Farewell from Michelle - À bientôt de la part de Michelle!

Good morning friends and family,

I have been meaning to take a few moments out of my very hectic schedule before we leave on this big journey to start this correspondence – so here it is.

Between trying to tidy up my practice, sort out challenging patients, paying upcoming bills, doing lots of call, planning how many sandals to pack for the kids and preparing our house for paying guests – the last few weeks have been a whirlwind.

On a few occasions, I have caught myself taking a breath and during these brief moments I have instantly been overcome with a sense of gratitude. I wanted to share this feeling with you. The people who surround us; my close and extended family, colleagues, strangers, medical companies have all been incredibly generous; financially and in their well-wishes, their acts of kindness – their support. It has been humbling. A 20$ bill from a family member who can find it hard to make ends meet. An 8000$ unsolicited donation in obstetrical surgical equipment. A living room concert in our honor – thousands of miles away in Victoria BC. An African drumming lesson, lavish dinner and fabulous evening for my colleagues and I to raise funds. Phone calls soliciting glucose strips (for monitoring diabetics), vacuum delivery kits (for difficult-to-deliver babies), sutures, medication and donations. Donations in time, skills, energy, hockey jerseys and cold cash – it has truly been incredible.

We have raised close to 15000 $ for the people of Karanda hospital. These supplies and money will ensure that our presence there will be much more lasting than the brief time that we are in their company.

I am also so grateful for the opportunity to travel with my family, to experience new foods, new people, new adventures through the eyes of my 3 and 5 year old. I am grateful for the skills that I have acquired in training and in life that will be able to help patients in Zimbabwe. I am grateful for my network of support, my friends who will help me answer burn questions, internal medicine questions, ethical questions. I am grateful for my health and the health of those close to me.

So thank you for embarking on this journey with me, by choice or by affiliation. Please let me know if you would prefer not to receive these emails. I cannot promise that they will always be brief or pertinent to you. We are off in 72 hours… the countdown begins. Thank you for being with me. Michelle Davey General Surgery Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

We have received boxes of medical supplies and we are now sorting out our bagages! See the pictures below.

Michelle Davey

Are you wondering what we are bringing with us? Vous vous demandez ce que nous emportons au Zimbabwe?

Friends and family have been very generous with financial donation and we have been putting that money to work over the last few weeks!  While Michelle is busy finalizing the list of medical supplies that we will bring to the Karanda Hospital JF has been busy with his own list and own project for their upcoming trip.   You may remember the Karanda wish list for the maintenance and the bicycle program... see below a partial supply list!

50 tubes for the http://Buffalo Bikes that JF will be working on.

Thank you to Rebec and Kroes bikes for the generous discount on the bicycle equipment!  All JF's bikes have been bought or maintained there since he is in Ottawa and it's great to work with them in return and to see their interest in our project.

Many soccer balls and Basketballs have been purchased and will be given to the St Marcellin's orphanage and the Karanda School.

When Emirates Airlines agreed to waved the cost of our extra luggage they asked us we would kindly spend some time in the orphanage that they sponsor in Harare. The spare change collected on their flights are used to finance these projects. Read about their foundation!

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Nos amis et familles ont été généreux avec des donations. Nous mettons actuellement cet argent au travail!  Pendant que Michelle met la touche finale à la liste d'équipement médical que nous apporterons pour l''hôpital de Karanda JF s'est occupé de sa propre liste de projet pour leur voyage. Vous vous rappellerez peut-être d'avoir vu la liste de fournitures demandées pour la maintenance de l'hôpital  ainsi que le programme de vélo.  Voici quelques photos!

50 chambres à air pour les vélos Buffalo sur lesquels JF vont travailler.

Merci au magasin Rebec & Kroes à Ottawa pour leur généreux rabais sur le matériel. JF a acheté la plupart de ses vélos dans ce magasin et l'entretien de tous ses vélos est effectué là. Normal de faire affaire avec eux et de voir leur intérêt pour notre projet!

Nous avons également acheté des ballons de foot et de basket pour l'école de notre hôpital mains aussi pour l'orphelinat St Marcellin par lequel nous passerons à Harare.

Quand la compagnie aérienne Emirates à accepté de ne pas nous faire payer les bagages supplémentaires ils nous ont demandé si nous accepterions de faire un détour par un orphelinat qu'Emirates sponsorise.  La monnaie collectée sur les vols sert à financer ces projets. si vous avez le temps lisez au sujet de leur fondation!