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IFC January 2003 Page 4

MEDICAL UPDATE

Susan Davalos, RN

Tel. 281-0311

To you who have worked together for our cause!!!! A great thank you!!!!! Our surgical programs have met with many challenges this year. the surgery rooms at regional hospital have not been available to us. February we went on the "cobble stones"! The results have been greater than imagined.

This has been a community effort. the IFC has been assisted by the community hospitals of Puerto Vallarta-----San Javier Marina [Feb.], Med Asist [Aug.] and CMQ [Nov.]. Each hospital has been willing and able to give of their operating room time. We occupy the OR's a full day and evening. These hospitals have donated nursing care for our patients as well as their recovery rooms .

On the day of surgery, all items, from the big red and white cabinets [holding instruments and medicines] down to the tiny gauze pads and cotton tips, are transported. Global Life Flight Ambulance and their crew of professionals, have generously assisted with the transportation of our supplies. But first!! it has to be prepared for sterilization by the staff at regional hospital. that's a lot of bags and a lot of cooperating going on!! Coordinating the efforts of the hospitals of Puerto Vallarta has been an awesome process. We and the families we serve have been changed, our lives enhanced. A child's deformity repaired!!!!

Christmas Wish List:

Each program: We need volunteers to pick up and return members of the surgical team to the airport. Someone with the gift of hospitality willing to provide dinner for the surgical team after the long day and evening of surgery.

The IFC Medical Committee sincerely thanks CMQ Hospital for their donation of surgery rooms and supplies for our November Cleft Palate surgeries. We’d especially like to thank Lic. Luis Villanueva, Hospital Administrator for his, cooperation and commitment to another successful round of surgeries. He was absolutely wonderful! CMQ Hospital will be donating their facility again for our upcoming February surgeries.

Office Help
The IFC’s busy months of November – April place heavy demands on our Administrator. There are updates to make to membership records, and email address, ID tags to make for home tour docents and members, thank you’s to write, checks to distribute, funds to deposit, accounting reports to prepare, newsletters to edit, updates to the website, phones to answer, walk-ins to address or redirect, agendas to prepare, minutes to write up, errands to run, and special requests. All this in only 4 hours a day! This could easily be a full-time job. We’re looking for volunteers to assist Kirsten in the office at least twice a week for 2 hour sessions to help answer phones, handle walk-ins, run errands, etc. Call Kirsten and set up time with her 222-5466.

Many thanks to John Powell who has already stepped up to volunteer for preparing the newsletter. He also came in to fold and label December’s newsletter mailers and took a huge stack home to finish up!

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE

Fundaction Arturo y los Hijos de Dios A.C.

Robin Bouchard-President

Tel. 223-3851

E-mail: roeguia@prodigy.net.mx

At the last IFC Board meeting, the Board received a presentation from Robin Bouchard who has created a foundation to help families in dire need. His organization is called “Arturo y los Hijos de Dios.” You may be familiar with his fund raising dinners that were held at the Café de Artistes last year. The IFC has agreed to back Robin in his efforts to help several poor families in desperate situations by helping to spread the word about the needy families and solicit donations from our members and associates to be passed on directly to Robin’s foundation. Robin is graciously asking for those willing to assist his foundation to commit to a $200 pesos monthly donation. To make collection and distribution easier, your donations may be given to Kirsten at the IFC to be collected by Robin at the end of each month.

Below are short descriptions of 4 families and their unfortunate situations. Please take a minute to read them and give Robin’s foundation thorough consideration. These people truly need help from our community.

For more information call Robin Bouchard 223-3851, Kirsten at the IFC, 222-5466, or Patricia Mendez 01-329-298-1767.

Thanks so much for spending the time to consider this request for help.

(continued on pg. 5)

BECAS VALLARTA

Mary Ellis

Tel. 222-1478

E-mail: mjellis@prodigy.net.mx

Cocktail party January 24, 2003

Garrick Seifrit, owner of the newly opened club Liberté at Aguacate 407 (next to El Palomar) is hosting a cocktail party on Friday, January 24, 2003 from 6 - 8 p.m. to benefit Becas Vallarta. Tickets, $150 pesos per person in advance or $200 pesos per person at the door include finger foods, bar - margaritas, red and white wine, beer, the Liberté martini and soft drinks and are available from Mary at 222 1478 or email becasvallarta@yahoo.ca. There will also be tickets available for some great raffle prizes.

Becas Ball:

The annual Becas Ball is Friday, February 28, 2003 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hotel Westin Regina. Tickets, $450 pesos per person, are available at Galería Vallarta - Juárez and Plaza Neptuno, Galleria Dante - Basilio Badillo or by calling 044 322-102-9028, 222-1478 or 221-5730 or email: becasvallarta@yahoo.ca. Becas Vallarta is providing scholarships to more than 300 students with low economic resources, in junior and senior high school and university, in the Pto. Vallarta area. We need volunteers to help in a variety of ways. For more information contact Mary at 222 1478, Pat at 221 5730 or Mercedes at 225 6035.