Team Heart Newbie- A note from Jeanne DeCara

Pat Come,  Jeanne DeCara,   Marilyn Riley

This is my last night in Rwanda before I head back to Chicago. I was new to Team Heart this year. I didn't exactly know what to expect but knew I'd be the company of Team Heart veterans like cardiologist Pat Come and sonographer extraordinaire Marilyn Riley who would show me the ropes. Our first day of screening started with a vehicle breakdown en route to Butare, which was fortuitous in many ways because it gave me time to get to know other members of the team like Gita Mody (surgical resident from BWH) and Saidi Kayiranga (Rwandan sonographer) who were invaluable in the screening effort that day and on those that followed. I was amazed at the severity of heart disease we saw during our screening days, and even more amazed at the grace with which the Rwandans live with their illnesses. Seeing each patient come through surgery by Drs. Bolman and Edwards (who, in addition to being incredibly skilled, are undoubtedly the kindest cardiac surgeons I have ever met)  and now walking around the stepdown unit with smiles on their faces has been a real thrill. It has truly been a privilege to enter into the lives of these patients. Even though the encounters are brief, I'm hopeful that the effects will be long-lasting. Thanks Team Heart for welcoming me to the team. It has been a pleasure. Farewell for now.