Thursday, March 26, 2009


Update on Alex and Angel

These two patients represent the spectrum of care that COTA specializes in for our stateside patients. Alex (bottom photo) was born with a congenital cleft lip and palate. His repair was donated by Lexington, KY plastic surgeon Dr. Andy Moore. Alex has been home in Panajachel, Guatemala with his parents for the last 6 months. His foster mother, Kim, is very excited to be visiting him in a few days! 
Angel(top photo) is representative of a patient who suffered trauma in Guatemala, and had no ability to pay for the required surgical repair. Following his donated jaw reconstruction in Lexington, KY, Angel required a dental bridge to restore his oral function and be able to eat properly. Thanks to a generous donation of many episodes of dental care from Dr. Steve Hieronymus and his wife Mary, Angel was supplied with a custom-made bridge this January. 
These two boys are from the same area of Guatemala, but had very different medical issues. COTA is very fortunate to have a dedicated multi-specialty group of medical and dental volunteers to assist us in meeting the complex needs of our stateside patients. 

Twenty Years of COTA: Perspective and Memories from Warren Brandwine

         My first COTA mission to Peten was in January, 2000. We flew up to San Benito in a surplus C-130 with the door held on with ...