ADA members on mission trip treat cyclone victims
Mingladon, Myanmar鈥擨nternational Medical Relief volunteers traveled to several villages in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar in October 2008, serving victims of a cyclone that hit earlier in May.
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Dr. Damien Mulvany, a general dentist in Englewood, Colo., was one of four ADA members who provided dental care for cyclone victims. This was his fifth trip with IMR.
“We treated all ages from pedo to geriatric,” said Dr. Mulvany. “We saw children who were orphaned from the cyclone and the volunteer psychologist counseled many people who were affected by the storm.”
Also on the trip were Dr. Mark Novelen, Englewood, Colo.; Dr. Brian Butler, Denver; and Dr. Sloan Hildebrand, Dallas. Dr. Mulvany’s and Dr. Hildebrand’s trips were funded by the ADA International Disaster Assistance Fund. The fund was created to support and reconstruct the oral health infrastructure in countries affected by disasters of any size and magnitude.
“One particular patient was a father who brought in his daughter who had Down syndrome. His wife had died in the cyclone. He carried the daughter into the clinic and was completely overcome with sorrow,” said Dr. Mulvany. “We were able to bring their mouths back to health and also brought them to our counseling center. They left the clinic in a much better place, with a few less worries. Every bit makes a difference.”
Dr. Mulvany’s most memorable patient, he said, was a man that he and Dr. Novelen worked on for three hours to extract one tooth.
“It was over 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity,” said Dr. Mulvany. “Mark worked on him for an hour with little progress, and was soaked with sweat. The upper molar was obviously fused to the bone. So I assisted him and we used the battery operated handpiece to remove bone and section the roots. We successfully removed the entire tooth and literally collapsed with exhaustion. Our patient smiled and pointed to the other side and asked us to do a filling and a cleaning, How tough he was!”
Currently, IMR is seeking medical/dental team volunteers for its upcoming humanitarian trip April 9-19 to Nairobi, Kenya.
The team will provide care in Nairobi and rural outreach to communities throughout the Kenyan countryside, including treating children in orphanages near Nairobi.
Outside the clinics, volunteers will enjoy parts of Africa not traditionally seen by tourists, including Nukuru, the largest flamingo habitat in the world. A short safari will be offered to interested team members who want to extend their stay for an additional fee.
IMR makes all arrangements for volunteers, including transportation, visas, translators, lodging for the entire in-country stay, as well as supplies needed for the mission. Volunteers are asked to make a tax-deductible donation of $3,600. This donation will allow IMR to provide airfare, ground transportation, lodging, meals, supplies, entry visas, tipping and other miscellaneous expenses.
Applications are now being accepted. Non-medical volunteers are welcome to partner with the medical/dental team in the clinic and with other community projects.
Log on to the Web site for more information: www.imrhq.org 
or request an application form by contacting IMR Worldwide Headquarters, Worldwide Headquarters, 1600 Emerson St., Denver, CO 80218, phone 1-970-635-0110 or e-mail: shauna@imrhq.org.
For more information about other international volunteer opportunities, contact the ADA Center for International Development and Affairs by calling 1-312-440-2726 or e-mailing international@ada.org.聽