Upcoming Missions

January 2009
Tierra Nueva Hospital - Quito SuR, Ecuador

Date of mission: January 2009

  • Total team participation 32 - 36
  • Hospital mission based: Fundación Tierra Nueva Hospital, Quito Sur
  • Expected patient surgeries = 50
  • Surgeries performed: Cleft lip and palate repair
  • Expected dental procedures 50 to 100
  • All surgeries and dental care are provided with no cost to each family
  • Donations: medication, supplies for the OR as well as - dental supplies

* Goals: To provide medical care as needed, and to extend educational outreach program to include seminars and lectures for local medical staff on a range of diverse medical procedures and subject matter.

Tierra Nueva Hospital was founded by Padre Carolo; an Italian priest who saw a need for a central hospital in Quito, Ecuador; a hospital where medical missions would provide care to families and their children born with medical abnormalities. Tierra Nueva has hosted teams from Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Ecuador, named for the equator which it straddles, has a population of over 14 million people, with over 70 percent of that population, mostly Native Americans, living on about $120.00 per month. There are four major geographic regions – La Costa, known for its beaches, fish, and fruit; La Sierra (Andean mountains) with its snow capped volcanoes and moderate climate; El Oriente (Amazon Rainforest) the largest and least populated area is best known for exotic tropical jungle animals and plant life; and the Galapagos Islands, home to the largest tortoises and the only marine iguanas in the world. Quito, at 9800 feet above sea level, is the capital with more than 3 million people; and Guayaquil, the largest city of over 4 million, is in a protected gulf on the Pacific.

We are fortunate to have been invited to partner with Tierra Nueva – this hospital is central to the country. The primary method of transportation in Ecuador is traveling by bus. For a few cents to a few dollars moving around the country is reasonable and affordable for those families who have medical needs from medical missions such as ours.

Our mission provides and covers all medical expenses for patients who have been identified for surgery. In addition, we provide a small stipend to the parent (s) for meals and a night at a near by hostel while their child is recuperating and/or waiting for their surgery schedule.

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