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June 2008
Nothing More Than Compassion
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"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do
nothing for him."
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This large-lettered quote hangs in the physical therapy room at the Denver
Broncos' Training Facility we recently were privileged to tour. In a secured
display case nearby for all to see were the two Vince Lombardi Super Bowl XXXII
(1997) and XXXIII (1998) Championship trophies and two glittering championship
rings. But in the room where some of the nation's most powerful athletes soak
sore muscles and test joints, this quote is mounted high for all to see. Behave
well, act humbly, show kindness, and expect nothing in return; stellar advice
for esteemed celebrities.
On April 1 we shared the following quote with our Face the Challenge (FTC)
surgical team. It was just before departing on our 22nd trip abroad, this time
our 18th trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It emphasizes FTC's mission of
"expecting nothing in return" by those we serve. And it answers why Jesus
did miracles:
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"Jesus performed miraculous signs for a very different purpose. His
miracles provided relief from pain and fear, and taught of a God Who cares
deeply about the suffering of people and Who heals for free. Jesus performed
many more miracles than are described in the Gospels..., and His motivation
for them was nothing more than compassion.
"Viewing His miracles as a whole, the astonishing power of Jesus should be a
source of comfort. The matters we or the world might consider trivial, He cares
about and wants to remedy. He longs to relieve our worries and has promised to
supply our most fundamental needs. He has taken dominion over illness, tragedy,
chaos, and death. And His power is not limited by time, distance, superstition,
prejudice, or even the forces of evil..."
— "The Greatest Life of All: Jesus, The Astonishing Power of
Jesus", by Charles R. Swindoll, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2008, p 122
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On April 5 we screened 58 prospective patients. Many needy came from Ho Chi Minh
City (population ~12 million) and the Provinces of Bac Giang, Binh Thuan, Dak
Lak, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Long An, and Vung Tau. These provinces have coffee
and rubber plantations in the Central Highlands -- a three-day bus ride for the
patients -- others receive nearly nine feet of rain annually and are hit with
typhoons, and others are dotted with fishing villages among as many as 60 rivers
and canals.
Our team of eight members included:
- Randy Robinson, MD, DDS, Craniomaxillofacial Surgeon, Centennial, CO, Leader
- Jeremy Williams, MD, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Surgeon, Castle Rock, CO
- William "Pepper" Denman, MD, Pediatric Anesthesiologist, Winchester, MA
- Amy Ortman, MD, Anesthesiologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Jenea Robertson, Surgical Technologist, Colorado Springs, CO
- Patsy King, RN, Peri-Operative Nurse, Aurora, CO
- Gabi Stoeger-Stevens, BSN, RN, Post-Anesthesia Care, Evergreen, CO
- Ginger Robinson, BSN, RN, Liaison/Post-Anesthesia Care, Centennial, CO
We dedicated our efforts in memory of returning team member, Dr. Steve Pugh,
Pediatric Anesthesiologist from Greenwood Village, CO who planned to join us.
He passed away unexpectedly on February 26. Please see "In Celebration of the
Life of Steven T. Pugh, MD": www.facethechallenge.org/volunteer.php?page=stevepugh. Each day we miss
his skilled, humble, and selfless acts and his ready laugh.
Drs. Robinson, Williams, and Ortman presented in FTC's fourth lecture series on
April 7. The topics were "Mandibular Condylar (Lower Jaw) Fractures", Zygomatic
Arch (Orbital) Fractures", and "Massive Blood and Fluid Transfusions",
respectively. About 30 Vietnamese oral and maxillofacial surgeons,
anesthesiologists/anesthetists, orthodontists, and dentists attended. These
presentations were in response to the Vietnamese surgeons' request to address
increasing numbers of complex facial injuries, especially from motorcycle accidents.
Our team and the Vietnamese surgeons performed 21 surgeries on patients named:
Minh, Hoat, Tuyen, Huyen, Trinh, Loc, Do, Thach, Vi, Han, Hien, Truong, Phuc,
Nhan, Suong, Duyen, Khang, Nhi, Kim, Lanh, and Phuong
at two hospitals April 7-11. First on April 7 they operated at the
Odontomaxillofacial Hospital (OMFH) on infants and toddlers with cleft lip and
palate deformities. Then on April 8-9 they performed surgeries on patients with
ankylosed (frozen) jaw joints, facial fractures, and tumor removals and also in
the reconstructive phases.
Next they operated on three patients on April 10-11 at the National Hospital of
Odontostomatology. One was an all-day case for a 12-year-old boy, Kim, who had
ankylosed jaw joints, unable to open his mouth more than one millimeter for the
past six years, held by his parents nightly. Another was for a 4-year-old girl,
Lanh, born with a duplicate maxilla (upper jaw). Her extra jaw, set of teeth,
and tongue were all removed with good results. The third was for a woman,
Phuong, in need of jaw reconstruction after her ameloblastoma (aggressive jaw
tumor) was removed.
Patient accounts are at: http://www.facethechallenge.org/real_stories.php and
the latest pictures are at:
http://www.facethechallenge.org/where.php?page=vietnam. We remain thankful for
our supporters who have funded our supplies and travel costs, prayed for, and
encouraged us. We are relieved there were no complications during or after the
surgeries, too.
Recently the OMFH hospital director, Dr. Hunyh Dai Hai, asked [at a time when
other teams no longer come], "Why do you keep coming?" Our motivation remains:
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"...nothing more than to show His compassion. Empowered by Him, we hope to
offer relief from pain and fear, care deeply, seek remedy, and meet the most
fundamental needs of many who expect nothing in return."
In all that you do, "Show the wonder of His great love."
— Psalm 17:7 Give freely.
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Ginger and Randy Robinson
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