Put your hands on your hips....

Today I was on D ward and it was a great day. The ward is filling up with the cutest kids in the world. Oh my they are just precious and they love to be loved on. After the shift we took them up to deck 7 and 2 of the girls were trying to teach me how to dance African style. They said "Put your hands on hips and shake your hips". It was so fun to see Fatu (12 that had cleft palate surgery) and Baby (15 jaw reconstruction due to Noma) dance, laugh, blow bubbles, and really enjoy life. The VVF women were learning how to crochet and the young boys Abraham and Emmett blew bubbles, pretty much it was great.

Multi-purpose tubs

I stole a few pictures from Michelle Zeller (her blog is mzellerafrica.blogspot.com she does palliative care).  Just because the pictures were so cute.  (yes, this is still Tyrone talking).

   

We have several of these tubs that we use in the galley, colored just like the one you see here...we use them for defrosting meats, marinating meats, making salads in bulk (coleslaw, macaroni, tuna... those kinds of salads), and a myriad of other things.  Here in Liberia, well as you can plainly see it works as a good bathtub for babies!

I am sure this is what I would have looked like as a child if I was west African and grew up in Liberia~ (pssst, I still eat like that)

This is baby George eating his rice.  How cute is that?

The Liberian Handshake

An example of the Liberian handshake. This is used whenever greeting or meeting people. Mostly a simple handshake and the snapping of fingers is what I use.

1 - grasp the hand of your counterpart:
2 - slide into a thumb-to-thumb grip:

 

 

 

 

3 - pull back to clutch the finger tips of your counterpart:
4 - release with a loud snap of the middle fingers:
Note that the handshake can be abbreviated by jumping straight from the quick hand shake to the snap.

 

Reminds me of a couple of handshakes in my old neighborhood...

Pictures of Henry

Henry is still here on the ward. His wounds (from a severe dental infection that almost took his life) are healing and he looks so much better than the first day I received him in the ICU almost 3 weeks ago.

Henry spends most of the day just sitting around waiting for the day to pass, but during the week he goes up to deck seven and plays football (soccer) as his Occupational Therapy. I went up the other day and we were teammates and pretty much won by a lot.

A Walk To Beautiful...

Stephanie and I both saw a movie here on board that will soon be playing on PBS in the states, which I will soon give you information about.  http://www.walktobeautiful.com/   -  http://www.fistulafoundation.org/movies/screening.html  We were able to view and see the movie because of Dr. Steve Arrowsmith (who is currently here on board).  Bio available here at this link: http://www.globalhealth.org/pop_ups/events/steven_arrowsmith.html

We would both strongly recommend you see this movie, it is not Mercy Ships affiliated except for Dr. Steven being Vice President for International Program Development for the Worldwide Fistula Fund, and we do these same surgeries here on board the ship for the women of West Africa and in a clinic in Sierra Leone.  This movie will definitely help open your eyes to life changing operations that we have eradicated altogether in richer parts of the world.  Fistula what?  What is that?

I (me Tyrone, being the guy that I am) was even moved by the emotion and power that this one surgery or hope that these woman have can mean so much...so its not just for the women to watch or understand!  And even how sometimes it takes more than one surgery!

Broadcast Premiere

• NOVA on PBS
      May 13, 2008 -  Check your local listings or go to pbs.org for details