The Panama Health Project would like to take a moment to warmly Thank each of them for their great contribution! Their kind support will allow the PHP to continue providing help to those in need in Colon, Panama.
Monday, July 13, 2009
6th Annual PHP Golf Tournament, July 10-09
The 6th annual golf tournament for the Panama Health Project was held at the Club de Golf Belle Vue, in the town of Lery. I would like to present you the golfers who generously participated to this great fundraising event!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Medical Blitz in the prison
Panama Health Project
Hello to all of you. A bit odd to be writing now about our medical blitz in the prison on March 14th, but things really took off around that time with all the organizing and preparing for it, followed by its aftermath. Then with returning home, taking a breather for a few days before going back to work! Then of course, the passing of Fr Al, the inspiration behind all of this project. All this to say that, well, it's now May 3rd and I'm writing about a great medical blitz that took place in Nueva Esperanza Prison in Colon on March 14th, 2009. ..
What a great day it was!! First off I must offer my deepest gratitude to Natty and Maria, in Colon, who did a wonderful job of getting all the necessary paperwork done so that the medication we brought would enter the country without any problem. This, of course, is to accompany the professional and proper paperwork that Health Partners International of Canada gives us with the quality medications they provide for the people we serve. One cannot have enough paperwork to substantiate what we are doing and we sure appreciate all the support we get from Natty and Maria as we make our plans to ener the country with pharmaceutical goods. Natty and Maria are two dedicated parishioners at Miraculous Medal Church in Colon who have been the backbone of the prison ministry in Fr Al's absence over the past 2 years. Without them, the ministry would have surely dwindled and perhaps even died.
Upon arriving in Colon there was much sorting of the medications, researching and translating of information on medications that the Panamanian MD's would not be familiar with. We had identified these medications by revising our lists with a local medical doctor and pharmacist. Permissions from the prison director had had to be obtained long before the date of the blitz. Doctors and nurses had been lined up for the big day, and many prisoners that are part of the prison's pastoral team ( inmates that take catechism classes which Fr Al began 8 or 9 years ago) had registered the sick inmates over a period of time prior to that. The inmates that are part of the pastoral team are called "missionary prisoners", and I might add that they wear the name well.
Perhaps I should say at this time that there is a medical doctor who is present on the premises of the prison, 5 days per week. However, with the sheer number of sick inmates (out of a total of 1500), the task at hand is heavy for one person to handle; not to mention that whatever medications the inmates need, the inmates must pay for, which is difficult, if not impossible for them to do, since poverty is a common factor as to why the inmates find themselves in prison in the first place. People's waiting periods to see the doctor vary between weeks and interminable periods. Years ago we had a blitz in which prisoners were so happy they were crying when they finally saw the doctor who attended to them. One man said he had been waiting for 2 years in prison to see a doctor for his problem.
Three nurses from the community volunteered to help during our blitz, as did 2 medical doctors and 2 pharmacists. We had great support from the prison and community Pastoral Teams members. The guards were also cooperative (which isn't always a given), and the inmates were nothing but respectful and appreciative. We were able to see approximately 200 inmates between 10am and 5:30 pm. The medications we used were mostly from Health Partners International of Canada. If a prisoner had a prescription for a medication that we had not brought, it was bought and a brought a day or so later, after buying it locally with funds that we collected over the past year. People were truly grateful and it was a very humbling experience in so many ways. One man was extremely sick; so much so that he could barely make it out of his cell. Upon examining him, the doctor refused to give him any medication as he needed to be taken to the hospital immediately. He was septic, which means he had generalized infection of his blood. Without the medical blitz, the missionary prisoners feel he would have been overlooked as he was literally in the corner of his cell, too sick to make any kind of a fuss or speak up for himself. Without medical treatment, he would no doubt have died. In short, it was a wonderfully successful day. We're ecstatic!
Hello to all of you. A bit odd to be writing now about our medical blitz in the prison on March 14th, but things really took off around that time with all the organizing and preparing for it, followed by its aftermath. Then with returning home, taking a breather for a few days before going back to work! Then of course, the passing of Fr Al, the inspiration behind all of this project. All this to say that, well, it's now May 3rd and I'm writing about a great medical blitz that took place in Nueva Esperanza Prison in Colon on March 14th, 2009. ..
