Rotary's Arms Reach World Wide as Dedicated Return from Bangladesh
February 27, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Rotarians to Give Presentation on Recent Medical Mission to Bangladesh
Novato, Ca February 26, 2018 ─ The Rotary Club of Ignacio announces a 1/2-hour presentation to take place on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 1:00 PM at Inn Marin, 250 Entrada Drive, Novato, Ca 94949, with lunch to precede at 12:30 PM. Local press is invited to come and learn about the club’s involvement in this exciting, inspirational two-week Rotaplast International mission to Bangladesh.
On Sunday, January 7, 2018, four Rotary Club of Ignacio members, Marie Borders, Barbara Hernandez, Wendy Irving and dentist Dr. Melissa Rinck departed Novato, along with Dr. Rinck’s long-time technician, Elizabeth Delappe-Seslar and her adult daughter, Michelle Rinck, for the San Francisco airport. There, they joined ten other medical and non-medical volunteers from the West Coast to travel, literally, to the other side of the globe. After traveling 30 hours through Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and on to Chittagong, Bangladesh, they met the remaining seven members of the team to begin a grueling but rewarding 10-day effort to fulfil the mission of Rotaplast International, which is to help repair cleft lips and palates, along with burns and limb deformities in children and young adults.
The 23-member team was welcomed to Chittagong by the host club, Rotary Club of Agrabad, along with many young Rotaractors from three Rotaract clubs, including the club representing Chittagong University. All were invaluable as interpreters and helpmates. The team was also warmly welcomed by the staff at Southern Medical College and Hospital where the surgeries took place.
After screening over 300 potential patients, the team was able to perform approximately 75 procedures over seven days of surgeries, many working long 12-hour days. Included in the group were several returning patients, since this was the eighth consecutive Rotaplast mission to Chittagong. The final day included the chance to interact with the patients one more time and to participate in Closing Ceremonies with the hosts, where gifts and thanks were exchanged all around.
This most recent mission to Bangladesh would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the Rotary Club of Ignacio Foundation in tandem with the Charlotte Geyer Foundation, nor without the experience and expertise of Mission Director, Brian Lynn Walker, who is also from North Marin.
Contacts:
Wendy Irving
415 892-9702
wendyirv@comcast.net
Fran O’Brien
415 883 6612
fran4travel@aol.com
Local Rotarians to Give Presentation on Recent Medical Mission to Bangladesh
Novato, Ca February 26, 2018 ─ The Rotary Club of Ignacio announces a 1/2-hour presentation to take place on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 1:00 PM at Inn Marin, 250 Entrada Drive, Novato, Ca 94949, with lunch to precede at 12:30 PM. Local press is invited to come and learn about the club’s involvement in this exciting, inspirational two-week Rotaplast International mission to Bangladesh.
On Sunday, January 7, 2018, four Rotary Club of Ignacio members, Marie Borders, Barbara Hernandez, Wendy Irving and dentist Dr. Melissa Rinck departed Novato, along with Dr. Rinck’s long-time technician, Elizabeth Delappe-Seslar and her adult daughter, Michelle Rinck, for the San Francisco airport. There, they joined ten other medical and non-medical volunteers from the West Coast to travel, literally, to the other side of the globe. After traveling 30 hours through Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and on to Chittagong, Bangladesh, they met the remaining seven members of the team to begin a grueling but rewarding 10-day effort to fulfil the mission of Rotaplast International, which is to help repair cleft lips and palates, along with burns and limb deformities in children and young adults.
The 23-member team was welcomed to Chittagong by the host club, Rotary Club of Agrabad, along with many young Rotaractors from three Rotaract clubs, including the club representing Chittagong University. All were invaluable as interpreters and helpmates. The team was also warmly welcomed by the staff at Southern Medical College and Hospital where the surgeries took place.
After screening over 300 potential patients, the team was able to perform approximately 75 procedures over seven days of surgeries, many working long 12-hour days. Included in the group were several returning patients, since this was the eighth consecutive Rotaplast mission to Chittagong. The final day included the chance to interact with the patients one more time and to participate in Closing Ceremonies with the hosts, where gifts and thanks were exchanged all around.
This most recent mission to Bangladesh would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the Rotary Club of Ignacio Foundation in tandem with the Charlotte Geyer Foundation, nor without the experience and expertise of Mission Director, Brian Lynn Walker, who is also from North Marin.
Contacts:
Wendy Irving
415 892-9702
wendyirv@comcast.net
Fran O’Brien
415 883 6612
fran4travel@aol.com
