Thanks to ABPANC’s inaugural Medical Mission Grant, Darla Dubin, RN, BSN, CAPA brought her skills — and her heart — to Migori, Kenya, as part of a life-changing mission with Kenya Relief. Alongside a team of surgeons, CRNAs, anesthesiologists, radiologists, and PACU nurses, she provided essential surgical care and health screenings to patients who traveled from across Kenya and neighboring countries, many of whom would never have access to this level of care otherwise. Read more about her trip from September 2024 below.
Kenya Relief: A medical mission bringing hope and health to a much needed community by Darla Dubin, BSN, RN,
I was honored to be the inaugural recipient of the ABPANC medical mission grant. As such, I was asked to write this synopsis describing what the grant was used for.
After going on my first medical mission in March of 2023, I knew that I wanted to go back, as it was such a rewarding experience. However, like most medical missions, there is a fundraising component in addition to being responsible for your own transportation and incidental expenses, so applying for and receiving a grant really allowed me to go this time without worrying about asking for money from friends and family and budgeting for transportation expenses. Kenya Relief is a very well-run organization that has been putting together medical missions to Kenya since 2002. Almost every month there are 2 medical missions from teams from all over the country that travel to Migori, Kenya to participate.
Teams consist of roughly 22-27 people and are typically made up of medical personnel from similar areas of the country. In our case, we came from two different hospitals in Michigan.
After applying for and being chosen for a particular position on the team, there is a flurry of paperwork, visas and vaccinations. It was intimidating at first (particularly the first time I went as I was chosen to go to replace someone who had dropped out about 6 weeks before the trip left!)
On my second trip, (September 2024) our team was made up of 4 surgeons (plastics, orthopedics, general surgery and pediatrics), 2 radiologists, 1 internal medicine doctor, 3 anesthesiologists, 4 CRNAs, 3 OR nurses, 1 OR tech, and 4 Preop/ PACU nurses. Our team had many returning staff members in addition to first timers. The team has one common goal and that is to make a difference in the lives of many.
Most staff use their own vacation time and their own funds or fundraise to make this trip happen. The required amount to fundraise and remit to Kenya Relief is $1900. In addition to that, you are responsible for your airfare to Nairobi, Kenya which ranges in the $1200-$2000 range.
In our case, it took about 18-20 hours to get to Kenya. We arrived at night, stayed near the airport and drove to Migori the following day. An additional 8 hours via Land cruiser.
To make matters more complicated, on my first trip, my luggage got lost on the way over. That is another story for another day, but I learned on my second trip that when traveling on a medical mission, you can fit what you need in a carryon suitcase!
Once in Migori we stayed in an orphanage that was affiliated with the medical clinic. The children that live and go to school there greeted us upon arrival. Accommodations were shared and cramped, but we were comfortable, and we were not there to be pampered. The chefs fed us three hot meals per day. The food was very good. And the facility was guarded to keep everyone safe. Beds were covered with mosquito nets, reminding us again that we were far away from home.
We spent all day Sunday assessing patients for surgery as well as checking equipment and supplies for the following days.
Patients travel from all over Kenya and neighboring countries to be seen by American specialists. They are required to pay a small amount by our standards for surgery – typically $300 to be assessed and an additional $60-$80 for the procedure itself. But to them, that is a large amount of money. Many of them must fundraise from their friends and family for that.
For the next three days, surgeries were performed all day in areas very different than what we were used to in the US. And we were assisted by Kenyan staff who helped us communicate with our patients. Only about 2 percent of patients speak English. The days were long and hot, but incredibly rewarding. And our patients were so deeply grateful. They also had a very different standard when it came to pain. None of them asked for pain relief or medication after the surgery was over.
Procedures consisted of partial thyroidectomies, lipoma removals and hernia repairs just to name a few.
In three days, our team of 22 performed 94 surgeries and internal medicine examined over 300
patients for things like high blood pressure, typhoid, skin conditions, malaria, and other conditions.
After the mission was over, the team traveled briefly to Maasai Mara to experience a mini safari, because after all, when in Africa, make sure to see the animals. In two days, we were able to see lions, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, cheetahs, buffalos and rhinos. It was truly an amazing experience after an unbelievably rewarding mission. Suffice it to say that upon arrival in Nairobi to head home, our hearts were very full. To see true wilderness after witnessing such happiness and gratitude from our patients was really something that I can’t put into words.
After over 30 years of nursing in a traditional hospital setting, it felt really good to help others who would not otherwise have access to the extraordinary medical care that we have available to us in the US. And I can see doing this missionary work again in my future.
If you are CAPA/CPAN certified you can apply for a medical mission trip worth up to $3000 through ABPANC. Two grants are offered per year. Participants would perform in a peri-anesthesia related clinical role.
If you have questions regarding Kenya Relief, Elizabeth Studley, a CRNA at Michigan Medicine is in charge of organizing the mission twice a year and is vice chair of the board. More information can be found at Kenyarelief.org.