What a great day it was!! First off I must offer my deepest gratitude to Natty and Maria, in Colon, who did a wonderful job of getting all the necessary paperwork done so that the medication we brought would enter the country without any problem. This, of course, is to accompany the professional and proper paperwork that Health Partners International of Canada gives us with the quality medications they provide for the people we serve. One cannot have enough paperwork to substantiate what we are doing and we sure appreciate all the support we get from Natty and Maria as we make our plans to ener the country with pharmaceutical goods. Natty and Maria are two dedicated parishioners at Miraculous Medal Church in Colon who have been the backbone of the prison ministry in Fr Al's absence over the past 2 years. Without them, the ministry would have surely dwindled and perhaps even died.
Upon arriving in Colon there was much sorting of the medications, researching and translating of information on medications that the Panamanian MD's would not be familiar with. We had identified these medications by revising our lists with a local medical doctor and pharmacist. Permissions from the prison director had had to be obtained long before the date of the blitz. Doctors and nurses had been lined up for the big day, and many prisoners that are part of the prison's pastoral team ( inmates that take catechism classes which Fr Al began 8 or 9 years ago) had registered the sick inmates over a period of time prior to that. The inmates that are part of the pastoral team are called "missionary prisoners", and I might add that they wear the name well.
Perhaps I should say at this time that there is a medical doctor who is present on the premises of the prison, 5 days per week. However, with the sheer number of sick inmates (out of a total of 1500), the task at hand is heavy for one person to handle; not to mention that whatever medications the inmates need, the inmates must pay for, which is difficult, if not impossible for them to do, since poverty is a common factor as to why the inmates find themselves in prison in the first place. People's waiting periods to see the doctor vary between weeks and interminable periods. Years ago we had a blitz in which prisoners were so happy they were crying when they finally saw the doctor who attended to them. One man said he had been waiting for 2 years in prison to see a doctor for his problem.
Three nurses from the community volunteered to help during our blitz, as did 2 medical doctors and 2 pharmacists. We had great support from the prison and community Pastoral Teams members. The guards were also cooperative (which isn't always a given), and the inmates were nothing but respectful and appreciative. We were able to see approximately 200 inmates between 10am and 5:30 pm. The medications we used were mostly from Health Partners International of Canada. If a prisoner had a prescription for a medication that we had not brought, it was bought and a brought a day or so later, after buying it locally with funds that we collected over the past year. People were truly grateful and it was a very humbling experience in so many ways. One man was extremely sick; so much so that he could barely make it out of his cell. Upon examining him, the doctor refused to give him any medication as he needed to be taken to the hospital immediately. He was septic, which means he had generalized infection of his blood. Without the medical blitz, the missionary prisoners feel he would have been overlooked as he was literally in the corner of his cell, too sick to make any kind of a fuss or speak up for himself. Without medical treatment, he would no doubt have died. In short, it was a wonderfully successful day. We're ecstatic!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Father Alan passed away
It is with extreme sadness that the Panama Health Project wants to inform you that Father Alan McLellan died on Monday April 13, 2009. Kelly and Marlynne travelled to Philadelphia for Alan's funeral. I don't know much about him but it's irrelevant. I know enough to be inspired. For those who don't know, Alan was Kelly and Marlynne's family. Kelly has been doing work with him in Colon since 1988. I believe Alan was in Colon for about 40 years and has inspired Kelly to start the Panama Health Project.
He knew a lot of people (if not everyone!) and touched so many of them at church and at the prison where he was visiting inmates regularly.
It seems like everywhere he went, he had a positive impact on people.
When we were in Panama in March, Father Alan could not be with us as he was injured. But everywhere we went in Colon, people had a warm welcome for us, knowing we were coming to pursue some of the volunteer work Alan was doing. I never met Alan so it was quite impressive to constantly hear positive comments regarding this man.
I can only share a fraction of the good Alan brought to Colon. So many people would have something positive to say about him. At the prison, I heard an inmate say that meeting Father Alan was like seeing and feeling the inner light- la luz. I heard others say he helped them through very tough times with kind words and constant encouragement. It also appears he had a contagious laugh that would make anyone smile, even the grumpiest ones! His greatest gift is that he made people feel important when he was in their presence.
It is comforting to know there are such kind and devoted people in our world. I wish that everyone who has been touched by Alan can transform this good into something greater and spread the sparkle of generosity Alan had in his heart.
The people of Colon and anyone touched by Father Alan are in our prayers during this difficult time.
