Barbara Brown freely admits she’s an addict. For almost a decade, she and her family have traveled to Mexico to provide free medical care and other assistance to people who don’t have regular access to health care services.
“You get more committed every year,” said Brown, a speech therapist at St. Helena Hospital (SHH) in the Napa Valley. “This mission trip is probably one of the most satisfying things I do. It combines travel and culture with some real deep, soul-satisfying experiences.”
The trip, which is organized through the Fletcher Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Carolina, most recently drew approximately 100 volunteers from various denominations in Maine, Massachusetts and California. Brown, who was accompanied by her husband, Gary, and her daughter, Brittany, recruited several clinicians from SHH and Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC). In addition, the senior class from Pacific Union College (PUC) Prep in Angwin, Calif., joined the group, donning scrubs and taking on the role of nurses and assistants under the supervision of surgeons.
“It was really a miracle how this year’s trip came together,” recalled Brown, who went on to tell how she could not find an anesthesiologist to accompany them to Mexico. At the very last minute, Brown was put in touch with Bernard Brandstater, M.D., an accomplished physician at LLUMC, who immediately cleared his schedule to be a part of the effort.
“Not only is Dr. Brandstater an excellent physician, but he has previously worked in the mission field. We couldn’t have planned for a better fit and yet, unexpectedly, there he was—our last-minute miracle,” Brown said.
The group rented a clinic in Playa del Carmen, where they performed 32 surgeries during the weeklong visit. The facility included inpatient and outpatient surgery suites, an acute care unit, a four-recovery room hospital and a triage area.
“Considering the relatively spartan conditions, the medical team had excellent outcomes,” said Dr. Andreas Sakopoulos, an SHH physician who performed several abdominal, breast and thyroid surgeries. “Had we not operated on some of these people, they would have had to continue to live with their problems because of the lack of access to medical care.”
The highlight of the trip for Brown was visiting the Mayan villages. “These people live like it’s 300 years ago—in little huts with dirt floors. Many have never seen Americans before, and despite their lack of material possessions, they are happy and extraordinarily content,” said Brown.
One of the real joys for Brown is distributing clothing among the people of these villages. According to Brown, their excitement over getting something new and something from America is almost electrifying.
Michelle Bueno, a Certified Nurse's Assistant (CNA) and unit secretary at SHH, donated 100 new dresses from her native Philippines for the group to give out at the villages. The women were thrilled to receive a brand new outfit and many immediately put on the new frocks. Brown recalls one little girl, in particular, was practically dizzy with joy over her new dress.
“Going out to where the people live and seeing how grateful and excited they are about such small things is really eye-opening,” recalled Brown. “It’s impossible not to feel extremely blessed when you see how little these people have, especially in comparison to what we think we have to have.”
According to Brown, the mission trip is designed to help people and meet their basic needs with love and compassion. “We don’t try to convert anyone; we just show God’s love through our actions.”
Whether it’s life-changing medical procedures, a new pair of pants or a soft teddy bear, Brown and her group hope to continue sharing God’s love with the people of Yucatan year after year.
