Team Leaders: Dr. Chad Perlyn, M.D. and Shannon Del Prado
Team Type: Plastic Surgery
Campaign Summary:
There were 54 procedures performed and 117 patients were triaged.
Supporters:
Friends of Project Peru – Miami, Florida
Team Members:
Dr. Aaron Berger, M.D., Pediatric Plastic Surgeon with Hand Expertise
Lucia Burga, Reporter
Dr. Cathy Burnweit, M.D., Pediatric General Surgeon
Catalina Coppola, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Shannon Del Prado, Administrator and Organizer
William Gehring, R.N., Recovery
Dr. Rafael Gonzalez, M.D., Anesthesiologist
Noah Heredia, Surgical Technician
Carol Montiel, R.N.
Jose Perdomo, R.N., Circulator
Brooke Perlyn, Assistant and Organizer
Dr. Chad Perlyn, M.D., Plastic Surgeon
Stanley Pierre, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Skip Pita, Assistant and Organizer
Amie Roberts, R.N. and Surgical Technician
Noraisy Rodriguez, R.N., Circulator
Weston, Thomas, Post-operative Care
Nurse Will Thomas and Dr. Cathy Burnweit with Patient
Bill Gehring, R.N., with Patient Recovering From Surgery
Dr. Rafael Gonzalez, M.D. Intubating a Patient
Dr. Perlyn’s and Mrs. Del Prado’s Team and Clinic Staff
Dr. Perlyn Performing Surgey
Dr. Chad Perlyn, Patient, and Guido Del Prado
Dr. Berger in Surgery
CRNA Stanley Pierre with Patient
Brooke Perlyn with Patient
Narrative:
Dr. Chad Perlyn has led 25 humanitarian medical missions to Haiti. Many of the members of this Team also have volunteered on those campaigns. Unfortunately, Haiti has become too unstable and dangerous to work there. A mutual friend put Dr. Perlyn in contact with Shannon Del Prado and Skip Pita in early 2022. From that meeting, this Team was born. Nurses from prior Project Peru Teams joined in for the first return trip since before Covid.
Many Team members had never been to Peru. But they had deep experience serving the underprivileged in Haiti. The Team was seamless and cohesive from start to finish – all were wedded to the cause.
This Team of plastic surgeons, one general surgeon, and the anesthesiology arm come from pediatric hospital or university settings (Nicklaus Miami Children’s Hospital and the University of Miami). The Team was top notch and very well qualified.
The Team performed approximately 15 cleft palate surgeries. Patients arrived with prior cleft lip repairs, but the far more difficult palate surgery was left to someone else. Dr. Perlyn and the Team filled that need.
Many of the children were already beyond toddler age, so their speech was defective because of the hole in their palates. Following surgery, for the first time in their lives, they could speak normally. They could look forward to not being teased or bullied because of how they talk. They could eat without food getting stuck in the roofs of their mouths. The surgeries were life-changing for the children and their parents.
Dr. Aaron Burger, from Miami Children’s and who is fellowship trained in hand surgery, performed all the hand cases. Three children came in with webbed fingers and fingers that were stuck together. Dr. Burger repaired them all. Now, these children can hold a pencil. They can go to school and perform normally. Life changing!
Dr. Rafael Gonzalez, also from Miami Children’s Hospital, led the anesthesia volunteers. But Dr. Gonzalez did not confine himself to anesthesia. He made it a point to get to know the patients and their families. His compassion and bedside manners were remarkable to watch.
The Team’s enthusiasm and professionalism was off the chart. The campaign went so well that Univision jumped on board and sent documentary reporter, Lucia Burga, on the mission.
And for 2023, the Team is returning in July – can’t wait to get back!