May God bless this wonderful friend.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Medical Blitz at the Women and Children´s Center
Friday, March 13........a lucky day for over 80 women and children who attended the Medical Blitz at the center! With Dr. Rosa, a dedicated woman from the Cancer Clinic, and Dr. Bartolo Cisneros, a medical doctor from the community, volunteering their time and sharing their expertise, the day was a huge success. Women and children from Colon came, were attended by nurses Kelly and Martine and by Colonenses nurses and physicians. They were then given prescriptions for further testing and /or for medication. The prescriptions were then filled by Marlynne using the meds from Health Partners International. Without the blitz these women would have been obliged to seek help at the local clinic and pay both the doctor´s fee and for the medication itself. This being a financial impossiblity, they simply would not have been attended to. Conditions varied from high blood pressure and stomach ulcers to respitory disease, infections and diabetes. The women and all of the community responded well and were most appreciative of the possibility of a doctor's appointment and medication too! A big thank you to all who volunteered their time and energy to the success of the medical blitz.
Completion of the photo project
We would like to share with you the outcome of our photo project. The project was held over 3 days and was a lot of fun! We would like to thank the children but also people from the Mucec Women centre who helped us put this project together. Marlynne, Kelly and I learned a lot along the way as it was for each of us, our first experience with this kind of project. At times, we had to stop and determine which best action would be to avoid complications!!! With as many kids, let me tell you we had lots of pictures to sort out!!
We divided the children in 2 groups (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and went out on the second day for a walk around the centre so they could take a total of 5 pictures each. The goal was to photograph places or people who meant something to them. We visited a few parks, a famous hotel, a museum, church and observed a few boats waiting to enter the Panama Canal.We learned about the history of Colon, about their friends and their environment. Once we had all the pictures printed, we met with them on the last day and asked them to make two cards with 2 of their pictures. We had blank cards, construction paper, crayons, glue and scissors so they could create whatever they wanted. We also offered them the opportunity to give a card to us to bring back to Canada so we can share with our fellow Canadians, what these children have made through this activity.
It was touching to see their smile, their creativity and their enthusiasm! Many of them wrote beautiful words for us in their cards and we all appreciated spending that time with them! Interestingly, we all managed to understand each other with a mix of Spanish, English and gestures!
We also gave them the option to do whatever they wanted with the remainder of pictures. Some of them brought them home, others donated some for a murale we are in the process of finishing for the Centre. Now, every visitor to the Mucec Centre can appreciate what a great activity we had and the nice work these children have done! They were proud and we are proud of them too!
Photos: morning and afternoon group (with Dina and Barb, the sisters of the Mucec Centre, outside the Centre)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Being in solidarity ...
Hello out there!
I'm not gone AMA or hiding under a rock. In fact, things are rockin here in Colon, as usual! Glad Marlynne and Martine have been so good at keeping up this wonderful blog! We've just come out of the radio station. My Uncle (Fr Alan) has a radio show every week, here in Colon. He and his Pastoral team's dedication and professionalism always impress me. Natty DeCruz, is a very dedicated parishoner who has taken over many responsabilities in Fr Al's absence. Doing the radio show is one of her many talents, and she always invites us as her guest speakers. Tonight's theme was solidarity...candy!!!! How much easier can it get when I've just left an environment where everywhere I looked and every conversation I had with people, they were trying to find out how we were progressing in our plans for our trip, and wanted to know how they could donate in some way?
In my first entry I spoke of St Edmund Church's wonderful support, but I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues at work, at the Lakeshore Hospital, who truly went out of their way to lend a helping hand and give to the people we would be seeing on our trip. I received so much from you. I thank you and the people thank you! It had crossed my mind many a time, how you showed solidarity with people whom you didn't even know. That always floors me and in itself, gives me hope that there is a lot of goodness in the world. Thank you all for that, my friends.
On Sunday, Marlynne and Martine and I went to the jail. It was great for me to be back, and to have Marlynne come again, this time seeing things for a second time, and to have new blood join us...Martine! The men were so receptive, and as always, very respectful and warm. We had gone to do the reading of the day, and to analyse it through some questions that we had been given. It was good to see their familiar warm faces, and other new ones. It was inspiring to speak with the prisoners, and to dialogue with them. It is always known that we are Fr Al's family, which makes us doubly well received. I can safely say it was a good experience. We are hoping to have our medical blitz this Saturday. I say "hoping" because you can never take anything for granted here in Panama!!
