This week, a team of Hadassah physicians are performing surgery on children with cleft palates in Mexico. This is a part of the continuing impact that Hadassah is having on health in Mexico.
Hadassah, which is internationally known for its excellence and human quality in medicine and wellness, has the philosophy that medicine can and should be a bridge of solidarity, healing and well-being for all peoples.
The Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, with its two highly complex hospitals, is internationally recognized as one of the most advanced in the world in research, healing and teaching. Because of this outstanding reputation, a Mexican doctor, Raúl Esparza, traveled to Israel to specialize in plastic surgery at the Hadassah Hospital.
As a token of gratitude to his people and his homeland, Dr. Esparza traveled back to Mexico with a group of prominent plastic surgeons and medical personnel from Hadassah Hospital, to operate on Mexican children with cleft palates at the Fresnillo Hospital, one hour from Zacatecas.
Ethel Fainstein, Director of Hadassah Mexico, who helped to organize this visit, says “This is a perfect example of the impact that Hadassah and its people have on the world and on the Mexican people”.
To read more about this humanitarian mission see
http://v2023.hadassahinternational.org/new-smile-twenty-five-mexican-children/
The original Spanish article in El Heraldo de México can be seen at https://heraldodemexico.com.mx/estados/en-zacatecas-cambiaran-sonrisas-de-25-ninos/
A Hebrew article can be seen at http://mynetjerusalem.co.il/article/268418/6
See a video below with information from the Hadassah Hospital and Ynet in Hebrew and Spanish.( A translation of the video is provided below). The original Spanish article can be seen at https://www.enlacejudio.com/2018/03/08/medicos-israelies-del-hospital-hadassah-operan-a-ninos-mexicanos-labio-hendido/
For more information about Hadassah’s impact on Mexico see http://v2023.hadassahinternational.org/mexico-embraces-mental-trauma-expertise-offered-hadassah/
Translation to English of the video interview by Ynet
We are in the small town of Fresnillo. It is roughly in the middle of nowhere, about an hour from Mexico City by plane.
Twenty-three children in this public hospital will pass through the hands of 8 Israeli doctors who left their family and their work to join this humanitarian delegation led by Professor Eyal Vinkler who is next to me.
Hi Eyal, what brings you to Mexico and to this small town in particular?
The truth is that for the past two years a Mexican doctor has been working with me, who was born here in this town. An extraordinary young man who, while doing his specialty at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, fell in love with an Israeli woman and stayed with us. And we promised to honor him and bring him as an expert to operate on the needy children in his hometown.
How do local doctors and the hospital, receive them here?
There is always a kind of tension. We have seen many tensions in the world, but finally we managed to explain to them that we did not come to teach them or to interfere in their work. We came to give them a hand.
They operate on a child every month and a half or two months. Finally, 23 children who have waited a long time will be operated this weekend.
Let’s talk a little about the cleft lip and palate, the reason why they’re here. Why do not you hear so much about this type of surgery in Israel?
In Israel, fewer children are born with cleft lip and palate. Sophisticated studies performed during the early stages of pregnancy in Israel cannot rule out the presence of another defect such as severe brain damage or other problems, and some parents choose to end the pregnancy. In addition, the public medicine of Israel has enough excellent plastic surgeons who help all these children.
Our advantage is that we can reach places where our help is required, not because we are better surgeons, but because we know other things as well.
The best thing is that this time we have traveled with a large delegation. There are two excellent Hadassah doctors. Dr. Armon and Dr. Yair Shajar who have excellent skills. It is the team that has worked with me all these years. Dr. Farber, Dr. Cherniak, and Dr. Medina, who specialized in Tel Hashomer are also here. We are a very large group. Shir, our internist. The local doctor, Raúl Esparza. Together, we are a great team that knows how to cook, knows the technique.
When we see the surgeries of the local doctors who are oral and maxillofacial surgeons and we are plastic surgeons, I humbly think that we have much to contribute for the benefit of these children.
Hadassah has the philosophy that medicine can and should be a bridge of solidarity, healing and well-being for all peoples. This case is a perfect example that shows the impact that Hadassah and its people have in the world and in the Mexican people.
(With information from the Hadassah Hospital and Ynet / Reproduction authorized with the mention: © EnlaceJudíoMéxico).
