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Navajo Nation: First USA Dental Mission A Success
(Montezuma Creek, Utah) -- High desert, sage filled air and cloudless blue skies surrounded the small 1-story building on the Navajo Reservation. Except for the shrillness of the dentist's drill sometimes filtering out the door, one would not have known this was the bustling site of Operation Blessing's first medical mission within the United States. Please step inside.
In the first room, team leader Dwight Lohrenz answers questions and fills out each patient's registration paperwork. Small children from the local Head Start program play down at his ankles. In the next area, patients fill the dental chairs and volunteers provide free services including oral surgery, X-rays, extractions, exams and cleanings. After seeing 120 patients during the missions' first week, Dr. Bailey handed the reigns over to both Dr. Jim and Doris Hesser and Dr. Ken and Judy Mundy. Welcoming walk-ins in addition to an already full appointment schedule, the team treated 269 men, women and children during the two week mission!
Children like Wyatt. This 5-year-old is one of the 24 Head Start participants who needed to have a dental exam in order to attend school. Described as "cute as a bug's ear" by Dwight, Wyatt didn't utter a peep while receiving numerous fillings. Several of his eight brothers and sisters also received treatment later. His mother raises all nine children alone while her husband finishes a sentence at the state prison. Without a car, Wyatt's mother and many others can not get to the nearest dental clinic which is two hours away in Shiprock. Even if transportation could have been arranged, Shiprock's clinic is first come first serve. There wouldn't have been a guarantee one would be seen even after waiting all day.
In addition to the Head Start children's' dental exams, Wyatt and his friends also were treated to a day of Back-To-School shopping on the second Tuesday!
Other families were touched as well. Manuel, his wife and all four children received dental care. When the mission came to a conclusion, the grateful Adakai family presented beautiful handmade pottery to each team member. The wedding vases had two spouts and one handle.
"The Navajo people are very gracious and special," Dwight commented. "I would do this mission again and again and again."
Thank you OBI partners for helping our first USA based medical mission to be a great success!
Your continued support of OBI's many national and international programs is always needed.
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