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Material Management | Surgery | In the Field | Primary Care | Rehabilitation Services | Eyecare
Pharmacy | Food Services | Casayuda Center | Clean Water Project | Orphanges | Brigade and Friends

Material Management

Sorting, packing and labeling donations goes on year-round Donations of used crutches, wheelchairs, and walkers are crucial to our rehabilitation services team Loading up much needed supplies in Virginia to be shipped to Honduras Loading the sea container in Virginia bound for Honduras Loading rehabilitation equipment into the sea container in Virginia Finally ... the last items for shipment The Brigade Keeping an accurate inventory in Honduras is a never-ending task Taking a break at the warehouse in Honduras mm4.jpg 2011-05-30 Getting it done by whatever means it takes

Surgery

Pediatric patient before cleft lip repair by Brigade Plastic surgeon Same patient recovering peacefully post repair Gynecological surgery at Santa Teresa; Brigade team members include surgeons, physician assistant, and OR nurse Brigade members starting their day at Santa Teresa Brigade RN with young patient recovering from Strabismus surgery at Santa Teresa Brigade RN with patient recovering from eye surgery Brigade members planning for the surgical day at Santa Teresa hospital Newborn in bassinet at Santa Teresa hospital OR team assisting General Surgeon during Laparoscopic surgery at Santa Teresa Patients waiting at Santa Teresa hospital to be evaluated by Brigade doctors for possible surgery Brigade Surgeon checking on patient post surgery at San Benito Jose hospital Relieved father comforting his son after surgery at San Benito Jose hospital Peace Corps member stationed in Honduras assisting the Brigade team with interpretation in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at San Benito Jose hospital Brigade RN with child in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Santa Teresa hospital; shoes, Beanie Babies and gowns are donated by Brigade supporters Pediatric patient following eye surgery at Santa Teresa hospital; sunglasses were donated by Brigade members

In the Field

Better to have the bullet on the outside and not the inside Emergency care for a severely dehydrated infant For many children, the Brigade visit is their first access to medical care A Brigade pediatrician relating particularly well to his small patient The Brigade is a double blessing for this mother with sick twins This patient with malignant hypertension is treated and referred This young patient is awaiting her visit with the pediatrician Over 1500 people receive Brigade medical services every clinic day Many of the remote villages in the mountains of Honduras have no ready access to medical care Crowds begin to gather at the clinic sites well in advance of the Brigade's arrival This mother and her three daughters live in one of the more remote mountain villages The line is usually very long at our pediatric clinic A young girl cares for her brother who is awaiting a surgery evaluation for his cleft lip This father has brought his ailing son to see a pediatrician These young men are waiting for lunch being prepared by their mothers One of the many concerned mothers with a sick child A blind man is being led to his appointment with rehabilitative services

Primary Care

Brigade pediatricians caring for a child with special needs Student interpreters ensure that the doctor's treatment plan is clear Eye problems are common among the local farmers Doctors write prescriptions that we fill in our own pharmacy Treatment is unavailable for most diabetics, often resulting in open wounds such as this one Untreated open diabetic wound Student interpreters are invaluable in taking an accurate patient history Skin disorders are often manifestations of allergies Emergency treatment of a dehydrated child (the following year this child was seen again, healthy and happy) Say "ah!" We see many children with ear infections Sinus and throat problems are common, often exacerbated by smoke from cook stoves inside the patient's home Rehabilitation services are often beneficial for children with congenital limb issues The Brigade wound care specialist examines a foot abscess

Rehabilitation Services

Honduran school children get a new look and support with shoes donated by individuals, churches and school groups in the US Physical therapists fit hundreds of patients each year with crutches, walkers and canes Occupational therapists and physical therapists prepare for a day in the field. Equipment including crutches, walkers, canes, wheelchairs and strollers, is donated by individuals and hospitals in the US A brigade therapist checks the strength of a patient who has trouble walking A brigade doctor checks the stump of a recent amputee A Honduran man learns to walk again with a Brigade therapist and a new walker Using crutches donated by people in the US will help this woman improve her walking Physical deformities such as this are common in the patients seen by the Brigade. This woman walked remarkably well in loose fitting sandals with a cane given to her by the rehab team Learning simple exercises to do at home helps patients improve their mobility A brigade therapist fits a young patient with a splint With the help of a Honduran interpreter, a brigade therapist stretches out the knee of a man with arthritis Hundreds of wheelchairs have been donated by generous people in the United States to help this woman get around With the aid of a student interpreter, a Brigade physical therapist teaches a man with back pain exercises to do at home

Eyecare

The Brigade receives thousands of recycled prescription glasses from the Lions Club Using hand-held and battery-operated equipment enables a quick yet accurate basic vision exam in the field This child had surgery for strabismus a few days ago, and thanks to the surgery and her new glasses, her eyes are no longer crossed Patients with suspected eye disease or cataracts are seen by a Brigade ophthalmologist A Brigade ophthalmologist checks a patient for cataracts Reading glasses will help this woman to sew and read her Bible again The Lions Club provides an invaluable service by providing recycled prescription glasses to the Brigade Perhaps most rewarding of all is providing glasses to youngsters who are severely visually impaired A Brigade optician shares the joy of this young boy who received recycled glasses donated by the Lions Club

