Pallets make it to Kigali in record time!

Day 3, February 3, 2013—Pallets have arrived-O Happy Day!

Wireless in the hotel allows for emails which might arrive after we go to bed given the 7 hours EST difference. At 2:30 when we are awake and do not want to be, an email from Carol Phillips, our American River shipping coordinator alerts us the pallets have been on the ground in Kigali for 48 hours. And the transit was in 5 short days.What a wonderful job. We originally planned for 3 pallets and reserved space, but when the shipment direct to Rwanda never materialized, we cannot run the risk. We pack more supplies and with now 5 pallets, we must go on “space available”.  We plaster the outside with notes of Life saving cardiac surgery for Rwanda and a note to pass as quickly as possible.  It seemed to work.  When I notify Vedaste he is ready!! He has already filed for the permit from the MoH and picked it up.  He tells me the goods will be delivered to the hospital by this afternoon!!! All 131 boxes, and near 3000 pounds. Motrin will be passed out all around in anticipation.

David Adams and Ceeya will join Dr. Emmanuel  Kamanzi and Dr. Joseph Mucumbitisi for the follow up of the 17 patients identified in September 2010 to be potentially positive for RHD.  The screening begins at 9 and the children seem to be happy to be missing school. As they line up, they seem pretty laid back except for one little guy that seems to be rather wishing he was in school.  A highlight was a lovely little lady we identified with an ASD in that September 2010 screening. She had surgery by the Belgian team the following month!

An ASD, opening between the top two chambers, or atria often go un-noticed in an otherwise healthy child. Often the symptoms of an ASD do not appear until adulthood.  So we like to think we saved her a life-time of deteriorating health!