Dr. Barry Bacon, MD, Family Medicine

Executive summary:

Patients cared for : 2590

Clinics: eye care, dental care, medical, pediatric and ultrasound care

Teaching: in addition to bedside teaching, medical students from Uzima University and local staff were taught newborn resuscitation, cardiology diagnosis and treatment, ECG interpretation, suicide risk and schizophrenia, and point of care ultrasonography.

Medicines left at each of the three sites: KMET in Kisumu, Ting Wang’i Health Center in Siaya and Ober Level 4 Hospital in Homa Bay.

Important connections for sustainability and ongoing support: Uzima University Med School desires to set up a zoom link for regular support of medical training by US based associate professors who give lectures to supplement medical education for Uzima students. This may be expanded to other sites as well in the future.

Narrative:

We missed our flight to Kisumu.  Long story, but we just got a late start from the hotel, baggage wasn’t loaded on time, and our leaders had to regroup and find other ways to get us all to Kisumu, where the other team members started seeing patients without us.

Our hotel accommodations were lovely and comfortable.  These prepared us for the busy clinic days where we worked virtually nonstop to see as many as possible.  The clinic sites were often crowded, busy and hot.  The team saw as many as possible, and whenever possible, each person received something.  There were many patients who waited much of the day just to be seen.

My work was mainly in the ultrasound department and in teaching the medical students.  In ultrasonography, we imaged breast masses, lymph nodes, parotid tumors, thyroid masses, hernias and hydroceles, babies and livers, gallbladders and kidneys and varicose veins.  Cases seen include 1. A woman with seven pregnancies but only one living child.. the remainder were fetal deaths at seven months gestation.  2. A woman with a large breast cancer with spreads to the adjacent lymph nodes and 3. A woman with placenta previa.

Teaching: Carly helped by teaching suicide risk and schizophrenia to the medical students.

Rena helped with teaching newborn resuscitation and other pediatric topics.

I taught newborn resuscitation at other sites, cardiology topics, ECG interpretation, and ultrasonography.

Personal highlight:

My secret agenda was to meet with the team leadership (Samuel and Abei) of our peace initiative between the Turkana and Pokot tribes.  This project is called the Pokot Turkana Peace Initiative, and is registered as a community based organization in Kenya.  The project was launched in 2012 in response to repeated requests to come to Kapedo and help with the conflict between the tribes.  I was deeply moved by the suffering which I found, especially by the stories of the women, and promised to help for five years with development tied to the work of peace and reconciliation.  The rules were set up as follows: Women needed to be represented in the leadership group.  Both sides would be treated equally.  Investments would be made in both communities, but all of our work would be focused on bringing peace between the tribes.  Each tribe could set their own priorities. This structure has worked, though the work of peace is hard.

Twelve years later, there are many surprises which we didn’t expect.  We built a shelter for the orphans in Kapedo (Turkana).  We built a multi purpose building for school/clinic/worship in Akoret (Pokot).  10 orphans have received support to complete their education while living in the Kapedo Amani Orphan’s Shelter.  75 children attend school at the Akoret school.  50 people attend worship services on weekends.  The building is used for clinics and for obstetrical deliveries.  We intend to build a separate clinic where patients can be seen and women can deliver babies without interrupting the children’s education.

I had a chance to meet with Abei Lomogo, one of the orphans of Kapedo, on the 29^th.  She told me her story.  When I first met her, she was a shy, scrawny, starving 16 year old who looked like she was going to die.  We got her some medical treatment and she improved.  I asked her about her life in those days. “We were going from house to house to ask for a little food.  We were homeless.  We were often turned down.  We went in groups of two or three, hoping to get a little.  We would get a little food in one place and be told that we needed to leave and not to come back.  I thought I wouldn’t live to my 20’s.”

I asked her when this changed, when she was able to see a future and hope.  “When you built us a shelter.  I could rest, I had a home, I had food, I had water.  You noticed us.  My life had value to you.  I began to believe that I could have a life, a career.

“Now I want to give back to my community.  I promise you, I will change my community.  I will be a nurse in Akoret (the Pokot community which she might consider to be her enemies) as a means of bringing peace between the tribes.  I am no longer an orphan.  I have a father, Barry.  I have a mother, Shelley.  I want to give back.  I am so very grateful for what I have been given.”

I asked Abei where she lives when she goes back home to Kapedo.  “I stay at the shelter you built.  That is my family.  That is my home.”

We need to build a clinic in Akoret so that the women in labor don’t disrupt the children going to school (which is currently what is happening. The women deliver at the school).

It’s hard to express the joy of living life in this way.  But we’ve all experienced it on this trip.  It is a wonderful thing to know all of you and to have experienced this trip together, for so many reasons.  Thank you.