Leaving in six weeks...

Spring semester is over and I have shifted my energy toward developing the curriculum that Janelle and I will teach during our visit to China. We have to create our 5 day lecture series in the next week and a half so it can be sent to Xi'an to be translated in to Chinese. We are addressing many topics and therapies that, in the United States, respiratory therapists are responsible for providing. Since the profession of Respiratory Therapy doesn't exist at this time in China, we are hoping to stimulate an interest among the many hospital administrators, physicians and nurses that we will be teaching during our visit. Our goal is two fold, to share information that will allow them to see the need for this profession within their facilities. We also hope to provide them with information that they can take back to their respective hospitals and implement, improving patient care.

I have worked for 2 years with contacts in China to prepare for this opportunity. During these two years, relationships have developed with a medical college that is interested in creating a Respiratory Therapy Program at their institution. With the support of the President and Vice President of this college which we have already received, we hope to formulate and construct a program in the near future.

Obviously language is a barrier, however, we have support from our contacts in China as well as a friend and colleague from China who has worked here for many years as a respiratory therapist. He will meet us in China and participate as a translator and educator in the lecture series.

Although we are presently working on our preparations for China, the first leg of our journey will be to Ghana. Last summer, I took 7 students along with my family with me to Ghana to provide medical education and humanitarian work. We shipped $100,000.00 worth of medical supplies to be disbursed among 5 hospitals throughout the country. Upon our return, Janelle and I will visit these hospitals, checking on the equipment that was donated and providing in-servicing as necessary. We will also offer free medical care through outreach clinics and additional education in the areas of CPR, Neonatal Resuscitation and Mechanical Ventilation, to name a few.

I am so excited to return to Ghana. I made many friends there and look forward to my time with them. The people are so wonderful. I don't know that I have ever been in a community that was so gracious and accepting. The country is beautiful and so are the people, especially the children. As I look forward to this trip, I hope it is only one of many more that I will be blessed to be able to participate in. There is so much work to be done in countries less advanced and less fortunate that ours. Even through something as simple as education, situations can be changed, mortality can be decreased and lives can be saved!