For those of you who may not know, Fr Al is in Philadelphia, recovering from illness, and was hoping to come with us on this trip. Unfortunately he fell and broke his leg just 5 weeks before our departure...it was difficult for all of us to swallow, but we know everything happens for a reason. Since we have arrived, his name comes up on a regular basis, and people ask about him all the time. The prisoners are very close to him as he has always been faithful to them and has always helped them in whatever way he could. He was even the driving force behind important changes in the law which were unjust in the penal system. It is not a great wonder, therefore, that they have built a classroom named after him in the jail. He truly is an amazing man and it is heart-warming to hear that they have not forgotten him, and that they hope and pray for his prompt return. Also nice was seeing the prisoners in solidarity with each other by visiting one another and encouraging one another through their pastoral work, in spite of their less-than-desireable reality. Many spoke of their desire to do so due to Fr Al's influence. I'm thankful that solidarity is so contagious!
Hasta la proxima!
Kelly
I'm not gone AMA or hiding under a rock. In fact, things are rockin here in Colon, as usual! Glad Marlynne and Martine have been so good at keeping up this wonderful blog! We've just come out of the radio station. My Uncle (Fr Alan) has a radio show every week, here in Colon. He and his Pastoral team's dedication and professionalism always impress me. Natty DeCruz, is a very dedicated parishoner who has taken over many responsabilities in Fr Al's absence. Doing the radio show is one of her many talents, and she always invites us as her guest speakers. Tonight's theme was solidarity...candy!!!! How much easier can it get when I've just left an environment where everywhere I looked and every conversation I had with people, they were trying to find out how we were progressing in our plans for our trip, and wanted to know how they could donate in some way?
In my first entry I spoke of St Edmund Church's wonderful support, but I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues at work, at the Lakeshore Hospital, who truly went out of their way to lend a helping hand and give to the people we would be seeing on our trip. I received so much from you. I thank you and the people thank you! It had crossed my mind many a time, how you showed solidarity with people whom you didn't even know. That always floors me and in itself, gives me hope that there is a lot of goodness in the world. Thank you all for that, my friends.
On Sunday, Marlynne and Martine and I went to the jail. It was great for me to be back, and to have Marlynne come again, this time seeing things for a second time, and to have new blood join us...Martine! The men were so receptive, and as always, very respectful and warm. We had gone to do the reading of the day, and to analyse it through some questions that we had been given. It was good to see their familiar warm faces, and other new ones. It was inspiring to speak with the prisoners, and to dialogue with them. It is always known that we are Fr Al's family, which makes us doubly well received. I can safely say it was a good experience. We are hoping to have our medical blitz this Saturday. I say "hoping" because you can never take anything for granted here in Panama!!
For those of you who may not know, Fr Al is in Philadelphia, recovering from illness, and was hoping to come with us on this trip. Unfortunately he fell and broke his leg just 5 weeks before our departure...it was difficult for all of us to swallow, but we know everything happens for a reason. Since we have arrived, his name comes up on a regular basis, and people ask about him all the time. The prisoners are very close to him as he has always been faithful to them and has always helped them in whatever way he could. He was even the driving force behind important changes in the law which were unjust in the penal system. It is not a great wonder, therefore, that they have built a classroom named after him in the jail. He truly is an amazing man and it is heart-warming to hear that they have not forgotten him, and that they hope and pray for his prompt return. Also nice was seeing the prisoners in solidarity with each other by visiting one another and encouraging one another through their pastoral work, in spite of their less-than-desireable reality. Many spoke of their desire to do so due to Fr Al's influence. I'm thankful that solidarity is so contagious!
Hasta la proxima!
Kelly
Monday, March 9, 2009
Anna
Anna, back row, third from left, a 28 year old Panamanian single mom is photographed here with Sister Dina, Martine, Marlynne, Kathleen, Christina and her three young children, Allison, 12 years old, Eileen, 9 and Junior 7.Anna is a squatter in a condemned building owned by the government. The attractive turquoise wall is the facade of a one room house (10X10). Through good fortune, several months ago Anna managed to get a sink for the kitchen area but is yet to obtain water. She has installed a plywood panel in the upper section of the room (could be considered a loft?) and furnished it with cotton padding and this serves as the sleeping area for the family of four. The public 2 cubicle toilet/shower on the next block serves 20 families.
