Day Two
July 9, 2000

Two moments

There are two moments that affect the team as hard as the parents.

One is the waiting.

The grandmother (l) of Rodrigo and father (r) of Jose Luis wait for word and a look at their children during surgery Sunday in Villahermosa. Both children are recovering well according to doctors.

Waiting for a child in surgery is some of the longest waiting done anywhere in the world. And regardless of the local time zone, the minutes seem like hours.

Some of the women do needlepoint as they sit in the waiting area. Some men play soccer with younger children in the hallways and around the chairs. A video machine plays a movie or a cartoon as the time moves slowly on. Local hospital staff bring crayons and coloring sheets to the children sitting at small tables. The bright light from the windows makes the wait cheery.

In her mother's arms, Rosa waits to enter the preoperative area before surgery.

New families arrive to be assessed and reviewed by the doctors between surgeries. Families whose children are waiting for their turn try to distract their children to keep them from thinking about the operation. Waiting is hard when you are three years old.

For first time children, the task is easier. But for returning patients, like Jose, the waiting is not easy. He remembers the last operation and his fear is obvious to everyone as he cries on his way back to the changing area with his father. It's a sad cry the other parents recognize, and nod with understanding.

Rodrigo's grandmother offers words of encouragement to her grandson prior to surgery. The boy's father is dead and his mother was working Sunday, so his grandmother brought him for the operation.

The second moment is when it comes time for the parent to let go. Parents watch as their child disappears into the operating room and into the care of Anesthesia team: Joe Nicotra, MD and CRNAs Candy Riley and Bob Cleary.

Operation Rainbow and the local medical team work to make the separation as gentle as possible. Parents are able to change into surgical scrubs and accompany their son or daughter as far as the pre-op area. Here, the parents offer words of encouragement and soothe the fears before the operation begins.

Anesthesiologist Joe Nicotra (r) and CRNA Bob Cleary (l) lower Rodrigo into a bed in the recovery area of the surgical center, following his surgery Sunday.

It usually doesn't take long for these surgeries. According to Dr. Manny Pena, "About 30 - 35 minutes for a lip," he explained. Many surgeries are shorter than an hour. But to the waiting families and friends, it takes a long time.

There are anxious looks when the parents are finally reunited with their children. Many reunions are tear filled. Often caregivers, photographers, and parents are all crying to see the miracle of the surgery well performed. It's a moment that is welcomed and cherished. Before it begins again.