Uganda Day 5: Marathon Medicine

Day 5 pushed our team to new limits as we worked tirelessly to serve as many patients as possible while maintaining the highest standards of care. One surgical team spent over 12 hours in the operating room, their dedication unwavering as case after case came through the doors. The commitment to excellence, even after such long hours, exemplifies the heart of this mission.

Among today’s most remarkable cases was a keloid surgical removal that will truly transform a young man’s life. Merle, 23 years old, lives with a disorder that causes keloids to form from even minor injuries. When he was just 15, a simple scratch behind his ear quickly developed into a massive keloid that has dominated his life for eight years. This growth had been removed in 2020, only to return even larger. Merle is a war refugee who lived in a refugee camp in South Sudan and continues to live in a refugee camp today. He came with his brother Emanuel for support during this difficult time. Our surgical team successfully removed over one pound of tissue from the side of his face near his ear—a procedure that will dramatically improve both his quality of life and self-confidence.

The urology department has been exceptionally busy this trip, and Dr. Lisa Strout tackled one of the most severe hydrocele cases the team has ever encountered. The complexity and severity of these cases continue to challenge and inspire our surgical teams. Meanwhile, another group provided crucial support in the NICU, offering breastfeeding and lactation guidance to mothers of premature and medically fragile babies. Through collaborative conversations with pediatric doctors, they worked together on strategies to increase milk supply and improve these vulnerable infants’ chances for proper nutrition and healthy development. Our CPR team has also been working tirelessly throughout the day, continuing to provide life-saving training classes and supporting over 186 people so far on this mission.

We want to express our deep gratitude to our dear Ugandan friend Anthony Oringa, a member of the Acholi tribe, who has been working with medical missions since 2016 as an interpreter and general practitioner nurse. Anthony enjoys supporting Medical Missions Foundation because he can be the voice and ears for his people, ensuring they receive the best treatment possible. Beyond his medical work, Anthony is building his own home, which he graciously invited us to visit, and he sings in his church choir. Most importantly, Anthony is driven by his desire to give hope to people who feel hopeless in his country—which is exactly why he remains so committed to medical missions. His partnership has been invaluable to our success here.

Some of our group also visited Ocer Champion Jesuit College, founded in 2010 by Father Tony Wach, to continue building meaningful relationships with the local community. We’re exploring exciting possibilities for how we might expand our partnership with them in the future. These community connections are essential to the broader impact we hope to achieve beyond the hospital walls.

Time is flying by, but we have one more full day of surgery ahead of us. We’re excited to tackle our final complete day of operations and make the most of every moment we have left to serve the patients at Lacor Hospital.