on the side of the road.” But then I thought about the teenage Moms in the U.S. that have left them in dumpsters. I guess we’re really not so different. “

…”Heartbreaker story of the day: There was this little tiny old Chinese lady who
brought a child in. I think I told you about her. She found the baby by the side
of the road. Well, it turns out, it wasn’t she who found it. It was her blind son. They took the baby in and today he had his surgery. When he came back from surgery she insisted on holding him and he immediately settled in her arms. Well, he was almost the size of her and was draped over her shoulder. She was perched on a little stool and didn’t want to put him down because he would start crying. That little old lady sat with that baby in arms until sweat was pouring down her face. We finally were able to talk her into putting him on the bed and lying next to him. We found out she hadn’t eaten since 5 pm the previous day so we also fed her.

Here’s something else. We are all sitting in our assembly room which is kind of
like sitting at the nurses’ station and this man comes in with his newly repaired baby. He came to say goodbye and he is just crying, absolutely balling his head off. You can see that he is trying to hold it in but there is just no way. He’s hugging us and shaking hands and just crying away. Of course we were all crying too by the time he left.”

Many Thanks again to Rosie for sharing her thoughts and feelings…..