Nogales, Arizona
Cleft Palate/Cleft Lip Mission
In 2005, we began the Annual Cleft Palate/Cleft
Lip Mission as a way of addressing needs that our patients had that we
could not meet in Arizona. We partnered with Centro Internacional de
Medicina (CIMA) Hospital in Hermosillo and Children’s Surgery
International (CSI) of Minnesota. Together, St. Andrew’s Children’s
Clinic, CIMA, and CSI have given almost 40 children per year something
to smile about.
At CIMA Hospital, the CIMA volunteers, a group of 18 ladies, coordinate
hotel and meal accommodations for the medical staff and all volunteers
for the Mission, screen and organize the patient records, handle all
incidentals on the days of the Mission, and entertain the many children
who wait patiently with their families for screening by doctors and
ultimately surgery.
CIMA Hospital arranges for us to use a wing of their hospital. This is a first-rate hospital. Our children get the very best of care by the CIMA personnel while they are there. St. Andrew’s receives a discounted price to use their facilities. Below is a photo of the hospital.
CSI is a Minnesota-based, non-profit volunteer
organization whose focus is to serve the underprivileged of the world by
providing specialized medical and surgical services in a safe,
compassionate and culturally sensitive manner and to promote in-country
self-sufficiency through professional training and support. Their travel
is funded by CSI. St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic pays for all lodging
and meals of the medical staff while in Hermosillo.
We invite you to support our next Cleft Palate/Cleft Lip Mission in
October, 2013 by sending your contribution to: St. Andrew’s Children’s
Clinic, P.O. Box 67, Green Valley, AZ 85622. Please mark Cleft Palate
Mission on the memo line of your check. Thank you for your help.
To give you an idea of what happens at the Mission, please click on the
link below. This will take you to the blog created by CSI for the
October, 2012 Mission. Other stories about the CIMA volunteers and our
patients will be in upcoming issues of our newsletter, La Clínica, which
is available on this web site.
View pre-surgery photos of 2012 patients here