As a senior, David Gaus ’84 had a crisis moment when he realized he didn’t want to be an accountant. So he did what any sensible Notre Dame student would do, and scheduled a meeting with Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., the University’s president.
It led to a service opportunity in Ecuador and ultimately put him on the path to where he is today: training self-sufficient physicians to serve patients in rural communities across the country…
Ligia delivered her magnificent, nine-pound baby boy in early November. Big babies with wide shoulders sometimes get stuck above mom’s pelvic bone and need special, rapid maneuvers from the medical team to complete the journey out – her baby was no exception to the rule, but did just fine.
Then mom’s uterus did not contract. When that happens, heavy bleeding can rapidly ensue. Massages and medications frequently alleviate this, but not always. This time, nothing worked.
We took Ligia to the emergency room to try to control the bleeding. Her blood pressure was lower than anything I had ever witnessed; she ultimately required an emergency hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) to save her life…
As Andean Health & Development celebrates 20 years of high quality health care to the poorest of the poor in rural Ecuador, we invite you to take a look back.
We ran into three recent graduates of our residency program who are all now working at that MOH hospital. They said that when they started at the MOH hospital, they quickly noticed the low quality of inpatient care (hospitalized patients) due to so few doctors having proper training. In response, these newly minted doctors proposed
Notre Dame Magazine, 1999, “The Road to Pedro Vicente” Global Health-Tulane Magazine Article, 2008, “Building a Hospital in Rural Ecuador” Milwaukee Magazine, 2008, “The Picture of Health” Think Spanish! Magazine, 2009, “Entrevista a Laura Dries” Notre Dame Magazine, 2010, “From Mountaintop to Global Health” The Hospitalist, 2010, “Hospitalist in the Developing World” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
Today would have been Rev. Theodore Hesburgh’s 100th birthday. Most of you know of Fr. Ted’s considerable impact on American civil rights and immigration, his counsel to Presidents and Popes, and his commitment to Catholic higher education. I’d like to share his impact on this small corner of the planet here in the Andes Mountains…
Mosquitoes are a real problem for people in tropical climates all over the world, including the region we serve in tropical Ecuador. They come in many different brands, shapes and sizes.
Join the Andean Health Cycling Team on the “LAKE MICHIGAN 500” in celebrating AHD’s 20th anniversary.