Local Clinic - Mississauga Dec. 4th, 2010

Emily Harris

The spirit of the holidays can be found in many different places. We see it when the first few snowflakes of the season arrive and while driving through brightly decorated neighbourhoods around town. This year, however, the true spirit of the season was found at the Westside Presbyterian Church in Mississauga. This is where the Health Mission Outreach held its Free Medical and Dental Clinic. On December 4th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., volunteers, medical personnel, and patients gathered together to enjoy a day of helping a community in need.

Walking around the clinic, the first friendly faces I saw belonged to the Triage Team. They were a group of registered nurses who had arrived bright and early to get over 100 patients ready for their various health checkups today. At zero cost to the patient, this particular clinic offered the services of dentists and dental assistants, family doctors, acupuncturists, chiropodists, opticians, chiropractors and a pharmacist that answered drug-related medical questions. With a talented team like that, the day was bound to be a great success!

Amidst the laughing kids and the young volunteers sporting Santa hats, I was greeted by Philip, the Pastor at Westside Presbyterian. He told me he was absolutely “blown away by the dedication and heart” that he saw at the clinic. Through a beaming smile, he affirmed that the community getting together like this for such a great cause was “a beautiful thing!”

One of the highlights for such a cold December day was the refreshment area. This is where patients and volunteers alike could share a hot cup of tea and some treats to go with it. It was quite a popular spot!

I also got the chance to speak with a dental team during a rare moment of respite while waiting for their next ‘customer’. A dental student from Everest College told me that she got involved because of her teacher. Today was her first time with the HMO and she told me it would definitely not be her last, she hoped there would be even more volunteers from her class the next time around.

While in line for their checkups, I spoke with a mom and her four children who were sitting and waiting patiently. She told me her sister-in-law introduced the HMO clinic to her and she agreed that it was going very well so far. Her daughters were raring to go and weren’t shy about telling me that they were sure they didn’t have any cavities!

The Mississauga clinic was another great experience that I feel lucky to have witnessed. Whenever I get to attend an HMO event, I know it will be filled with dedication, good works, and plenty of smiles. Especially around the holiday season, it’s great to know we have such wonderful people who create a place of giving and sharing where everyone is welcome.

Local Clinic: Bramption - October 16, 2010

Submitted by Emily Harris, an HMO Volunteer

            On a crisp Autumn Saturday in downtown Brampton, patients and doctors alike shared a memorable day filled with the will to help out and the true spirit of community. Volunteers from all across the GTA, including dentists and hygienists, doctors and ophthalmologists, and even a friendly poodle contributed to the day’s great success.

The Kennedy Tabernacle Church acted as host for the Greater Toronto Outreach Program’s free medical and dental clinic on October 16^th, 2010. Around 160 patients came from near and far to get everything from dental check-ups to chiropractic work and eye exams, all free of charge!

 

I was able to get a feel for this great event and had the chance to speak with some of the people involved.

Now, you may not think that a visit to the dentist would put a smile on many faces, but everyone from the patients sitting in the dental chairs to the volunteers handing out coffee and cookies couldn’t help but grin. As Pastor Ted of the Church commented “It’s great to be able to help people out with no strings attached!”

Touring through the facility, it was truly amazing to see the room packed with dental chairs and tables topped with intricate dental equipment set up and humming with maximum efficiency. Even though some of the younger patients held on tightly to their stuffed animals in the chairs, it was clear that those in need of help were truly appreciative and excited to be able to come. As one nursing volunteer explained, some patients aren’t able to afford the care they need, so it’s amazing when there’s a place to go where they can find help.

            As I walked upstairs to the midwife, chiropractic, and smoking cessation seminar areas, I ran into two young ladies aged 10 and 12 who greeted me with a friendly smile and stopped to chat. When asked why they wanted to get involved and volunteer, they simply replied “It’s fun, you get to meet new people, and it’s a great experience!” These feeling of positivity were echoed amongst everyone in the room.

All the hard work and effort that goes into holding the free clinic was well worth it when seeing what this event means to people in need. HMO will be hosting another clinic in December, at that time it will be held in Mississauga. I was very glad to be a part of this great program, and look forward to next time!

South American Mission 2010

The following is a journal kept by Dr. Lun Hangfu, as he recorded the rollercoaster experiences from his recent mission to Paraguay and Brazil in July 2010.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010
We got up early to check out the Baguassu hotel at 7 a.m. The city bus was waiting to take us to Sao Paulo airport.

The morning was sunny and we were able to see the roadside scenery. On the way to the airport, we were invited to have a Chinese lunch by our Brazilian doctors’ group. Some members took the advantage and went shopping in the pouring rain.

It took almost two hours for our bus to arrive at Sao Paulo airport due to regular traffic congestion in Sao Paulo city. We managed to check in on time and board an 8 p.m. flight home.

Some volunteers continued their Brazillian tour.


Thursday, July 15, 2010
It was a huge relief when we all arrived back in Canada safely. I went straight home and enjoyed a shower.

On behalf of HMO, I am very proud to have served with this group of volunteers. They worked very hard with professional dedication and personal compassion. I could not imagine what more anyone could ask. They should be commended for their actions and deeds.

South American Mission 2010

The following is a journal kept by Dr. Lun Hangfu, as he recorded the rollercoaster experiences from his recent mission to Paraguay and Brazil in July 2010.

