Fall 2011

Newsletter
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Fall 2011
Healing Hands
Teaching the Next Generation
of Humanitarian Surgeons
Inside
A Message from the President
and CEO Susan W. Hayes ............2
Back to School Despite
His Disability ................................3
Teaching Nursing in Nepal ...........4
One Thousand Surgeries .............5
Univision’’s Celebrity ““Doctora
Aliza”” Volunteers in Bolivia ..........6
““Dr. Hien”” to Be Honored .............7
Dr. Shafquat Khundkar of Bangladesh with his resident and patients. Photo by John Urban.
In September, Dr. Jorge Palacios, ReSurge’’s surgical outreach director in
Ecuador, traveled with a team of Ecuadorian reconstructive surgeons to a
small Andean town called Loja. There, they provided life-changing surgeries
for patients with clefts, disabling burns and hand injuries——continuing the care
ReSurge volunteers gave in the past. What is also remarkable about their
philanthropic journey is that his fellow surgeons were his former students.
““Can you believe that our dream is nally coming true, that our graduated
residents are taking over the responsibility of keeping [ReSurge founder] Don
Laub’’s and ReSurge’’s dream alive?”” said Dr. Palacios.
In the last nine years, Drs. Palacios, Shafquat Khundkar (Bangladesh) and
Shankar Rai (Nepal) have pioneered the rst plastic surgery residency programs
in their countries. They founded the programs to signicantly increase the
pool of local reconstructive surgeons devoted to helping the poor in their own
communities——and it is working. Today, young men and women are training to
care of their own countrymen in critical need of reconstructive surgery.
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In Ecuador, 21 plastic surgeons have graduated from Dr. Palacios’’s
program; others are in the process of completing their requirements.
The majority of the graduates are working in outlying provinces, like Loja
and Portoviejo, where reconstructive surgeons are needed the most.
(continued on page 4)
Same Mission: Name Changed
Habits can be hard to break! I know they are for me, more so the older I get.
So we understand that though we changed our name last fall to ReSurge
International, you may still think of us as Interplast from time to time. That is
okay with us!
Thanks to Ronald
McDonald House
Charities
ReSurge International is deeply
grateful for our long-term partnership
with Ronald McDonald House
Charities (RMHC). Their most recent
grant (FY11), the Resurgence of Hope
initiative, greatly improved the quality
of life for 2,309 children who suffered
from disabling burn injuries, hand
injuries, clefts and other congenital
deformities.
An astounding 17,600 productive
years were restored to these
patients, and nearly $20 million will
be recovered in productivity for their
respective developing countries
over the patients’’ lifetimes.* This is
because these once-disabled patients
will now have the opportunity to go
to school, to work and to lead normal
lives, contributing to the economies
of their local communities. Prior to
surgery, their possibilities for such
productive lives were improbable.
Thousands of patients and families
have been transformed forever
because of the dedication and generosity of RMHC. Many have regained
the use of their hands and legs, while
others can now more easily speak and
eat. Thank you RMHC for more than
12 years of restoring lives and hope.
Because the truth is that our name is the only thing that has changed. What
hasn’’t changed, and never will, is our commitment to transforming lives
through reconstructive surgery. Founded more than 40 years ago, we were
the rst organization of its kind. Now, through our new identity as ReSurge
International, we distinguish ourselves as one of the only organizations that
focuses on the full range of reconstructive surgery in the developing world.
And the work continues, just as before.
ReSurge International continues to reach out to vulnerable people in 13
countries, providing them with reconstructive surgery (hence, resurge) that
repairs bodies and restores hopes. Our patients ““resurge”” into a new life,
with renewed possibilities.
Inspired by our new identity, we also just completed a new strategic plan.
Its principal components demonstrate our commitment to the full scope of
reconstructive care (clefts, burns and other needs) and a strong commitment
to the patient that doesn’’t stop with the surgery, but begins with the surgery,
providing therapies that optimize function. The plan addresses one of the
most pressing unmet reconstructive need worldwide: the millions of people
who are disabled from debilitating burn injuries that prevent them from being
productive citizens. Our new plan also commits us to long-term growth, while
at the same time being cognizant of current economic realities.
And that is a good point upon which to end this message. You have always
been essential to everything we do around the world, and we are deeply
grateful. But in the current economic
climate, your continued support has never
been more important than it is right now,
today. So as you read the stories in this
newsletter, please take great pride in all
you’’ve helped us accomplish, and please
continue your support so we can keep on
reaching those who need us.
Sincerely,
*For more information on the
economic impact of surgical care,
please go to www.resurge.org/impact.
Photo by Darcy Padilla.
