Sometimes, success is not defined by a successful surgical outcome but by having the courage to make difficult decisions that protect patients’ lives. As this year’s Neurotrauma Mission Trip began, Simon was waiting with his mother outside the neurosurgery clinic for his chance to be seen by the Solidarity Bridge NNI team for his pre-op screening evaluation. They hoped the surgical team could relieve the unrelenting pain Simon suffered from Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Bolivian representatives from the Santa Barbara Hospital spent a week in Honduras to observe a range of rehabilitation training and care methods for neuro trauma patients at Teleton Honduras. This South-South exchange facilitated the sharing of expertise and collaboration to solve healthcare challenges.

Solidarity Bridge partner Dr. Bianca Becerra, a Bolivian neuro-anesthesiologist committed to improving access to trauma care, named Global Health Fellow at the annual conference of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).  

José was the first of six patients with complex neurosurgical conditions operated this week at the Santa Bárbara Hospital in Sucre, Bolivia. These surgeries are part of a long-term effort drawing on the contributions of local and U.S. neurosurgeons, neuro-anesthesiologists, neuro-intensivists, and neuro-rehabilitation specialists toward a vision of establishing the Santa Bárbara Hospital as a premier neurotrauma center.