Happy Mother's Day!
I cannot think of any place in the world where a mother's love was better demonstrated than today at the Obras where I met the mothers of children awaiting cleft palate and lip surgeries. There I witnessed unconditional love and devotion not only by the mothers but also the fathers and extended families of the children.
Some of the mothers I recognized from previous years. They had returned for another operation, usually to have their child's palate repaired. They greeted me with smiles and laughter, showing off their children and how they had grown. The new parents were more shy and reserved, but obviously proud of their children and overjoyed at the opportunity to have the surgery that would make such an incredible difference in their child's life.
There were also adult patients that had come for general and gynecological surgeries. They too, often came with their families, and received obvious support and care from them.
So today, along with all the medical activities the Obras, there was also a celebration not just for mothers, but truly a celebration of family love. This celebration included not just the patients and families who came to the Obras, but also our team family and the extended family of the Guatemalan volunteer translators who came to help today. It was amazing to see how cohesive and caring it all was in action.
