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VIGNETTES I Child Care WORLD PEDIATRIC PROJECT PARTNERS WITH HOSPITALS IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN TO PROVIDE CHILDREN IN NEED WITH ESSENTIAL MEDICAL CARE // BY Emily Pietras IN A REMOTE RURAL VILLAGE of Guatemala, nine-year-old Omar was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Omar's parents hoped to fnd treatment for him in Guatemala City, but they soon realized that even urbanized regions of the country did not have access to the medical resources necessary for providing the type of care Omar's serious condition required. Omar's parents feared their son's condition would remain untreated, until a foundation in Guatemala referred Omar to World Pediatric Project. He and his father were soon fown to the United States. Omar had surgery at St. Louis Children's Hospital, where Dr. Jeff Leonard successfully removed the tumor, the largest he had seen in his career. Before Omar could return to Guatemala and reunite with his mother and fve siblings, he spent two months recovering in the hospital following surgery. Omar additionally underwent six weeks of radiation and two months of rehabilitation. His ongoing treatment in Guatemala includes an intense therapy program, and within the next year, he will be fown back to St. Louis for a follow-up appointment. World Pediatric Project is one of the few available avenues that provide children in situations similar to Omar's with high-quality, critical health care. The partnering countries of Belize, Dominican Republic, Panama, Honduras, Gua- temala, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have formed the foundation of the nonproft's expanding network of hospitals in the United States and abroad. This network, along with charitable contributions from donors, produces the fnancial, medical, and surgical resources that facilitate World Pediatric Project's ability to care for children in need. Teams of pediatric doctors experienced in a variety of disciplines and specialties are sent to these partnering countries, offering preventive, diagnostic, and surgical care. In a single trip, as many as ffty children can be cared for. However, some children who have more serious conditions, as seen in Omar's case, are transferred to facilities in the United States that can provide the necessary services and treatments. World Pediatric Project has imple- HELPING HEAL EVERY $1 DONATED TURNS INTO $4 THROUGH IN-KIND DONATIONS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR TO OFFER SUPPORT, VISIT WORLDPEDIATRICPROJECT.ORG mented educational programs throughout its partnering countries that focus on the reduction of birth defects and preventable diseases. These programs aim to gradually improve the health of the general public. World Pediatric Project also strives to provide local doctors and nurses with additional training and diagnostic tools, as improvements upon resources and hospital infrastructure will allow more of these medical issues to be diagnosed and addressed in a child's home country rather than in the United States. Recently, Tempus Jets and Global Flight Relief, a nonproft organization Teams of pediatric doctors experienced in a variety of disciplines and specialties are sent to these partnering countries, offering preventive, diagnostic, and surgical care 24 Tempus-Magazine.com . Fall 2013