Photos!

Here is a selection of photos from our outreach clinics to Pajomel, Tzununá, Chuitzanchaj, San Pablo and other communities around the lake. Most photo credits go to Jessica Eve Rattner and Jeff Mertz, both of whom I cannot thank enough for accompanying us.

Treating Don Gregorio under the supervision of our amazing nurse practitioner, Guadalupe.

A family in Pajomel, living in a one-room mud-brick house.

Little Rony Elvis on the scale! He was born with a split palate, making it impossible to form suction to breast feed. Before he can be operated on, he needs to but on more weight. We've been providing his family with formula and worked out a system where we can squirt the milk in with a syringe. Here at three months he's over ten pounds, a slow but steady improvement.

One of the saddest little girls we treated during an outreach clinic to Pajomel. She is syndromic and cannot walk or talk.

The ambulancha, our motorboat ambulance that serves a half-dozen communities around the lake.

Filling prescriptions at a Tzununa outreach clinic.

Open wide!

Carrying our outreach clinic supplies up to Tzununá.

Helping Michaela, who works for Amingos de Santa Cruz, with their nutritional outreach in Pajomel.

Kids enjoying cups of atol, a hot corn-based beverage during an Amigos nutritional outreach meal.

Unlike most towns around the lake, many kids in Pajomel have hardly seen gringos before.

Mayan Medical Aid is based out of a clinic on the second floor of the Puesto de Salud (Health Outpost) in the town of Santa Cruz la Laguna.

The town of Santa Cruz la Laguna as seen from below, where MMA's clinic is located. Santa Cruz has a population of several thousand mostly Kaq'chikel Mayas.

We are able to purchase most medications at a steep discount from the Guatemalan government. They are provided during consultations free of charge.

The waiting room in Tzununá is already full by the time we arrive at 9am.

The town of Chuitzanchaj, where I'll be living this coming summer. It's about a two-hour hike above Jaibolito. The large building is the municipal center and primary school.

Dona Paulina is looking much better just a month after we started her care--up and about cooking dinner right here.

German and I set up our mobile pharmacy after hiking up to Pajomel for an outreach clinic. By establishing a permanent supply depot in Pajomel, I hope to facilitate outreach clinic's by avoiding the work of backpacking in all of our supplies.

Applying Silvadene, a topical antibiotic, as part of our daily house visits to Doña Paulina. She is probably in her eighties and has no surviving family.

We're not sure how Doña Paulina's ulcer started--probably as a small cut that become infected and went months without treatment.

After cleaning and dressing.

Waiting for a consultation at Tzununá.

Although he's already one year old, this malnourished child weighs only a little more as a newborn--ten pounds.