By Ryan Brooke
Across the world, one billion people lack access to basic health care. More than 7.5 million children under the age of five die from preventable diseases each year.
As a member of the Medical Missions Foundation Board, I am able to work with amazing medical professionals and caring individuals who know that we can find solutions to our world’s medical problems, even if it is one mission, one caregiver and one patient at a time.
Medical Missions Foundation has, at its heart, the goal of reducing these dismal statistics by providing surgical and medical care in underserved communities around the globe, positively impacting the lives of children and their families.
Since 1996, the foundation has undertaken 104 missions in 14 countries, aided by 3,000 volunteers, to serve 65,000 patients.
Primarily staffed by local Kansas City volunteer doctors, nurses and other medical and non-medical personnel, Medical Missions Foundation provides access to specialized surgical care and delivers community health education to local health care providers.
Individual mission trips average 80 to 100 surgical procedures and provide thousands of clinic visits.
In addition to direct medical care, volunteers work with patients through art therapy and teach important healthy practices based on the needs of the country. These areas include women’s health, burn prevention, hand washing, clean water, dental hygiene and more.
Moving Forward from COVID
At the beginning of the COVID outbreak, Medical Missions Foundation emptied its warehouse of critically needed masks, gloves and gowns and distributed these PPE’s to local clinics across Kansas City. We were so glad that our organization was still able to provide medical support locally when international aid was paused.
Moving forward, as international travel opportunities open, the foundation desperately needs funds to restore this supply as they reach back out to the neglected and underserved abroad.
Get Involved
If you are interested in supporting Medical Missions Foundation through a donation or becoming an ongoing advocate through the monthly giving program, Missions Maker, please visit MedicalMissionsFoundation.org for more information.
