The purpose of the mission is to provide training to Bolivian neurosurgeons and ENT surgeons in endoscopic skull base surgery. The course has attracted surgeons from all around Bolivia, and will include lectures and the commented operative simulcast of five surgeries. Of the five patients whose surgeries will be central to the course, four are working women in the prime of their lives who are losing their vision -- and their livelihoods -- to pituitary tumors. 

“My mother deserves to have good health,” one of her daughters commented. A son added, “She has suffered a lot over the years, but she is strong and independent. She knew the mission was the answer --- and she moved ahead.”

 During this week in which we celebrate both International Women’s Day and San Juan de Dios, our mission recognizes the importance of female patients voicing their needs to seek medical care, without fear of shame. Most of all, we celebrate the power of women contributing to a higher standard of care -- and living longer and happier lives.  

Through this blog, we invite you along on these visits into the homes of some of our patients. We are grateful for their open doors!

After performing several spinal fusions and transnasal surgery in Tarija, Bolivia, Solidarity Bridge’s neurosurgical mission moved to Santa Cruz. There Solidarity Bridge led the first Fundamentals of Neurosurgery Boot Camp for 27 residents in neurosurgery from Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Argentina! 

The stark reality of under-resourced hospitals in Bolivia and beyond triggers a series of urgent questions. Will tired patients in the crowded waiting room see a doctor today? Will medical professionals have the right tools to successfully complete a surgery? Will patients and families trust the advice they receive and willingly walk the road to recovery?

Solidarity Bridge’s newest staff member, Mary McCann Sanchez (Senior Director of Programs), discusses the launch of the 2015 Neurosurgery Mission Trip, the upcoming Neurosurgery Boot Camp, and that inner voice that awakens the desire to reach out.

As the 2015 Multi-Specialty Mission Trip wraps up in Cochabamba, we received the following note from our dear trip chaplain, Fr. Bob Oldershaw. As you will discover, Fr. Bob caught up with the team after a brief stop in our nation’s capital.

I pray for strength for these patients, not only to heal from physical ailments but also for peace of mind to trust that they are being cared for in mind, body, and spirit.