A Mission of Hope

Kitty Burton, Heart Heroes, Inc. co-founder and mother to Heart Hero Sam, had the privilege of sitting down with pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. James Hammel regarding his mission works in Mexico with the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation.

One of the many blessings that being part of Heart Heroes has given me is the opportunity to get to know a very selfless and noble hero.  Of course, any mother could use these words to describe the man who has held her child’s heart in the palm of his hand; however, after reading this, I am sure you will describe him and his team with the same words.  In fact, as I was preparing to write this post, I came across this quote, “YOU HAVE NEVER REALLY LIVED UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN NEVER REPAY YOU.”  Wow!  That’s powerful.  

“Dr. Hammel, can you share a bit about the history of how you got involved in this service?”

About seven years ago, a man named Tom Walsh started this foundation that identified a small number of children that needed medical attention that could not be done in country.  This foundation is the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation.  They started sending patients to a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  One or two patients a year would go to Sioux Falls and then be sent to Omaha for heart surgery.  One patient had a more complicated heart issue and was in need of a heart catheterization.  Dr. Hammel and a small team traveled to Mexico to help this little girl.  While there, Dr. Hammel visited the hospital and thought, “Hmm –we could work here.”  Dr. Hammel took his ideas to the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation President, Greg Edwards.  They worked together to get approval to use their facilities to perform open-heart surgeries on the children in Mexico.  There was not a single adult or pediatric cardiac surgeon in the hospital.  These children were basically given no hope.

A sweet, beautiful girl named Perla was the first patient that got them in the local system.  They brought Perla to Omaha to perform open-heart surgery and correct her heart defects.  Fifteen year-old Perla is now thriving and enjoying life back in Los Cabos.

“When was your most recent mission?”

On June 14-21^st, 2013, a team of medical professionals traveled to La Paz, Mexico, near Los Cabos.  This team included ICU nurses, doctors, anesthesiologists, a cardiologist, a respiratory therapist, and more.  The first few days in La Paz were spent meeting and preparing the patients for surgery.  Surgery took place the 17-21^st.  Dr. Hammel and his team treated ten children.  Five were open-heart surgeries and five were closed cardiac operations, one of which was a hybrid catheterization procedure.  Following surgery, Dr. Duncan and a nurse practitioner came and stayed to provide after-care. 

“Overall, what are your thoughts following the mission in June?”

“The enthusiasm is huge!”  People saw the teamwork and the excitement rose from that.  This excitement has generated a second mission.  Dr. Hammel and a larger team plan to return to La Paz on December 2-8^th to operate on a minimum of 15 children.  Dr. Hammel intends to continue his involvement with this mission twice a year.  It is supported by the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation, Avera Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Omaha Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and now Heart Heroes, Inc.  Several others who contributed significantly to the success in this mission were Joe Deptula, CCP who was instrumental in procuring medical equipment donations, and nurse practitioner, Cheryl Dick who provided education to local staff. 

“What is the reason you are involved in this?”

“The immediate reason… I know that for essentially all these children, no one else is going to do it.  Nothing will get done.”  In the course of a week, Dr. Hammel got to transform the lives of ten families.  “This was an incredible privilege – a great thing to be a part of. “  Dr. Hammel was instrumental in helping these families find hope through this journey, bringing joy and courage to their lives. 

Dr. Hammel talked about the opportunity involved and how it is not just go and treat those children, but how they are catalyzing a change in the system; they are changing health care in that state.  They are changing people’s expectations, people’s feelings of their worth and dignity.  When these parents in Mexico were told their child had a heart defect, they had no choice other than to accept the idea that nothing can be done – and now they have hope.

“What has happened since the mission trip?”

Dr. Ricardo Ayala, a pediatric cardiologist working in a larger city in Mexico, has been successfully recruited to move to La Paz to evaluate and treat children with heart defects in Baja California Sur.  Dr. Ayala will evaluate kids in state and Dr. Hammel will work with them if surgery is needed. 

Heart Heroes, Inc. is excited to announce that they will be partnering with the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation to provide Heart Hero Capes for all the children helped by the foundation. 

The Los Cabos Children’s Foundation was founded in 2005.  With offices in both San Jose del Cabo and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, their mission is to provide Medical, Humanitarian and Educational Assistance for all children, their families and all organizations that support them in the area of Los Cabos Baja California Sur, México.  Visit their website at http://www.loscaboschildren.org/.  Click here to follow them on Facebook.