Humanitarian Meetings 6.20.2011

Geneva is a beautiful walkable city. Last evening after arrival, I tried to meet up with the rheumatic fever work-group, but never found the restaurant!! In a maze of small streets and so confusing. However Bistra from Children's Heart Link, Dr. Tom Pezzella, International Children's Fund and Robin Austen from the World Heart Federation and I met up and headed to the music festival for dinner. Music was so-so, but the evening was gorgeous and mellow as the brainstorming begins.

Today Dr. Mucumbitsi spoke about the integration of NCD into the health delivery sector in Rwanda--certainly among the buzzwords of the day! It was a day full of information and often the breaks are as helpful as the sessions as it is a great opportunity to talk more in details about topics.

Tomorrow will be the rheumatic heart disease session....

Thursday July 21 at 6 pm o'clock, Team Heart will host Jane O'Connor to speak at our kick-off 2011-2012 orientation series in preparation for our February 2012 trip. Jane is the past prinicipal and advisor for Maranyundo School for girls in Nyamata and has been involved in every aspect of building, opening the school and transitioning the school to Rwanda.

Please join us for this opportunity to hear about her experience and how it can help us as we transition to a sustainable program.

Wach here for posting of location in the Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Patient Follow-UP

Team Heart is very proud to have received the grade certificate of Jean Damascene, mitral valve replacement surgery 2008, studying in India in his first year --excelling in mathematics and physics on his way to MS in Computer Science. He was one sick young man in April of 2008. The valve replacement was just one part of survival--rebuilding a life after 10 years of severe illness is another. The courage to pursue his education in another country with little chance of returning home until completed is an indication of his commitment to do what it takes. Photographed here in 2010, he stands between ICU nurse Leslie Sabatino, and I with Jean Paul, an aortic valve replacement from 2008. Egidia and Suellen, from the step-down are also part of the happy group.

This has been one of the most rewarding aspects of being part of this Team Heart project. Of course we like to see the patients recover in the hospital and go home. But, to also see them three years later rebuilding and improving their lives is wonderful. Congratulations for the hard work all of our patients put in to rebuild their lives in farming, business, classroom and the home.

www.teamheart.org

Call for application for 2012 and "Tipping Point"

To Team Heart Members Past and Present and Future.

In many ways, 2011 was the best trip we have had. Our patients did well, the team worked well together and was supportive of each other. We saw Rwandan nurses admit patients, and Rwandan physicians rounding daily. A soon-to-be perfusionist worked in the theater with perfusion. A resident has been given approval for surgical training. There were challenges to address and work toward solutions. But they were small in comparison to the progress we see occurring.

Applications are now open for Team Heart, 2012 You may also apply online at www.teamheart.org. Our dates will most likely be near the same as they were this February, with surgery for 7 days, ICU for 2 additional days and step-down to follow for 5 more days, the same as previous years. I have penciled in 2/4 for departure--and await a confirmation from Rwanda. The step-down team will depart Kigali on 2/19 or 2/20. There will some changes in key staff, but I feel certain we have those willing to step-up. There are many details to work out before the exact and final schedule is etched in stone. But I am feeling really positive as we move into this 5th year.

For those of you having already applied for 2012-thank you!

We had a waiting list in 2011 at all spots and I have had a surprising (in a very good way!) number of applications thus far for 2012. There is interest in rolling acceptances (as you apply) and we will notify people as early as possible for fundraising.

The positions we are hoping to recruit will be volunteers for both travel and local non-travel. Even if you cannot go this year to Rwanda, there is huge need for fundraising, supply management and packing and we would very much appreciate your help.

And if you are wondering about my comment the "Tipping Point"...Today in a message from Erneste, he talked about a patient, who recently met his Mom. The young man was suffering from advanced rheumatic heart disease and thought there was no help for his condition. The patient is from the economically challenged region near Erneste, he, had no cell phone and has virtually been in his home without help. The information was shared with this young man about Erneste, his surgery and that there was a chance for him as well. For information to then reach us, so this young man could be placed on the evaluation list is our tipping point. We have our patients involved in recruitment because they believe so much in what we have done and how their lives are changed!