Monday, July 12, 2010
It was our first solo dental clinic day. The pace was fast and none stop.

The mayor, local health official and newspaper visited us and we had many photo opportunities.

Most of the volunteers laughed when they found out that there was no church service that night.


Tuesday, July 13, 2010
We started early at 8 a.m. because the clinic was scheduled until 1 p.m. The vice mayor would like to take us for a city tour in the afternoon.

Again, the dental clinic did not finish until 3 p.m. before we finally packed our equipments and concluded our mission trip in Capao Bonito.

Later, we visited local water park, public dental clinic and finally a farm house in the country. It was raining very hard when we were at the farm house. It was a spectacular modern chalet. The driver urged us to leave early because the road was not paved and it was very difficult to travel late. He was right – our bus tilted 10 to 15 degrees and we got stuck in a ditch. They called a tractor to pull us out with everyone inside.

We had to walk 100 yards to meet the bus down the hill in pouring rain with no rain gear and very few umbrellas. Dr. Reavell commented that I planned this on the last day as a team building exercise. I was relieved when we all got back to the hotel – but we were totally soaked. It was an interesting experience.

The local hospitality was the best we ever experienced in all our mission trips. From the beautiful smiles to gourmet kitchen foods and many acts of sincere appreciation, we were truly fortunate to be there.  We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone from the wonderful village of Capao Bonito. We loved our brief stay.

We treated about 850 patients. The mayor and the organizer were very delighted with the outcome and have proposed to enlarge the service to the adjacent villages for next year.

South American Mission 2010

The following is a journal kept by Dr. Lun Hangfu, as he recorded the rollercoaster experiences from his recent mission to Paraguay and Brazil in July 2010.

Saturday, July 10, 2010
The mayor and the Presbyterian Church were very organized in every detail from patient registration and selection, transportation, and our daily meals. They published our medical and dental mission in the local newspaper and the rest you can imagine.

We set up nine dental stations, one medical doctor, one optometrist and one acupuncturist. There were long line ups and a lot of hard work.

Many volunteers declined evening church service because they were very tired. Dr. Reavell, his wife and I represented HMO. The church service was lively and had lots singing. The translation was poor and sparse but it was enjoyable.


Sunday, July 11, 2010
I was surprised to find out that the clinic would only open until 1 p.m. because many locals wanted to watch the final match of the World Cup. Furthermore, all our Brazilian doctors are leaving too because they are going back to Sao Paulo. That means we will only operate the dental clinic for Monday and Tuesday.

The dental clinic did not finish until 3 p.m. because many last minute patients and emergencies showed up.

We went to a local establishment for the soccer match and walked about Capao Bonito. Some enjoyed their brief shopping experiences.

I had to attend the evening church service for three hours with no translator. It was an experience.

South American Mission 2010

The following is a journal kept by Dr. Lun Hangfu, as he recorded the rollercoaster experiences from his recent mission to Paraguay and Brazil in July 2010.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010
There was no sense to fight over the day lost; we needed to solve our predicament. Now I had to find a hotel for 21 people and arrange new meal and travel plans for our next mission destination in Capao Bonito, Brazil.

Many volunteers woke up at 5 am to sample the local game fishing. Piranhas are the best catch. The Pastor and the boat captain first insisted there was no gas for the boat and there was no fishing equipment. It was magically resolved when I agreed to pay for the gas even though in previous missions, it was included.

Overall, the Paraguay mission trip was full of surprises with missed schedules and poor cooperation from our Brazilian partners. We needed work out better logistics for next year to avoid these kinds of problems.


Thursday, July 8, 2010
We stayed in Campo Grande for the extra rest day and toured the local shopping centre, restaurant and Samba night club.


Friday, July 9, 2010
We managed to get to Sao Paulo airport safely where some of our volunteers left to tour Brazil and some went home to Canada. We were joined by one more dentist from Canada, Brazilian physician, Dr. Loo’s medical group, and Pastor Wendell from Capao Bonito. After a four hour bus ride, we arrived at Capao Bonito, a picturesque mountain village located southwest of Sao Paulo city with a population of 45,000 residents. The residents were predominately farmers. Capao Bonito is known for its fresh and clean air quality.

South American Mission 2010

The following is a journal kept by Dr. Lun Hangfu, as he recorded the rollercoaster experiences from his recent mission to Paraguay and Brazil in July 2010.
 
Monday, July 5, 2010
We decided to visit another Chamacoco village, Port Karcha Bahlut.

We have never been here but for the past five years we have received requests from them for help. This village had about 40 families with 120 people. It was well organized with some agriculture and herding, and better housing than what we had already seen. It was mostly children that attended our clinic because the adults were afraid. We are the first foreign doctors to visit the village and they are scared of dental pain.



Tuesday, July 6, 2010
We moved to the third village down the river at Porto Esperanza, with a population of 900 people. Again, they were very poor with no electricity or running water. The lineup never ended and we were forced to stop when the night fall came. About 700 to 800 patients were treated in the last four days.

We thought we had one more working day but we were surprised when the boat had to leave because we were misinformed that the rental was for five days instead of six.

Many of the local residents and children came to the shore to wave goodbye. It will be another year before we return.

We thought we came here to help the local with their health care problems but we found beauty in this land and genuine smiles on their faces as God graced them with gift of life under such harsh condition. They exemplified existence of humanity in its best.