2
Susan W. Hayes, President and CEO
Healing Hands
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Newsletter
|
Fall 2011
World Report on Disability
For the rst time ever, a world report on
disability was jointly produced by the
World Health Organization (WHO) and
The World Bank.
Below are some interesting gures in
the report.
•• 1 billion people in the world live with
some form of disability.
•• 95 million children live with a
disability.
•• 45 million disabilities are due to
unintentional injuries.
•• 200 million people experience
difculties in functioning.
Photo by John Urban.
Back to School Despite His Disability
Alam lives in an apartment building in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated cities
in the world. With the lack of space to play, Alam used
the rooftop of his apartment building as his playground.
One day while ying a kite on the rooftop, he ran into an
electrically-charged wire and was badly injured.
Electrical burns often cause deep entry and exit wounds
and both of Alam’’s arms and hands were severely
burned. Although our surgical outreach director,
Dr. Shafquat Khundkar, couldn’’t do much to save Alam’’s
left arm, his right arm’’s muscles, nerves and joints could
still be reconstructed and made useful again.
When the next ReSurge volunteer medical team visited
Dhaka, Alam bravely underwent surgery, with
Dr. Khundkar and our medical volunteers collaborating
to restore function to his right arm.
Last year, we visited Alam to see his progress. His
mother shared that Alam was able to return to school
after his surgery. As she spoke, she handed him a pen
and asked him to show us how he could write his name.
Despite the fact that Alam lost one arm, his right
arm has enough function and strength to allow him
to hold a pencil and attend school——an impressive
accomplishment considering the fact that ““disability
is one of the least visible, but most potent factors in
educational marginalization,”” according to the 2011
UNESCO education report.
The World Health Organization reports that in
Bangladesh alone, ““the cost of disability due to forgone
income from a lack of schooling and employment,
both of people with disabilities and their caregivers, is
estimated at US $1.2 billion annually.””
With surgical intervention, Alam’’s life has been saved
from complete disability. He is just one example of
the many patients your support helps. With 95 million
children living with disabilities globally, today ReSurge
depends on your donations more than ever——especially
in these difcult economic times. Thank you for
continuing, or increasing, your support which allows us
to fulll our promise to restore lives and hope.
3
Teaching the Next Generation
(continued from cover)
““I feel so proud, because they are very prominent and respected members of
their communities,”” commented Dr. Palacios.
Teaching Nursing
in Nepal
Six ReSurge volunteer nurse
educators recently went to Nepal to
help train the local nurses.
Dr. Shankar Rai, director emeritus of
ReSurge’’s surgical outreach program
in Nepal, had asked ReSurge to
design a teaching program for the
Nepalese nurses, after observing and
being impressed with the level of
care and concern ReSurge volunteer
nurses gave their patients.
Over the course of a month, the nurse
educators worked alongside Dr. Rai’’s
experienced nurses to collaboratively
teach his new nursing staff. The
teaching program covered a wide
variety of topics.
““The nurses we are training are a very
willing and energetic group. We are
energized by their enthusiasm and Dr.
Rai’’s support,”” wrote volunteer nurse
educator Cheryl Wraa from Nepal.
ReSurge highly commends nurse
educators Molly Attell, Tina Cerruti,
Ingrid Crocco, Katie Osborn, Cheryl
Wraa and Kim Yates for their time and
dedication. The knowledge they were
able to leave behind will have a lasting
impact on the level of patient care in
Nepal moving forward.
In 2003, Dr. Khundkar founded Bangladesh’’s rst plastic surgery master’’s
program. In 2005, he established the rst plastic surgery fellowship program.
There are now 150 students between both programs, 75 of whom are residents
or new plastic surgeons. Dr. Khundkar has helped double the number of plastic
surgeons in Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries on earth
where half of its people live in poverty.
““If I don’’t teach people to do plastic surgery, there will be no one doing plastic
surgery after me,”” said Dr. Khundkar. ““My expectations are that these students
who will be coming out will have the same feelings which I have in regard to the
patients and they will have the same attitude and the keenness to work for the
poor people of the country.””
His expectations are being realized. Thus far, all 75 of Khundkar’’s residents
and former residents share his philanthropic spirit and are using their talents for
those who need it most, the impoverished of Bangladesh.
A few months ago, Dr. Rai founded Nepal’’s rst plastic surgery residency
program for the same reason: to provide more desperately needed care to the
poorest in the country. In January, the program will begin.
In Dr. Palacios’’s words, the dream is coming true. ReSurge helped to teach
these expert surgical outreach partners, and now these partners are training the
next generation. It is a dream of building surgical capacity, training the trainer
and thus increasing access to care. With the devotion of our developing world
partners and the help of donors like you, this dream is becoming a reality.
