What It Takes

Well hello there! And hi again from Senegal!

This is me moonlighting in the lab, which has been a fun addition to my usual office routine this week. They're running a bit short staffed, and just across the hall from me, so I've been able to add 'packaging tumor samples for trans-atlantic transport to the pathologist' and 'blood bank assistant' to my resume. 

Back in December, as I mentioned in my last post, the AFM (Africa Mercy) sailed to Tenerife to meet up with big sister GLM (Global Mercy). After many of us moved to the GLM, we Celebrated Christmas and New Years while transferring equipment, unpacking, repacking, polishing, re-installing, troubleshooting, and hosting contractors to get the ship operational. Literally. We also had a little bit of downtime and some wonderful reunions. 

Now that we're a couple months in, I thought it would be a good time to talk about just what it takes to get a brand new ship ready and rolling in action for a surgical field service.

Ward Leadership Team near the end of Senegal 2022

What does it take?

It takes...this many people to pass the hospital baton from one ship to another. 

Both ships' crew gathered together on the dock in Tenerife!

It takes this many people (and a mountain) to make my heart full.

A day to explore the other-worldly plateau near Mt. Teide - Spain's highest peak. 

It takes this many wagons to keep ortho patients entertained. 

Wonderful ward nurse Caroline tests out some of the new equipment for patient recreation.

It takes this many wires and connections to get complete cross-section imaging of the body.

Biomedical technician Deborah gets the new CT Scanner working.

It takes this many toys to keep the doldrums away from the wards.

It takes 5 crash carts that we hope and pray to never need.  

Wonderful ward team leader Ansley builds crash carts from scratch.

It takes joyous reunions with incredibly hard-working Senegalese team members.

Day crew who worked on my ward last year, back for another field service!

It takes a whole lot of nurses and translators from around the world!

It takes scrubbing and redecorating to welcome patients back into the HOPE Center.

It takes 2 platforms to raise up the gangway to a traversable height. 

Actually, the platform on the left has since been upgraded with a nice, long, gentle ramp. 

It takes 2 hospital evacuation drills (don't worry, no actual patients were harmed in the process), and a TON of work to plan from scratch the best way to evacuate a 2-deck hospital with no gangway access on the OR level.

An 'intubated patient' is carried down the very steep stairs.
This is why they got replaced with a ramp.

It takes prayer. A lot of prayer. Every day.

The hospital was commissioned with a prayer walk-through of every patient space.

And then at last...the real work can begin. 

The first patient to receive surgery on the GLM.

And then it still takes energy every day to keep those cast-bound kiddos from going stir-crazy.

Play time on the patient veranda

It takes this many people to run a hospital on a ship.

It takes 3 times as many to run a ship that has a hospital on it. 

I am incredibly blessed to have been part of this ground-breaking work. It has not been easy. There have been roadblocks thrown at us from all directions. And there is still much ahead. 
It takes a lot more than what I could possibly capture in one post, or with a hundred photos. But we are here. Patients are receiving surgery. Senegalese and Gambian professionals are receiving training. 

Kingdom work is happening. 

GLM Hospital Leadership Team 2023

As I approach the end of this field service in July, I know I will be winding down for a substantial break. I don't know yet how long that break will be, where it will take me, or if I will return. 

If you are the praying kind, I would ask for your prayer for discernment and direction over these next months. 

Thank you all for walking this journey with me.

Á la prochaine,
    -D