A Grateful Smile

“The most gratifying operation post-op was the little lady with the thyroglossal duct cyst I had done with Jake with a little bit of local anesthesia. She looked great and could not stop smiling with her husband, asking to pose with us and the others, all sharing in her radiant gratitude. It is an operation that would have cost her too much and taken place in an inpatient setting under general anesthesia – and here she had it done in an outpatient setting in the Municipal Square with a mobile surgical unit that had been pulled across the world and had dwindling supplies. She had two tuberculin syringes full of local anesthesia and still did not complain over an operation usually done under general anesthesia – the Sistrunk procedure.”

-Dr. Glenn Geelhoed, Founder of Mission to Heal (journal excerpt from the Philippines, 2018)

We say it over and over again – each patient is not just a number or a statistic. Because our work is so intimate and each participant (both doctors and patients) have sacrificed so much to be there, we enjoy a deep connection. The smiles and thanks of grateful patients are a beautiful reminder that what we’re doing is hard, but worth it.

It’s also worth noting the tenacity and courage of our patients – they trust us to take care of them, to do the operation well. Despite unusual circumstances – a Mobile Surgical Unit parked in the center city square, for example – both parties are willing to undertake the surgery.

Are you looking for ways to give back? To cause grateful smiles of your own? To get involved in the next mission, we invite you to apply online.