Thanks to tremendous support from our donors, Standish Foundation for Children (SF4C) recently had the opportunity to serve on a surgical mission in Cambodia alongside Dr. Sam Most, Northwest Medical Volunteers, and Smile Cambodia. Over the course of a week in early January, Andy Standish, Founder of, and Director with, SF4C, BobbiJo Pansier, Global Programs Manager and Board Director with SF4C, and Arash Babaoff, Medical Advisor and Board Director with SF4C, got to interact with many resilient kids needing various types of surgeries. Our team was thrilled to offer psychosocial care services to the children and families there. We packed boxes and bags full of donated toys, comfort items, and preparation materials to use with the children and families in Cambodia.
The first day of the surgical mission was dedicated to screenings, when dozens of children and families lined up outside the surgical facility to register for their designated procedure time slots throughout the week. During this time, our team got to meet and play with the children for hours.
For the remainder of the week, the talented surgeons completed many successful surgeries as our team kicked into high gear with preoperative medical play, preparation, and postoperative play and comfort. The Smile Cambodia team generously cleared out an entire space for our volunteers to set up a designated play area for the week.
Reflecting on the surgical mission, Andy says,
“It was such a joy to be with the team for the first time since January 2020! It was so nice to see some familiar families and meet new ones as well. The kids and parents trust that they will receive expert care in a loving and supportive environment. It’s an honor to do this work and I’m grateful to our donors who make it possible.”
We would like to say a special thank you to all those who donated comfort care bundles, toys, and supplies for this surgical mission – they provided much-needed play and anxiety relief for the children in Cambodia.
