On a Medical Mission

When approached by a fellow Jackrabbit about going on a medical mission trip, Cory Kirby ’83 was apprehensive but couldn’t say no. Kirby, a semiretired nurse anesthetist in Brookings, went to Ecuador Feb. 20-28, after talking to Dr. Sandra Skovlund ’87, an ear, nose and throat-otolaryngologist in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota.

“Sandra said there are times when they need to improvise regarding equipment and other supplies, and to a certain extent, it was true,” Kirby said. “I was pleasantly surprised with some of the equipment we did have. The equipment was primarily surplus stuff from the United States, and they got it because it either partially didn’t work or it wasn’t the latest and greatest.”

Surgery days meant working 10 to 12 hours for Kirby and the others.

“We did not have a set schedule,” he said. “Since a lot of the people would travel by foot, people would constantly filter in as more and more people heard about what we were doing.

“The people appreciated it so much,” Kirby continued. “For a lot of these people, if they came in for surgery here, we wouldn’t do them because they had a cold, for example. We had to be safe, but also kept in mind that this time might be the only opportunity for this individual to get this procedure, if it wasn’t done now, they might never see another opportunity in their lifetime.”

Procedures ranged from burn reconstructions to tonsillectomies. Kirby fondly recalls one tonsillectomy patient. After another surgery, Kirby stopped by her room to make sure she was recovering OK.

“She grabbed my hand and said something in Spanish. I responded with what little Spanish I knew and left. As I was walking out, one of our interpreters asked if I knew what she said. I said, ’I have no idea.’ I was told she said, “God will reward you 1,000 times,” Kirby said. “These people had nothing but appreciated what we did and wanted God to reward me. It was a neat thing. We did some procedures that we take for granted but for them, they are life-changing ones.”

Kirby now is thinking of working again on a medical mission.

“They asked me to come back and I’m pretty sure I’ll go again,” he said. “There’s a need out there, and it’s really special; the people appreciated it so much.”

– Matt Schmidt