The Third Mission -- August 2002

The third trip by the volunteers of The Chiapas Project (August 17-24, 2002) was hugely successful. Not only were we able to treat more patients than during any prior trip, but also we provided a greater range of services. For the first time, we were able to offer preventative and restorative dental services, in addition to performing necessary extractions. Just as importantly, more and more Mexican volunteers have joined The Chiapas Project, both by providing direct patient care and by giving us access to domestic supplies. Their fellowship has made the trips more and more enjoyable for all of the volunteers.

Planning for the August trip began in March, only one month after the completion of the prior trip to Ocotepec. Recruiting volunteers was critical as only Sam Seamans and the Brody/Liegner family were returning from the February 2002 team. (Many of the 2/2002 volunteers expect to return to Chiapas on the March 15-22, 2003 trip.)

American volunteers included Dr. Don Allegra and family, nurse Anna Krzysik and daughter Jennifer, nurse Rene Pevour, dentist Jae Shim from Chicago, Rev. Don Mossa from the Stillwater Presbyterian church, Don Sharp, and students Aimee Cunningham, Kate Kresge, Thayer Hardwick, Mary Grote, Dana Nause and John Janis. We were joined in Chiapas by Drs. Arturo and Xochitl Vieyra and family, Sister Ernestina Vieyra, F.M.A., and students Carlos Jimenez, Yasser, Joab, Alonso, Santa, and Jonathan. We were also helped tremendously by Drs. “Willie” and Carlos and their families from Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Massive amounts of supplies were gathered both in Newton, NJ and in Mexico City. Several New Jersey pharmaceutical companies donated medications. Newton Memorial Hospital allowed us to purchase supplies at their discounted prices. Sussex County doctors Walter Grote, Luis Pupo, Pam Alberto, Ray DePaolo, Pari Bhayani and Joanne Liegner made the effort to get medicines from their drug company reps. Dr. Ransanz, the owner of a major pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Mexico City, sent thousands of dollars worth of medicines. The Newton Rotary Club has maintained its support for The Chiapas Project and expects to become even more involved in the coming year. Donated funds were used to purchase two portable dental units from the World Dental Relief organization and more medical examination tables. Friends of Cindy and Sam Seamans send small donations that added up to the funds needed to purchase a compressor for the dental units. At our “packing party” in early August many of the American volunteers had the opportunity to meet one another. We filled 37 suitcases with supplies and equipment.

Our group left Camp Auxilium in Newton, NJ early on Saturday, August 17th heading for Newark airport. We arrived in Mexico City around noon, and with the help of Sister Ernestina, cleared Customs with only minimal difficulties. Our AeroCaribe flight brought us to Tuxtla Gutierrez in the late afternoon where we were met by Sister Anna Maria from Ocotepec and our good friends Drs. “Willie” and Carlos and their families.

The next morning food and supplies were purchased at Sam’s Club and the trek to Ocotepec began. The road is in the process of being built, and was a major improvement from our previous trips. The oldest truck, driven br Drs. Brody and Liegner, however, lost its brakes and needed to be swapped for a truck from the Sisters in Campainala in order to complete the trip. Sunday afternoon and evening were spent setting-up the kitchen, all of the clinics, and the pharmacy.

Over the next three days over 1700 patients were treated, both in Ocotepec and in the outlaying villages. The volunteers worked hard but also enjoyed some good laughs along the way. The greatest change on this, our third trip, was the ability to provide restorative and preventative dental care. With the equipment brought from the U.S. and purchased in Mexico, Dr. Jae Shim and Carlitos placed many fillings in teeth we were unable to treat before. “Drs.” Sam Seamans, Don Mossa and Santa Zapata Camacho treated children by placing sealants on their permanent molars, thus preventing decay. The decreasing number of extractions required in the future will evidence their work. The other major positive change was our ability to dispense massive quantities of vitamins to pregnant ladies and to children. Hopefully, as their nutritional status improves the incidence of disease will decrease.

As we had found before, evening Mass was an inspiring service, even for those unable to understand the languages (Spanish and Zoque). The welcoming and friendly attitude of the people in Chiapas was everywhere. Each volunteer came away with a sense of making a difference and of realization that there is so much more that needs to be done for/with the indigenous people of the region.

Our last two days involved returning to Tuxtla Gutierrez (no simple matter), enjoying the luxuries of the Camino Real Hotel, touring the Sumideiro Canyon, visiting the homes of our friends, and a lively party at a local restaurant on the last night. We departed Chiapas early on Saturday morning, much to the chagrin of those who drank too much, or the wrong things the night before.

Since returning to the U.S., the Stillwater (NJ) Presbyterian Church, led by Rev. Don Mossa, raised the money, which allowed a young boy from one of the pueblos who had broken his arm, to be taken to Tuxtla to have it surgically repaired. He is now doing very well because of the generosity of a community so far away. Also, Ernesto, the boy with the crippled leg we first met in August 2001, is now with the Brody/Liegner family in New Jersey and will have corrective surgery at the Shriners’ Hospital in Philadelphia in December. Doctors there feel confidant that Ernesto will return to his family in Ocotepec, walking, within one year.

The Chiapas Project will return to Mexico March 15, 2003 for another week of volunteer care. Our hope is that more medical and dental personnel will join our effort so that we can really begin to address the underlying causes of disease as well as provide the curative care required currently. It is our hope that we will be able to spend more time teaching the people ways to prevent disease conditions by sending teams of “educators” to the villages to offer classes in dental and general hygiene. We also would like to be able to provide cataract surgery as many young people have this condition and we now have an ophthalmologist from Tuxtla Gutierrez who can provide follow-up care. Of course, in addition to people willing to volunteer, we need contributions of medicines, supplies, and money to purchase instruments and equipment.

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