Past Missions

Healing the Children Rocky Mountains returned to hospital Dos de Mayo in Lima, Peru November 3-8, 2024, for our 13th medical mission to Peru. It was incredibly successful, and we made a huge impact. During the week we were able to help almost 700 children in need. We performed 94 surgical procedures, provided free hearing tests and new hearing aids to 98 children, provided free eye exams and new glasses for 374 children, and provided 189 sessions of speech and swallowing therapy. Also the ENT clinic residents and physicians were trained during the week on a new microscope that will enable them to clean wax out of ears, remove foreign bodies, put in ear tubes- it will revolutionize their practice.

Something that really struck me during the week is just how beneficial it has been to return to the same hospital at Dos de Mayo every year. I had a 7-year-old girl named Luna come up to me in the courtyard on our screening day in the courtyard. I operated on her when she was 3 months old for cleft lip. Luna gave me a huge hug and wanted me to pick her up and hold her just like I do with the little kids and babies. She has grown so much and is so tall. She had come to our screening day at the hospital just to say thank you and say hello. She was so happy, and her lip looked great. It is so gratifying to see that she has been able to go to school and is leading a "normal" and happy life because of the surgery she received when she was a baby. The worry is that so many of these children end up as outcasts from society if they don't get the treatment they need. Luna is doing great and hundreds of other children as well because of all your hard work and willingness to come to Peru and help these children- hundreds are seeing better, hearing better, speaking and eating better, and looking better because of our teams' efforts.

I was also struck by how this mission is a joint effort between our team from the United States and Peruvians who love their people and want to help them. We had 57 Peruvian medical students help us with our medical mission this year. I loved seeing graduated medical students who are now private doctors take vacation time to come be with us and help like Bruno, Italo, and Marisel. We had physicians, nurses, techs, staff, cleaning crew, etc. help at the hospital and clinics. The professional translators did an amazing job. Lolyluz and her army of social workers reached out to remote clinics and through social media that reached every region of Peru. Please read the story of Luisa and Mayumi. This collaboration between Peruvians and our team makes this mission sustainable and impactful.