Santos Surgery Successful / Pics Below

Dear Readers,
The following is from my brother Francis and his latest report on Santos and surgery to correct his badly deformed feet. I have posted only two of the photos he sent even though he refers to some of the other children in his message. Amazing stuff. Thanks to all the doc's, nurses, and coordinators of this wonderful program. And also many thanks to Frank and Julio. It must be quite a feeling to be involved.
Richard Seivert
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Hi to all. For the past 4 days, Julio and I have been helping with a brigade from the USA (sponsored by Tegucigalpa Rotary) that has been evaluating and then performing surgery on kids, and a couple of adults that have club feet. I do not have the exact name with me at this time, but this group comes from all over the US to help. Our interest (Mission Honduras LeMars) for a young 8 year old boy called Santos, that many from JTFB's brigade saw last year. He was operated on yesterday (Saturday) at San Felipe Hospital in Tegucigalpa. Julio and I were there as we have been for the past days to support  his family. His dad is also injured but is staying at the bedside of Santos. Believe me this little kid is tough. If you have seen earlier photos, you will know that one foot went 90 degrees one way, and the other went 90 degrees the other. It was a very difficult surgery according to the doctors. I am attaching a few photos. I have also included some from the other patients in our little group. One little boy, his mother is holding him, had his surgery canceled yesterday because he had thrombocytopenia. He will evaluated tomorrow at San Felipe. Only 2 patients from our group of 7 remain in the hospital. Santos and the other little boy with light hair. I think Santos will remain in the hospital for a few days. We will keep him, his father and others in the so called Ronald McDonald house across the street for as long as it takes.

I'm amazed at how these doctors have been able to turn Santos feet straight. Anyway, these doctors will do surgery until 6 Feb 2012, so keep them and all of the kids, moms and dads in your prayers.

Mr. Francis

Santos / Photo / Thursday, January 26th

Greetings to all readers. After yesterday's story about Santos I wanted to give you another update. Santos was seen yesterday by Honduran doctors at San Felipe Hospital. The direct organization that will be paying for most of this is 'World Pediatric Project.' The name in Honduras is 'Operation Footprint.' You may go to www.sandyinhonduras.org for more information about that group. Our (Mission Honduras LeMars) role in this whole attempt to help this little boy is basic and yet at the same time wonderful. I am pleased that Frank and Julio are assisting.
Santos did meet all the criteria for surgery on his badly deformed feet. As I write this on Thursday morning he is scheduled for surgery this Saturday morning. A team of United States Orthopedic doctors will be doing the work. We will just have to wait and see what happens. Continue to keep little Santos and his family in your prayers. Santos has 7 brothers and sisters at home in Montana de la Flor.
I have posted a new photo from yesterday before his evaluation at San Felipe Hospital. You can clearly see how badly his feet are deformed. I will keep you posted on this little fellow.
Take Care,
R. Seivert

Santos Waiting for His Appointment

Report From Honduras / Wednesday, January 25th

As many of you are aware, my brother Francis has been in Honduras since late December preparing for the medical/nutrition team as well as the three high school teams. While in Honduras he also works for Mission Honduras LeMars and Then Feed Just One.

Over the years Mission Honduras LeMars has been involved with many mission outreach programs involving very sick or debilitated young children. Please visit www.missionhonduraslemars.org for a look at some of the children we have assisted over the years - 7 into the United States for example. It is amazing when I think of the totality.

The following pictures are of Santos Sevilla, his dad Lorenzo, and Francis Seivert. You can see that Santos' feet are badly deformed (club feet). Santos is 8 years old and he is from Lavendaros. Lavendaros is high in the mountains of Montana de la Flor and very close to where the combined medical/nutrition/Joint Task Force Bravo team will work in early March of this year. Actually, we met Santos during last year's combined team and have worked throughout the year to get him help. The first pic is from a year ago when he was 7 and being seen during that mission trip. The last photo is of Santos and his dad from yesterday.