A note from Alex Butera,MD, Director General of King Faisal Hospital

Dear Chip and Team Heart,

Thank you for appreciation and for your kind words.

We do treasure this parternship which has affected the live of many people with cardiac problems in Rwanda and region. We also take this opportunity to convey our sincere thanks and appreciation to Team Heart efforts towards achieving this noble act of giving people in need a brighter tomorrow.

We at KFH,K and in Rwanda look forward to your meeting you in next trips and to a day when your efforts give birth to a pioneer Rwandan team that will be complementing your efforts and push forward this good legacy.

Warm regards,

Alex

Team Heart is looking forward to networking opportunities June 20-22 as we attend the 7th Global Forum in Humanitarian Medicine in Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. Join us in Geneva to hear inspiring discussions and shared experiences. For more information; http://www.gfhm11.ch/welcome.html

Jean Paul-a recent article in the New Times-Kigali's paper

Jean Paul photographed here, February 2011, speaking after he is elected President to head the patient support group.

For complete article, please read: http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=14570&article=8997

Jean Paul was first introduced to Team Heart in November of 2007, when he was in receiving antibiotics for endocarditis, a common complication of deformed cardiac valves , secondary to rheumatic heart disease. Too ill to have surgery by the Australian team, we were told, if he survives, maybe the Boston team could do him...... He was the second case done our first year by Brigham and Women's Hospital, Prem Shekar, MD.

The interview...

But in that process I came across Dr Kagame in 2007, who was able to discover my sickness. He wasn’t capable of helping me but directed me to King Faisal Hospital (KFH) for better treatment.“After some tests were carried out, it was discovered that some of my valves had some holes within them and even some parts of my heart were in worse conditions and I had to take several anti-biotic and pain killers before the operation could be carried out,” Iyamuremye recalls.On April 06 2008, a group of Surgeons from Boston carried out cardiovascular operation at KFH and Iyamuremye was among the patients to be operated upon.“It was not easy. Even if I was sick but it sounded strange to me on how it would be carried out since it was an open heart operation. We were approaching the genocide commemoration time so I thought that may be I could go into a coma.“On the exact day of the operation, I had a stream of thoughts that came into my mind but mostly I never thought about how I see my life again after the operation.There was a lady that I met at the hospital who had tested on the cup that I was about to test. She had been operated on in the UK. She encouraged and gave me comfort.After a successful operation Iyamuremye was given an artificial valve that will be helping him the rest of his lifetime alongside a daily dosage of tablets.Touring different departments at KFH, I meet Dr Nathan J. Ruhamya, a Consultant Physician and Cardiologist, in charge of Preventative Treatment and follow up of the of the patients. He is among the team members that carry out the cardiac surgery.A jovial and immensely likeable Ruhamya whom I find at the King Faysal Hospital, sharing jokes with one of the patients, gives an account of the operation.“Many of these diseases that are connected to the cause of the cardiovascular diseases can be prevented. For the inherited diseases, when they are treated at the early stage, people would live longer than the ones who never went for the treatment.He then pulls out a file that carries some statistics of the successful operations they have carried out since 2006 that number to 221 people, including 176 children, 61 adults and 45 trans-cut interventions for children.The operation does not only save people’s lives but also saving huge sums of money that would have been spent on foreign-based surgeries. Ever since they started carrying out cardiovascular operations, they have been able to save more than $2.5 million.The cardiologist noted that these are expensive surgeries that the team has offered to perform for free citing that the visiting group is paying for their own air tickets while government covers their local costs and accommodation.As I turn around, on my extreme right Iyamuremye is counseling and asking the recent operated patients about their health. I come closer to them as I earnestly get to know what they are going through.Jean Damascene Ibambasi, a happy man after the operation in uncontrolled joy runs out of words to tell the story. “God bless President Paul Kagame because of the good relationship with other countries because even before 1994 the Ministry of foreign affairs was there but poor people like me would eventually die of heart complications. God bless KFH with all the partners and every individual who has helped me,” Ibambasi prayed.