She pays no rent and feeds her family by washing cars on the street near the fire hydrant, working in the Women`s Center when the opportunity arises and picking up odd jobs when possible.
Her three children have been generously cared for in the preschool by the Sisters at the Center. But at the age of 5 they must leave the Center and begin Public School. This, however, is costly, approximately $40 a month.
With the help of the sisters and yours and other donations, Anna`s children have received partial scholarships to attend public school. Poverty in Colon is a devastating problem and if they are to overcome their plight, basic education is the way to begin!
Marlynne (Photographer : Kelly)
Photography project with children
Monday was the beginning of our first project with the children at the Mucec centre (10 y/o and older).
My pre-trip planning involved organizing a project to do with the children and women. As a passionate amateur photographer, I had the idea of doing something related to photography. When I was planning this project in Calgary, I had little idea what it was like in Colon and/or at the Mucec Women centre. Upon our arrival, we started to discuss the project with several people and I realized I had overlooked some aspects of the environment here. After consultation, we decided the project would be spread out over 3 days, as the children do not have school this week: school hasn't started yet (this is not a reading week).
I was seriously amazed at how people were ready to jump in and help us carry out this "foto proyecto". It allows the children to participate in a different activity and give them a chance to learn about Canada. The goal is to have them take pictures of their environment and share something with people in Canada. I had packed some pictures from Canada to show them how much cold in can be in our beautiful country and tell them about skiing, skating, playing hockey etc: things they definitely do not do here, especially with temperatures around the mid thirties like we've seen today!
So far, although we faced some challenges, it has been a great project and we all have learned a lot, especially myself! Wednesday and Thursday we should complete the project and we shall keep you updated!
Kelly, Marlynne and I make a good "team Canada" as we each have our own expertise and different input to bring in this project, and this whole trip.
(The photos are of the 2 groups we met on Monday: one in the morning and one in the afternoon)
Martine
Lunch at Casa Cural
Everyday we go for lunch to the Casa Cural (Priest's house), which is close to the Women's Centre. We are VERY well fed by our wonderful cook, Christina. She bakes delicious food and makes fresh juice everyday (pineapple, guava, lemon etc.)From left: Christina (not the cook!), Kathleen, Kelly, Father Esperiado (?), Martina, Dina, Marlynne, Christina (our chef) and Barb.
Barb and Dina are the Sisters who run the Mucec Women's Centre. They do a great job at helping mothers and their children by means of workshops, daycare and different activities which run from 8am to about 4pm.
Women's workshops for the month of March are: Expressing Emotions, Discussion on development of personal values, Decision Making and Osteoporosis.
Sisters Barb and Dina are also graciously hosting us at the Women Centre for the period of our visit.
We are blessed!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Hola de Panama!
We've all made it safely into Panama with our thousands of pounds of goodies, that's how it felt anyway!
We received a warm welcome from everyone, lots of smiles and hugs!
We met lots of people so far. We met the teachers who are getting ready for their classes to start in a week as well as the women attending a workshop. We have a great chauffeur who generously drives us around while educating us about Panama and it's people.
We manage to communicate quite well with others although Kelly is the only master in Spanish in our group! A mix of english and spanish and some french does the trick! Smiles can say a lot too...
We have lots of planning to do for our activities with the children (which will take place next Mo, Tu & We) and our medical blitz.
Church and a visit to the prison is planned for Sunday.
The women centre is vey nice and safe although the weather is very hot! We will be busy next week and it is quite rewarding to see everyone getting involved to help each other out. We make quite a great team and sounds like we'll have lots of positive to say about this trip.
Thanks for all your support and a big Thank you from the people of Colon!
Martine, Kelly & Marlynne
XXX
We received a warm welcome from everyone, lots of smiles and hugs!
We met lots of people so far. We met the teachers who are getting ready for their classes to start in a week as well as the women attending a workshop. We have a great chauffeur who generously drives us around while educating us about Panama and it's people.
We manage to communicate quite well with others although Kelly is the only master in Spanish in our group! A mix of english and spanish and some french does the trick! Smiles can say a lot too...
We have lots of planning to do for our activities with the children (which will take place next Mo, Tu & We) and our medical blitz.
Church and a visit to the prison is planned for Sunday.
The women centre is vey nice and safe although the weather is very hot! We will be busy next week and it is quite rewarding to see everyone getting involved to help each other out. We make quite a great team and sounds like we'll have lots of positive to say about this trip.