Francis Holds Santos

Santos with his dad

The story is simple. Frank and Julio Rivera arranged to get Santos to a hospital in Tegucigalpa for a consult. Thus, when they were in MDLF yesterday, delivering supplies and equipment for the upcoming medical/nutrition brigade, they stopped and got Santos and his dad. They have an open appointment today for this consult. I spoke with Frank at 6:30 A.M. this morning and he, Julio, Santos and his dad were already waiting in line for this first analysis. They might stand there all day long waiting to see a doctor. This hosptial is a couple blocks from the U.S.Embassy and is a place that I also am familiar with. Hopefully this first appointment will result in further analysis to fix Santos' badly deformed club feet. If today's consult goes well, then the plan is to bring Santos back to this hospital in the coming months where a team of U.S. Orthopedic Surgeons will begin the long process of straightening his feet. Say a little prayer today for Santos and his dad.
Take Care,
Richard Seivert

Preparations Continue

Greetings to all our readers. Special greetings to all 2012 team members, parents, relatives, and friends. Special greetings as well to last years team members from Springfield Catholic High, Heelan, Gehlen, and St. Thomas More and to all previous mission team members.                                                           

We continue our preparations for four mission trips this spring. A medical team in early March, Bishop Heelan Mission Honduras, Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras, and St. Thomas More Mission Honduras. I encourage all students to show your parents, grandparents and friends how to use this blog and how to respond by making a 'comment.'  For the three student teams the goal is to blog from Honduras each night - then your parents, family members and friends can 'comment' back to you and the entire group. We might even get a blog or two out of the medical brigade. If that does happen I will post it. The three student teams last year generated a little over 35,000 hits on this blog during the time when they were in Honduras. So student missioners, please educate your families on how to do this.

As many of you know, over the years we have sent many medical brigades into Honduras. This year will be no different other than it does have quite an intriguing structure. It will be a combination of doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and translators from the Sioux City area. They will team up with a group of eleven nutrition students and a professor from South Dakota State University in Brookings. Together these groups will meet up with the medical brigade from Joint Task Force Bravo from Soto Cano, Honduras. Coupled with members from the Ministry of Health in Honduras they will all travel to Montana de la Flor and conduct a nutrition study of the Tolupan children along with a major medical clinic. This is our second straight year of working closely with all these groups to bring much needed medical attention and nutrition education to one of the poorest ethnic groups in all of Honduras. It should be an eye opening experience for all involved. Please visit www.missionhonduraslemars.org and on the right hand side click on 'Feature Story.' That will bring up the entire mission from last January 2011 - lots of pictures as well.

Bishop Heelan in Sioux City will be the first student team into Honduras this year. The program, headed up by Fr. Cosgrove will take 23 students and adults into Honduras.  Their mission will be the construction of one or two homes in the New Capital area. They will also work closely with one of Mother Teresa's Children's homes in Tegucigalpa (Don de Maria's). The plan also has the Heelan students working in the school setting of St. Terese of Jesus - one of Fr. Patricio's special schools he runs for the poorest of the poor. At St. Terese of Jesus there are 1,000 students in the morning and 1,000 students in the afternoon. I am sure the Heelan students will will be changed forever.

Gehlen Catholic becomes the second student team into Honduras followed closely by the team from St. Thomas More. Both will work from our base in Esquias, Honduras and travel each day to the small mountain village of Picacho, where they will construct a new water system for the village. The Gehlen team will be headed by long time veterans Carolyn Bickford and Linda Reichle and the St. Thomas More team will be headed by Mary Casey and Barb Honeycutt - both are also veterans of this program. Gehlen will take in 25 team members and St. Thomas More 22. Is there anything more precious than clean, drinkable water? These young people will find out  just how precious it is throughout their respective mission days. Like the Heelan students above I would imagine that all of them will come home with a totally different attitude about a great many things.

To get a look at last years mission trip please go to this same website: www.gehlenmissionhonduras.org and click on 2011. You will love it. Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom and see all the special features available: photo album, video, and powerpoint flash movie.

To all 2012 team members: if you have not done so yet please get your passport photocopy to me and make your respective payments. We are nearing the time when we will purchase the tickets. Then it is a 'go' and Mission Honduras 2012 begins. I am sure I will be in touch with all of you by regular email and this blog many more times. Keep watching and Take Care,
Richard Seivert

Preparations for the Spring Mission Trips in Full Gear

We'd like to invite all of you to once again follow our blog as we embark on our next missions into Honduras.