Spreading Smiles in El Salvador

This month I will be traveling to El Salvador with a surgical team from the not-for-profit organization Global Smile Foundation (GSF). At Emerson I am a surgical recovery room nurse and will have a similar role with the GSF in El Salvador. I will help take care of children after they undergo cleft lip and palate surgery. Leanne Espindle, Director of Surgical Services at Emerson Hospital and current GSF member, will be traveling with me as an operating room nurse.

Our team of dedicated volunteer healthcare professionals will be performing approximately 30 to 40 surgeries during the week we are there. Aside from clinical care, the Global Smile Foundation also provides education and preventive teaching programs to families.

As this is my first trip with GSF, I don’t entirely know what to expect. I do hope it will open my eyes to a different side of the world, provide me with a glimpse into another culture, and give me new perspectives and challenges that I wouldn’t ordinarily have. I feel very lucky and honored to be a part of this organization and can’t wait to offer my nursing skills and knowledge to deliver healthcare to the deserving children in El Salvador.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates during the week as Leanne and I begin our smile mission in El Salvador!