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Operation Smile Supports Comfort Mission in Peru

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070810-11
Release Date: 8/10/2007 4:49:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Steven King, USNS Comfort Public Affairs

SALAVERRY, Peru (NNS) -- An Operation Smile medical team performed 24 cleft-palate and cleft-lip operations Aug. 8 and 9 on patients ranging from infants to 29 years old aboard hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), which is in Peru for a week-long visit.

For many of the 32 medical volunteers, working on a 900-foot military ship, and transporting patients by helicopter was akin to working in a different culture -a completely unique experience.

Operation Smile is a worldwide children’s medical charity with a full team of volunteers who repair childhood facial deformities. Nicaragua, Ecuador, Ethiopia, India and Peru are some of the 25 countries where surgeries are performed in sometimes less than desirable conditions.

“The Navy has state-of-the-art equipment, it’s clean and the electricity works,” said Denise Gangwish, a registered nurse and clinical coordinator for Operational Smile. “Usually we go into local hospitals and the lights don’t work, or we have to plan for power outages, or they don’t have sterilizers that work. The Navy has a lot of equipment they’ve been able to supplement us with.”

Operation Smile doctors performed patient pre-screening prior to Comfort’s arrival. The team also had the opportunity to screen additional patients at Miguel Grau School, a Comfort medical site in Salaverry.

Once patients were confirmed for surgery, they were transported to Comfort by helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron 28. Patients recovering from cleft-palate repair were aboard Comfort for about two days. Those with cleft-lip repairs recovered in about one day. As patients were released, the helicopter returned the patients to shore.

“The biggest part of this whole experience is the building of relationships,” said Ann Campbell, a registered nurse and pediatric nursing instructor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. “I’m so thrilled that our government sees the value in medical diplomacy. That’s the only way I see the world changing.”

“This is the best nursing I’ve ever done in my career; job satisfaction is immense,” Gangwish said. “When you bring these kids out to their moms and dads, they’re overwhelmed and thankful because now their kids have a chance.”

Comfort is on a four-month humanitarian deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean providing medical treatment in a dozen countries.