With your support,
ReSurge and its
partners, like Dr.
Palacios (pictured
here with his
residents), are able
to ensure that access
to care for the poor
continues to grow.
We can’’t do it with
out you! Please
donate today.
Photo by Adam Forgash.
4
Healing Hands
|
Newsletter
|
Fall 2011
Tenacious Parents
Finally Get Surgery
for Their Daughter
Michael Donner with patient and his mother in Peru. Photo by Adam Forgash.
The Donners and Barco’’s Nightingales Foundation
One Thousand ReSurge Surgeries
““It was one of the best moments of my life,”” said donor Michael Donner, after
seeing ReSurge’’s work rsthand as part of a surgical team trip to Peru. ““The
common bond we shared was a compassion to do good deeds for children in
need. We all came together as a team to inspire each other and to help these
children have a better life. [Being part of the trip] was an unexpected miracle
and gift to me.”” Donner is president of the Barco’’s Nightingales Foundation,
and his strong commitment to helping those who need it most has enabled
the relatively new foundation to literally transform more than a thousand lives.
Barco’’s Nightingales Foundation was established in December 2008 by
Michael and his wife, Frida, on behalf of Barco Uniforms, based in Southern
California. ““It was their way of saluting the many generations of nurses and
their tremendous contribution to making the world a better place for each of
us,”” says a statement on their website (www.barcosnightingales.org). Their
mission is to ““elevate and promote nursing, while also honoring the spirit
of the profession by focusing [their] funding on helping children.”” To date,
the foundation has helped ReSurge provide more than 1,000 life-changing
surgeries for children around the world. ““[This milestone] is a great
achievement and we are very proud,”” said Donner.
On behalf of ReSurge International, all of our patients and their families whose
lives have forever been transformed, we thank Michael and Frida Donner,
and the Barco’’s Nightingales Foundation, for their steadfast commitment to
restoring lives and hope.
Children with clefts may also have
other congenital issues. For those
patients, getting surgical care can be
extremely difcult. Two-year-old Van
Nhuy is a twin who was born with a
cleft palate and missing a lung, but is
quite healthy otherwise; she literally
keeps her mother and twin sister
running and playing for hours. Her
parents had sought treatment for her
cleft palate on numerous occasions,
but were always rejected because she
had only one lung.
Luckily, Van Nhuy’’s great uncle is a
doctor in the Cao Lanh hospital where
the ReSurge team works. He had
heard that an expert anesthesiologist,
Dr. George Gregory, would be coming
to Cao Lanh soon and thought he
might be able to help.
Dr. Gregory has been a world leader
in pediatric anesthesiology since the
1960s and wrote Pediatric Anesthesia,
the leading textbook on the subject.
ReSurge is extremely fortunate to
have him on staff and as a regular
volunteer. But last April, Van Nhuy
was the truly lucky one. Dr. Gregory
examined her carefully, conferred
with the other anesthesiologists,
pediatrician and her parents, and then
deemed Van Nhuy healthy enough for
surgery. Now with her palate repaired,
Van Nhuy will be able to have a
normal, healthy life with her twin sister
and family.
5
Helping Gabriel
Three-year-old Gabriel from La
Paz, Bolivia, came to see our
visiting ReSurge medical team
the last week they were offering
surgeries. With an already full
schedule, it seemed impossible
he would be able to receive
surgery during the team’’s visit.
Univision’’s Celebrity Doctor
““Doctora Aliza”” Volunteers in Bolivia
One of the team’’s surgeons,
Dr. Jonathan Rausky, evaluated
Gabriel anyway. Upon seeing
Gabriel’’s condition, he knew
the team needed to help him as
soon as possible and thought his
devoted teammates would agree.
Univision, People en Español and VidaySalud.com health expert Dr. Aliza
Lifshitz (known as ““Doctora Aliza””) spent a week volunteering with ReSurge’’s
surgical team in La Paz, Bolivia.
Gabriel was born with syndactyly,
a condition in which ngers are
fused together. In Gabriel’’s case,
four of his ngers on his right
hand were fused. Given Gabriel’’s
age, Dr. Rausky felt it was vital
he receive surgery as soon as
possible so that as he grew older,
his hand would have the opportunity to grow along with his body.
Dr. Aliza’’s medical expertise and Spanish-language skills contributed greatly
to the team’’s success. She appeared with ReSurge’’s partner, Dr. Jorge
Terrazas, on Bolivia’’s third most-watched television show, ““El Noticiero
Bolivisión,”” where they took questions from callers and referred the
appropriate patients to the visiting ReSurge team.