Pharmacy

Pharmacy8.jpg 2011-05-29 Pharmacy9.jpg 2011-05-29 Everyone who goes through the Primary Care clinic is then seen in Pharmacy - more than 8000 patients in 5 days! Members of the Brigade Pharmacy team getting their meds to dispense to the Hondurans seen by the Primary Care team Pharmacy7.jpg 2011-05-29 The whole Brigade helps to pack pills on their first day in Honduras Pharmacy6.jpg 2011-05-29 The Pharmacy team dispenses meds with the help of Honduran student translators Everyone seen in Primary Care gets vitamins, acetaminophen, and anti-worm prophylaxis (unless they are pregnant, nursing, or under 2); other meds specific to the patient¿s needs are prescribed as needed. Pharmacy11.jpg 2011-05-29

Food Services

Brigade chefs with local Honduran helpers during the 2008 mission It takes a lot of lettuce to make salad for 100 Brigade members and guests each evening Brigade chef comparing and sharing recipes with women from the Comayagua Lions Club Brigade chefs with local Honduran assistants during the 2010 mission Hondurans preparing their traditional dishes for the Brigade

Casayuda Center

This senior citizen is having a hearing test Fitting hearing devices is a key part of a Brigade audiologist's duties Hearing loss affects young and old alike This young girl and her mother are both delighted at the successful test of her new hearing device Eager anticipation is evident on this young girl's face as she is being fitted with a hearing device This 55 year old man has had progressive hearing loss over five years Used hearing devices are refurbished for use by the Brigade; they are a critically needed donation Years of construction work without hearing protection has left this 57 year old man with significant hearing loss This profoundly deaf 13 year old girl is now able to hear

Clean Water Project

This 5,000 gallon water treatment and reservoir tank serves potable water to one section of the village of Planes de Nue va Esperanza. Water arrives at this tank through a conduction line from the water source. Here is it is treated with c Residents of Valle Bonito now have a constant supply of potable water piped directly to their village This house belongs to the President of the Water Board of the village of San Jose del Injerto, one of the 8 beneficiary communities served by the regional potable water system that also serves San Antonio de la Libertad. Members of the Brigade, the Peace Corps, and Booz Allen Hamilton inspect construction of the dam at the water source for the new potable water system for Valle Bonito Water testing of the hand-washing station at the school in San Antonio de Cañas, another of the eight communities served by the regional potable water system for San Antonio de la Libertad. The Brigade water and sanitation projects not onl The Brigade¿s Field Engineer from Agua Para el Pueblo in Tegucigalpa (left) and the community¿s water system technician (right) conduct house-to-house water testing in Valle Bonito A meeting with the Water Board of San Antonio de la Libertad; attendees include representatives from the community, the Brigade, the Peace Corps, and Engineers Without Borders and Fr. Miguel Lenihan, who introduced San Antonio to the This pila is a component of virtually every house in Honduras. Good for washing clothes; bad for storing water. The Brigade seeks to teach the link between water storage, contamination, and disease, but behaviors that date back multiple ge Members of the General Water Board for the regional potable water and sanitation project for San Antonio de la Libertad meet bi-monthly to discuss construction and operational issues with members of the Brigade, Agua Para el Pueblo, and the

Orphanages

Sister Irene and Sister Detelvina display the products of their work in the bakery Bread ovens at the Santa Maria de Valle Orphanage in Valle Bonito. The orphanage is directed by Sister Irene Romero, a Community Health Worker trained by the Brigade¿s Remote Village Project (RVP). The RVP clinic in Valle Bonito is locat Sister Irene Romero assists a U.S. doctor during the clinical training portion of the continuing education classes for the RVP¿s Community Health Workers Elisa Romero, right, is a Community Health Worker in the RVP clinic in Valle Bonito. Her sister, Sister Julia Romero, v isits from El Salvador to stay with the children of the orphanage while the other sisters are in Comayagua for the annua The Fundación Señor San Jose Orphanage in La Paz, a neighboring city of Comayagua. Although not officially affiliated w ith the Brigade, Brigade members have provided assistance with food, potable water, medicines, clothing, and renovation The Fundación Señor San Jose Orphanage in La Paz, a neighboring city of Comayagua

Brigade and Friends

Team on arrival in Tegucigalpa One of the 15 ambulances refurbished by a retired mechanic was shipped by the Brigade to the Red Cross in Comayagua to serve the needy Our warehouse team does a terrific job of keeping track of thousands of pieces of equipment and supplies Everybody helps assemble shelving units for the field team Eyecare team members dispense over 500 pairs of eyeglasses daily Pediatric interns arrive at the field site, eager to work Meetings between Brigade members and local health committees were crucial to the success of our water projects Brigade Executive Director with the leadership of the Comayagua Lions Club Brigade nurse anesthetists after a long but successful day in the OR Brigade pharmacy team with Honduran student interpreters Brigade pediatrician bonding with a very young patient Bilingual member of our pharmacy team who helps dispense medication, vitamins, and toothbrushes to every patient we see, young and old Brigade ob-gyn doctor enjoying a rare peaceful moment Brigade members work year-round in planning and organizing our work in Honduras Honduran high school students who are taking English classes work as our student interpreters Surgical team members preparing for the next surgery, often doing over 20 cases per day Our high school student interpreters receive academic credit for their week of Brigade work Our strong partnership with the Comayagua Lions Club and their leadership enables us to see well over 1000 patients daily Our rehabilitation services team makes a huge difference in so many lives Brigade surgery team ready to board the bus bound for the hospital at 6:45 am Another successful treatment! Brigade urologists with staff at San Benito Jose hospital 2010 Brigade team in Comayagua Members of the Brigade surgery team never seem to lose their enthusiasm Community religious leaders help publicize Brigade services to the needy