Today we completed our final surgeries of the week—rounding out days filled with general, urogynecology, and plastic surgeries. Each case, though clinical in nature, was deeply personal; behind every procedure was a face, a name, and a hand held.
Hands were everywhere this week: the steady hands of surgeons reaching into bodies with the promise to help. The expert, compassionate hands of nurses administering medication, monitoring vitals, and preparing for each procedure. The magnetic hands that always found their way to a patient’s shoulder to comfort. The precise hands sorting and finding supplies that were carefully packed months in advance. The open hands ready to fold laundry and chop food. And the extra pairs of hands that kept everything running. As surgeries came to a close, we gathered for a celebration dinner—our hands, now joined together, in gratitude for one another, and lives we were privileged to be part of.
Throughout the week, every patient was offered a rosary before entering the operating room—something physical to hold onto in a scary moment. Mostly all patients come out of surgery still clutching them tightly. A scene I will forever carry with me was watching nurses and operating room staff, after hours of focused and skilled work, gently placing the rosary back into a patient’s hand before transferring them to recovery. That small act, to gently return the rosary to the hands they belonged to, says more about my team than I could ever put into words.
Our donor’s hands were here this week too. With every instrument passed, every shoulder embraced, and every meal prepared, your generosity has reached across borders and into the hearts of this community we are so fortunate to be guests in. Thank you for making this week possible.
Meghan Griggs, Blogger
