My Name is Alexander Mechow, 7 days ago, everything was just fine, or, I better say, normal. I was moving in the tread mill of earning money with the intention to become financial successful.
This intentions and some incident brought me in March 2007 to Nicaragua where I started a small business and one-man-army project which is based on the publishing of magazines and the development of an online network and directory in, for and about Nicaragua. To make business for paying my bills, to support this country and attract visitors and to create a network with results for everyone.
7 days ago I had the honor and pleasure to meet some of the most fascinating people of my life and I was privileged to be with them when they saved lives where everyone else already gave the up. …This will possibly change my life, too.
Joe Deptula, Jeff DeMare, Jim Hammel and Swati Agarwal* (*From Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children in Falls Church, VA, USA) are pediatric heart specialists from Children’s Hospital in Omaha/Nebraska (USA). Together with their team of nurses they came to Nicaragua to support The International Children’s Heart Foundation.
Their mission: Saving as many lives as possible in two weeks while training the local staff at the hospital to take over when they leave. The cases: Kids from 6 month up to 11 years. Young lives in fragile bodies that would have no chance to live without this team. Kids who are have been already condemned to death because of their complicated heart problems.
Nicaragua is poor; the education is low and the equipment over age. Joe and his group are here to show local doctors what is possible, to exchange knowledge and to set the fundamentals for continuing process of improvements to reduce the mortality of children with heart diseases in Nicaragua and other countries. For that they stepped out of the comfort zone of having access to 1st quality high tech equipment and the structure and logistic of a first world hospital. They perform in a surrounding which normally doesn’t allow the miracles they do.
But its not only the doctors doing a great job nearly 24/7. Their work needs a strong and reliable support. This support is provided by experienced nurses who came with them. They transformed an empty room into an intensive care unit. A room which is filled with love and passion for their little patients. A safe harbor before and after the exhausting surgeries. The kids are not only waking up in a hospital bed. You can feel the warmth of their hearts, you see the intensive care and you can’t avoid of being touched by the electrifying vibe which fills the room.
Emotions of parents who normally wouldn’t have any financial opportunity to get their son or daughter rescued. Everyone on the team has an eagle eye on the weakened small bodies but not only this. The closeness, hugs, kisses and the love filled physical care for their patients support the preparation before and the recovery after the exhausting and difficult surgeries. I could be a mouse when the group sits together in their private time, the 3-7 hours between the next shift and a handful of sleep. Different characters with one mission statement: “We don’t let one of “our” kids die!”
I had the luck to live together with this group of live savers for two weeks. I met new friends, I was integrated, and I was witness. It made my intention to be rich and financially successful stupid looking, in my eyes.
Their story touched me so much that I decided to help and support where I can because every support of this can transform a weak glimpse of life into a little light with the potential to shine in the future.
To provide a constant opportunity here in Nicaragua it would need around 2 million dollars to cover the cost for a years plan to provide a regular team, equipment and medicine. This money not only benefits the more than 100 children who could receive surgery this year, but with education, countless kids in the future.
Donations to aid in this project can be made to the International Children’s Heart Foundation, see Link below.
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