When Don Spurgeon, a dentist, retired from his Great Falls practice several years ago, he didn't put away his instruments.
Spurgeon did dental work in his Great Falls office for more than 40 years. Along the way, he assisted at the Great Falls Rescue Mission as well as volunteering with his wife Carol through Healthcare Ministries internationally.
"It is a joy to know that you have helped people who do not have finances to afford a dentist," said Don Spurgeon.
Since the early 90s the Spurgeons have packed their suitcases with hundreds of toothbrushes and toothpaste and set up dental clinics in Vietnam, South Africa, Philippines, Myanmar (Burma), India, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Kenya and Brazil.
"These countries do not have orthodontics," said Don. "If we can take a tooth or two out, we have helped them. This may be the only time in their lives that they will see a dentist."
The Spurgeons create a clinic out of any available space to last five to six days. Carol brings shower curtains, which can be strung up for privacy. Then, they look for a table (in Kenya it was a ping pong table). And, they make do with any available plastic chairs for their patients. They have worked off of a stage in a church.
They pack wash cloths and lots of sterile wash-ups. They deal with a lot of blood and use double gloves.
If possible, Carol takes along a pressure cooker to scrub the instruments, but mostly they do cold water sterilization.
Few locations have electricity, or wires are gerrymandered to and from poles. Sometimes the government shuts down the power, so they always bring along flashlights and headlights.
The Spurgeons stay wherever they can find places: sometimes with host families; sometimes hotels. It is not unusual for the lights to go off and on, and the water will be cold. In many of these foreign countries bathrooms are not a priority. The shower, toilet, sink may all be together, and there few toilet seats.
The Spurgeons said they usually do not feel threatened or afraid. Yet, in some instances, they have to be careful. In Myanmar, their work was closed down a couple of times.
For many patients at the clinics, it is the first time they have seen a dentist, especially in the orphanages.
The Spurgeons treat 35-40 people a day with maladies such as dental decay and periodontal disease.
If surgery is called for, getting the patients comfortable is a priority. Carol does the set ups and the instruments. Often she holds the patients' hands.
Many, many people come to the clinics. Usually, someone is in charge of crowd control. People stand in line and sometimes, they wait for days. Every day, the word spreads and the line gets longer.
In Chile, one patient had a single tooth left.
Then, there are the children. In Vietnam the children in an orphanage wore plastic shoes. No windows, no heat; they ate lots of rice. There were also some elderly at the orphanage who take care of the orphans like grandparents.
The Spurgeons enduring efforts are reflected not only in their caring dental work, but also in the message they leave. They evangelize with those around them.
That calling is supplemented with a poster gift to the people of Carol's water color picture: "Rescued... Redeemed... Restored." An artist, Carol said her inspiration for the painting of three lambs comes from Isaiah 53:6: "We all like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
The Spurgeons seamless intermingling with the people has brought them much joy, they said.
"Imagine having a toothache with no resources to ease the pain," said Carol. "Maybe you have already had your turn seeing a dentist, just once."
"For these people, they don't have what we have," said Don. "Yet, a lot of them are very happy but have known nothing else."
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/from-kenya-to-myanmar-spurgeons-deliver-dental-services/
No comments:
Post a Comment