Day 4 January 27, 2026
Opportunities for new growth
Surgery day 2 is also discharge day 1! The team hits the ground running as soon as the bus pulls up to Hilario Galindo. Interpreters and surgeons dash to pre-op to greet today’s first patients and then on to round in the recovery wards. As they enter, relief, smiles and happiness pervade, for soon these families will be heading home. Doctors gauge patient progress and provide care instructions to moms and dads for their children’s continued recovery at home. Smiles and hugs are captured in keepsake framed photos for the kids to take with them. Most families are excited, some a little quiet, all incredibly grateful for the good care provided by Mission 885.
Earlier today, our devotional highlighted opportunities for new growth, for both patients and the team. Every patient is receiving a new, better, healthier future thanks to the skill and dedication of the team members. These kids have their whole lives ahead of them, so much potential. And each patient represents an opportunity for the team to perhaps see a case that, while familiar in need, is still unique, a chance to continue honing the skills that brought them to Guatemala in the first place. It’s also a chance to collaborate, from consultations and equipment improvisations in the OR, to innovation and best practices in the PACU, to partnering with the Guatemalan staff to care for patients throughout the night and day and through to discharge.
The patients having surgery today, numbering 18, are no less anxious than those of yesterday, and yet they too will have the same compassionate care experience as their predecessors. That’s because every member of the surgery team is a pro: coordinated, collaborative medicine at its best.
Team 885