Well aware of the time-sensitive
nature of this surgery, the team
agreed to add Gabriel to their
schedule, even though it meant
they would have to work late that
evening.
Gabriel’’s surgery went very well.
The team was able to release two
of the fused ngers and asked
Gabriel’’s parents to bring him
back next year for one last
hand surgery.
6
Upon Dr. Aliza’’s
return to her radio
show, ““El Consultoria de la Dra. Aliza””
on Radio Cadena
Univision, after her
time in Bolivia, her
producer surprised
her with a special
segment in which Dr.
Aliza was interviewed
about her time there.
““The work we did in
Bolivia was a truly a
labor of love,”” she
described.
““Seeing parents’’ happiness when they learned their children would receive
treatment, and their relief as the children recovered from surgery, was a
privilege and gave me tremendous joy,”” recalled Dr. Aliza upon her return.
The interview lasted 20 minutes, during which both Dr. Terrazas and Doctora
Aliza spoke of Dr. Terrazas’’ foundation, Fundacion S.O.S Mano, and ReSurge
International’’s work in Bolivia and around the world.
An hour after the interview aired, the hospital where ReSurge was working
was inundated with families who had watched the show and sought the
team’’s help.
During the team’’s visit, nearly 200 patients were screened for surgery and
almost half received either physical therapy or surgical treatment.
Dr. Aliza’’s husband, Carl Kravetz, a member of ReSurge’’s board of directors,
also volunteered in Bolivia, helping with the creation of medical charts and
serving as a translator for the team.
Healing Hands
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Newsletter
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Fall 2011
Surgical Team to Mali
Photo by Darcy Padilla.
““Dr. Hien”” To Be Honored at Gala
Dr. Hien Thi Nguyen knew the rural poor of her country needed the medical
services ReSurge provides and worked to make Vietnam one of ReSurge’’s
largest programs. More than 6,000 Vietnamese children have received 8,000
life-changing surgeries from 1,000 ReSurge volunteers on 83 trips.
Dr. Nguyen is the key reason for those phenomenal numbers. She has been
our leader and partner in Vietnam since 2000——acting as a one-woman
advance team, translator, facilitator and host——not to mention an expert
pediatric anesthesiologist and educator. Dr. Nguyen focused our work in
remote provinces where care was severely limited, restoring hope to those
without it. ReSurge’’s Vietnam program would not be possible without her
tireless efforts.
For her exemplary service, Dr. Nguyen will be honored at our Transformations
Gala. We hope you will join us there on November 5, 2011 at the Ritz-Carlton
in San Francisco. Please contact Libby Hart, [email protected], or our
website for further information.
Shop ReSurge
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our online store! Visit
our store and show your support for ReSurge by sporting a
new coffee mug, shirt or grocery bag with a ReSurge logo.
Visit www.zazzle.com/resurge_store or scan the QR code
(right) to start shopping today.
The rst surgical team of our
2011-2012 volunteer trip season
headed off to Bamako, Mali, at
the end of September. They
spent two weeks providing
approximately 75 free surgeries to
burn survivors, as well as those
with clefts and hand injuries.
In Mali, there is only one
physician for every 12,800
people and no reconstructive
plastic surgeons. For the last
ve years, ReSurge International
has sent teams to Bamako to
restore function and hope and to
help build the country’’s surgical
capacity.
““There were an endless number
of burn victims, cleft patients
and congenital hand cases. The
state of malnutrition and medical
needs was overwhelming,”” said
Beverly Kent, ReSurge director
of volunteer services and team
leader. ““Yet, it felt so wonderful
to know our team was helping
many poor people who have no
other alternative in seeking care.””
Meet 11 of the Mali team
members by watching a
two-minute video on the
ReSurge YouTube page:
www.youtube.com/resurgeintl
7
Non-Prot
ReSurge International (formerly
Interplast) provides free reconstructive surgeries for the poor
and expands year-round medical
access in underserved areas.
We restore the dreams of those
with deformities and injuries, and
renew the health of thousands
of people each year so they
can go to school, provide for
their families, and be productive
members of society.
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Mountain View, CA
Permit No. 70
( Formerly Interplast )
857 Maude Ave
Mountain View, California 94043
www.resurge.org
Interplast is now ReSurge International.
Newsletter
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Fall 2011
Healing Hands
In this issue, learn about the
residency programs in Ecuador,
Bangladesh and Nepal, which are
helping train the next generation of
humanitarian surgeons. Read one
young boy’’s story of hope as he
overcomes his disability to return
to school and how one donor’’s
vision has helped provide more
than 1,000 ReSurge surgeries.
Top photo by Darcy Padilla. Right
photo by Phil Borges.