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 duct tape. The medical team consisted of Dave Cunning and Tim Hulsey, doing lips and palates and me doing gyn. The director of that hospital was a surgeon named Eduardo Caseres. He and I have remained close friends to this day.

    The next year several New Jersey OB nurses joined us at San Juan Sachatepecez, a tiny hospital consisting of a few cinder block buildings around an open area. Also joining us were my Bride (Beverly my scrub nurse) and our youngest son, Alex. This team was the first time I brought an OB resident. We ate outside, and many of us slept on the floor. Alex made huge pots of Ramen noodles to feed the patients.

    We continued to grow and in 2005 we went to Huehuetenengo, one of the longest, most horrible bus rides in history. That year my friend Buzz Cortese came with us on his first of many COTA trips, a stand-up guy like none other. Also it was the first time I had 2 OB residents join us. One was Tori Myers and she brought her husband, Frank Bowen, a surgeon who has been a staunch COTA guy for 15 years and the current medical director. We stayed in freezing army barracks; The “bathrooms” were indescribable; the volume of surgery incredible.

    Around 2007 we went to Tiquisate; hot, humid and bugs. The director of that hospital was a surgeon, Marco Bautista. He was a great help to COTA for years afterward.

Marco’s daughter Christy has lived with us in Cherry Hill every winter for the last 4 years.

Christy and Bev Brandwine

Ceele and her very tired mom. Ceele had extensive bowel surgery.

Ceele and Mama

Maria #1 Maria also had very extensive bowel surgery. She was 14 months old when she came to us and lived with us for 10 months.

Maria # 1

Maria#2 (below) also had bowel surgery, colostomy, rectal and vaginal repairs.

Maria #2

Jessica (below) 17 years later. Two trips to the US to repair her foot and leg. 

Bev Brandwine and Jessica

So, 20 years of COTA.
19 medical missions, 15 scouting trips, 6 foster kids. 37 Ob-Gyn residents who are at least marginally better surgeons for having been here.
Its always a risk when you start naming people who have been important in your life because you always leave out someone. However, I want to mention Rosemary, Jody, Aida (yes, Aida), Henry, Roger, Bobby, Lisa, Anne, Diana and the many others I have had the honor to work with.
Don Cannon will carry on the Gyn program.

So many people come on a mission, say “Oh, thank you. This was really nice.” And are never heard from again. For others of us, it is a life-changing experience.
Thank you COTA.