29-year-old Joselin lived for years with a benign but growing mass in her uterus. Pain from this issue had become debilitating, and her fertility was also threatened. Surgery was the only solution, but financial and logistical obstacles prevented Joselin from accessing care.

On Monday, we began our work at the Hospital Materno Infantil San Juan de Dios. As we were welcomed by the hospital director and met our partners in the medical exchange we are embarking upon, the invitation to engage deeply was clear.

There is growing consensus that pre-travel preparation is one of the most important practices for a successful global health mission. This fall, we are offering our preparation curriculum via an online learning platform tailored to each team, specific to their host community and medical specialties.

Investments in specialized diagnostic and treatment equipment is expanding access to high-quality clinical and surgical care in five hospitals serving central and eastern Bolivia.

The three patients treated during our trip had experienced sudden and severe headaches and nausea, caused by a high-grade AVM. The complexity of their cases pushed the limits of surgical treatment available in Paraguay. But the doctors at the Hospital Nacional de Itaguá were motivated and eager to advance their skills in this type of care.

Today is our third day at the Hospital Nacional de Itauguá, our second day of surgery. As we gathered in the faculty lounge, the surgeons seemed somewhat anxious. Yesterday’s surgery was successful, but today’s case will be much more difficult.

On our fourth medical mission trip to the Hospital Nacional de Itauguá in Asunción, Paraguay our Neurosurgery & Neurology insitute team will work with their counterparts to advance AVM surgeries.

We are grateful to the Global Mission Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago for the opportunity to share more about our work at two parishes this summer.

Pediatric neurologists Dr. Victor Cuéllar and Dr. Shirley Martinez juggled patient care needs at the Children’s Hospital in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, with the imperative to use data from their extensive practice to study the incidence and risk factors for epilepsy in Bolivia. They recently partnered with the Solidarity Bridge Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute (NNI) for support.

Our greatest teachers often are patients and their family members. It is through their eyes and experiences that we can begin to understand the challenges patients face in accessing a safe and timely surgery. On a recent trip with our Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute (NNI), I was humbled to learn more about Paraguay’s health system and culture from one such person. 

The needs of surgical patients continue far beyond their time in the hospital. Many treated for conditions including birth defects, abdominal trauma, Chagas disease, or colon cancer may need to live temporarily or permanently with an ostomy. Increasing access to ostomy supplies is critical both for medical reasons and to preserve the dignity of patients.

How do we measure our work? We can count surgeries performed and medical supplies delivered, but what about our equally important work fostering relationships? The XXI Bolivian Congress of Neurosurgery in Santa Cruz reminded us of the power of relationships to improve access to safe and timely medical care.