Day 3 January 26, 2026: Surgery day 1
Sic parvis magna: Greatness from small beginnings.
Imagine you are a parent whose child has a medical condition that you alone cannot rectify, one requiring surgery. Where do you turn, how do you even start? Then you discover that Faith in Practice offers hope…and a solution. Days, weeks, possibly months or years, go by and then the day, surgery day, arrives.
The parents who have engaged with Faith in Practice and entrusted the health and safety of their children have boldly put their faith in people they do not know, from a foreign country, largely speaking a different language, volunteering their skill and expertise to help them, offering hope and a solution.
Our relationships with these families are brief, you might say of small beginnings, but the enduring impact is great. The surgeries cure and correct, but also inspire. The kids are sometimes asked what they want to be when they grow up. While a young girl may say something such as the noble profession of lavendera (laundry woman), they now see that enfermera (nurse) or doctora is possible.
And so Surgery Day 1 begins, quietly, but soon with a steady hum of activity. Already in pre-op, the patients are greeted by the interpreters and surgeons as they check in for their cases. The interpreters superbly facilitate exchanges between parent and clinician while also reassuring the parents that all will be OK. When the time comes, the anesthesiologists and nurses gently separate child from parent and escort them to the surgical suite. They are so good with the kids in a time of great anxiety.
The child is greeted with open arms by each OR team. And soon they are in a secure slumber while their health and future is changed forever. The surgical techs, circulating nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons work in concert with care and precision. After each surgery, the patient is brought to the recovery room where they are watched over by the excellent PACU team (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit). The patients awaken to smiles, their parent by their side and, most importantly, a sweet and soothing treat: a yummy popsicle! Soon they are off to the hospital ward and discharge awaits.
The cycle continues, one by one, until the cases for the day are done, 22 in all. Then we’re on to the next day. From small beginnings indeed.
Team 885