Thanks for all your support and a big Thank you from the people of Colon!
Martine, Kelly & Marlynne
XXX
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Packing Up!!
We are very excited about our upcoming journey and the fabulous donations we have to bring to the people of Colon on your behalf!! We have 85 pairs of leather shoes, over 300 toothbrushes, 100 tubes of toothpaste, soap, shampoo, meds from Health Partners International, and of course your generous donations of the past year!! How shall we pack all of this?!! Hockey bags..thank you! and suitcases! A good night's sleep and we're off! On behalf of the people of Colon, a huge thank you to all of you for your donations, your support and for sharing your time and talent to make this venture a reality. We shall keep you updated on our adventures! Marlynne
Friday, February 27, 2009
Hello from Martine!
Hello all!
I'm Martine, one of Kelly's high school friends.
We happened to reconnect last year through other high school acquaintances and although we hadn't seen each other in 21 years, we were both truly happy to reconnect! We found we had many things in common; I'm also a nurse, currently working in Calgary. When Kelly told me about the PHP, she was so passionate about it, right away I felt the desire to join and help.
This will be my first trip to Panama, and my first experience doing volunteer work in a foreign country. Preparing for this trip made me realize all the work and devotion involved in getting ourselves and our stuff ready.
I am both excited and anxious to get there and experience another culture. I already feel this will be a life changing experience and I feel blessed to be able to join the Panama Health Project. I will learn a lot for sure and plan to share our adventure with all of you who will follow us throught this blog. Please feel free to leave comments!!!
Cheers,
Martine
I'm Martine, one of Kelly's high school friends.
We happened to reconnect last year through other high school acquaintances and although we hadn't seen each other in 21 years, we were both truly happy to reconnect! We found we had many things in common; I'm also a nurse, currently working in Calgary. When Kelly told me about the PHP, she was so passionate about it, right away I felt the desire to join and help.
This will be my first trip to Panama, and my first experience doing volunteer work in a foreign country. Preparing for this trip made me realize all the work and devotion involved in getting ourselves and our stuff ready.
I am both excited and anxious to get there and experience another culture. I already feel this will be a life changing experience and I feel blessed to be able to join the Panama Health Project. I will learn a lot for sure and plan to share our adventure with all of you who will follow us throught this blog. Please feel free to leave comments!!!
Cheers,
Martine
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Awaiting departure
We ar
e less than a week from departing for Colon and we are all excited. Last night, St Edmund's Church had their annual Mardi Gras pancake dinner, which, from our vantage point, was a great success: great community, great food, great teamwork, great service! Congratulations!! PHP team members Louise Baird, Marlynne Danaher, Kathleen, Christina and Kelly Danaher were there to participate. We were able to express our appreciation for all that people have so kindly given for our trip: shoes, hygiene products, hockey bags for transportation, and of course, lots of moral support, which has been heart-warming. As we said last night, we're so thankful to Carolyne, Joanne and Deacon Bill, in all they have done to support us, be it introducing us to the community, setting up a blog, and helping us put together a powerpoint presentation. Thank you St-Edmund's!!
With great appreciation,
Kelly
e less than a week from departing for Colon and we are all excited. Last night, St Edmund's Church had their annual Mardi Gras pancake dinner, which, from our vantage point, was a great success: great community, great food, great teamwork, great service! Congratulations!! PHP team members Louise Baird, Marlynne Danaher, Kathleen, Christina and Kelly Danaher were there to participate. We were able to express our appreciation for all that people have so kindly given for our trip: shoes, hygiene products, hockey bags for transportation, and of course, lots of moral support, which has been heart-warming. As we said last night, we're so thankful to Carolyne, Joanne and Deacon Bill, in all they have done to support us, be it introducing us to the community, setting up a blog, and helping us put together a powerpoint presentation. Thank you St-Edmund's!!With great appreciation,
Kelly
Monday, February 23, 2009
Getting ready for a new mission to Colon
On March 4, 2009, Kelly, Kathleen, Christina, Marlynne Danaher and a new team member, Martine Legasse, will be leaving for Panama.Their mission will be to provide health care and much needed support to the poor of Colon.
Health care will include medical Blitzes in the Women and Children's Center and in the prison.
Medication is provided by Health Partners International and local doctors & pharmacists will be on hand to assist in the project in Colon,Panama.
You are invited to follow Kelly, Martine and Marlynne during this medical mission through reports they will be posting on this blog.
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