Wednesday, October 1, 2014

WAVE - The Floating Clinic



I will be heading to The Congo once again this month for another medical assessment with Project C.U.R.E.  I’m looking forward to returning to and lending my assistance to this developing country.  To add to my trip this time around, I will also be working with the great folks at WAVE – Water Based Aid, Value, Engagement www.floatingclinic.org  WAVE is a water based aid floating clinic that has been helping the communities that live around the lake basin, Lake Tanganyika, Africa for over five years. 

Lake Tanganyika is the second largest late on earth.  It is surrounded by four countries, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Tanzania and Zambia.  About three and a half million people live on the shoreline and twelve million live on the basin as a whole.  There is no viable healthcare system and the waterway is the only way that any goods or services move around Lake Tanganyika.

So, the only way that this can be provided is via the hospital ship that WAVE developed to aid that people - the floating health clinic.  It has two operating rooms, a laboratory, dental services and is able to respond to emergencies.  Now, due to the ship, in this neglected area WAVE delivers vital healthcare, distributes necessary medical supplies, establishes important communications, gathers essential medical data, and builds strong relationships with the people and government of the region.
Describing the work they undertake is a task in itself so instead they use three words to describe what they do.  Aid.  Value.  Engagement.  Because they use the lake itself as their highway, they call it water based thus the name WAVE.

You may wonder what water based aid is – they began by using boats to deliver medical supplies and transport people to remote lakeside health centers and soon realized how important the late was to the region.  So, they expanded their vision with intent to build a full size ship to act as a floating hospital and research facility – as well as a communications and training hub.  By doing this, their hospital will become the regional hospital for the basin.  In doing this it strengthens the capacity of local health centers and proves a teaching partner that is desperately needed.  It also provides supply chain support, diagnostics, treatment including surgery, as well as education for the care workers.  The late becomes a healthcare community!

Last year, WAVE impacted more than 75,000 individuals!  To continue extending their work on and around Lake Tanganyika, they need our help.  Each donation is used to improve the lives of thousands of people in the Lake Taganyika Basin.  Their work is making a profound difference on all levels and I’m looking forward to helping them in their continued success and growth.

Here’s how you can help too… Donate Here 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Meeting the First Lady of Panama

While in Panama for a Project C.U.R.E. medical assessment, our group had the pleasure of not only visiting the hospital del niño and San Migual Arcangel, but to do so with the First Lady of Panama. She is a kind lady and the people of Panama love her. It was an honor to meet her. We brought a couple hundred C.U.R.E. kits for the children and there was a media frenzy to document the visit.







Thursday, September 4, 2014

Another Panama Trip Update

Panama update - amazing day learning what full circle really means...from hospitals across the US to a warehouse in US to container through Panama Canal to hospital del niño in Panama City. we came, we saw, we are impressed!!





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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

More from Panama

Today in Panama - getting ready to visit another hospital for assessment this morning...here's a recap of yesterday's media blitz with the First Lady of Panama at hospital del niño and San Migual Arcangel.







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Monday, September 1, 2014

Project C.U.R.E. Trip to Panama

So far so great in Panama!!  Project C.U.R.E.Panama has hit the ground running visiting hospitals and learning of the health care system...and the container is here!! What generous donors we have!!





For more information about my philanthropic work, please visit www.charlesirion.com  

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Monday, August 18, 2014

Mexico

Great long weekend in Bahia Kino, Mexico. I packed 50 pounds of clothes and brought them along with food donations to the poorest there coupled with a meeting with the missionaries Jesse and Jenny in Guaymas/San Carlos. I met 20 children ages 8 and under. A christian based orphanage that was wonderful, and I was thrilled to also donate clothing, money and food to them. Looking forward to going back some time.










 
 
For more information about my philanthropic work, please visit www.charlesirion.com  
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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

About Project C.U.R.E.

Project C.U.R.E. is the largest provider of donated medical supplies and equipment to developing countries around the world. Project C.U.R.E. is the recipient of the GuideStar Exchange Silver Seal, the Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating and ranked by Forbes as one of the 20 Most Efficient Large U.S. Charities.

Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment) was founded in 1987 by James Jackson, who was working as an international economic consultant in developing countries when his work put him face to face with the needs of the sick and dying. During a trip to Brazil, Dr. Jackson visited a small clinic near Rio de Janeiro, where he learned that patients were often turned away due to a lack of basic medical supplies. Jackson was moved to action, making a promise to the clinic doctor that he would help provide relief to the people there.
Dr. Jackson returned to his home in Evergreen, Colorado, and with the assistance of friends in the medical industry collected $250,000 of medical supplies in his garage in just 30 days time. By personally paying the shipping expenses, Jackson was able to send an ocean-going cargo container carrying the donated supplies to Brazil. In 1997 James Jackson's son, Dr. Douglas Jackson, became President & CEO of Project C.U.R.E..
From its humble beginnings in Colorado, Project C.U.R.E. has expanded to many other cities across the United States. Currently, Project C.U.R.E. maintains large distribution warehousesin Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Tennessee. In addition, Project C.U.R.E. has established smaller collection centers several other states where donated items are gathered and then delivered to its warehouses. Project C.U.R.E. now collects medical donations in 15 U.S. cities.
Project C.U.R.E. has been an industry leader in developing new ways to allow the organization to provide the highest quality donated medical supplies and equipment possible to resource-limited communities across the globe, including efficient and accurate inventory systems, supply chain management, expert management of logistics and strong in-country relationships. Project C.U.R.E. also offers numerous domestic and international volunteer opportunities. Since its founding, Project C.U.R.E. has reached patients, families and children in 130 countries.
Today, Project C.U.R.E.'s work and mission are more important than ever, helping to bridge staggering health resource gaps in the developing world by empowering doctors and nurseswith the tools they need to treat disease, deliver vaccines, perform life-changing surgeries and ensure safe childbirth. Through the compassion of Project C.U.R.E.'s supporters, hospitals, rural clinics and community health centers all over the world are able to offer quality care and critical medical services to their most vulnerable patients, especially women and young children. Thanks to the dedication of thousands of volunteers nationwide, two to three cargo containers of life-saving aid leave Project C.U.R.E.’s warehouses every week.
With the help of so many that have the same passion and commitment to helping those in need, Project C.U.R.E. continues to deliver health and hope to the world.


DONATING IS EASY!  GO TO WWW.PROJECTCURE.ORG AND CLICK DONATE NOW!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Project C.U.R.E. in the News!

ebola-localhelp.JPG
(KTAR Photo/Jim Cross)
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Volunteers packed a cargo container with $250,000 worth of medical supplies Tuesday to ship to Liberia to help fight the Ebola crisis.

The shipment included surgical face masks, gloves, gowns and gurneys from Project C.U.R.E. Phoenix headquarters in Tempe.

Katie Mabardy, executive director of the local branch of the international charity, said all of the supplies were donated by Valley doctors, health care systems, hospitals and medical supply companies.

"This (helps) physicians and health care professionals by providing them with tools they need to keep patients healthy and safe from the transmission of the Ebola virus," Mabardy said.

Nationally, the organization has sent four cargo containers of aid. The Valley staff is prepared to send more if needed.

"... As we continue to receive donations we will continue to send supplies in response to the outbreak," Marbardy said.
Jim Cross, Reporter

For more information about my philanthropic work, please visit www.charlesirion.com  
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Friday, August 1, 2014

Leave Me A Review!

Seeking Book Reviews!

 Hi Everyone!  Thank you for reading my blog!  Did you know that I'm the author of not just one, but thirteen books?  For more information, please visit www.charlesirion.com, www.irionbooks.com and/or www.summitmurdermystery.com

If you have read any of my books in the Summit Murder Mystery series, the Hell Series or the Roadkill Cookbook, please consider leaving me a review on Amazon.com.  Reviews are very important to a books success!  The review does not have to be an essay by any means, but instead can consist of just a couple sentences.  If you do not have an Amazon account, please email me your review at charles@charlesirion.com so I can place it on my website!

Below please find a link to each book on Amazon for leaving your review.  Thank you in advance for your review.

To review Abandoned on Everest, please click HERE
To review Murder on Everest, please click HERE
To review Murder on Elbrus, please click HERE
To review Murder on Mt. McKinley, please click HERE
To review Murder on Puncak Jaya, please click HERE
To review Murder on Aconcagua, please click HERE
To review Murder on Vinson Massif, please click HERE
To review Murder on Kilimanjaro, please click HERE 
To review Car Dealer Hell, please click HERE
To review Divorce Hell, please click HERE
To review Remodeling Hell, please click HERE
To review Autograph Hell, please click HERE
To review Roadkill Cooking for Campers, please click HERE 

For more information about my Summit Murder Mystery series, please visit www.summitmurdermystery.com 
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Monday, July 21, 2014

Toronto, Canada

Here are pictures from the Lion's International Convention that was held in Toronto, Canada. I attended with the Phx Phil-Am LionsClub. We were in a celebratory parade and the club came in with 17 attendees. The Lions Club is the world's largest service club with 46,000 clubs, with 1.35 million members in 208 countries! It was founded in 1917 to fight blindness and now has added several projects which continue to impact so many countries and so many lives! I am proud to be a member! At the convention they put together fantastic entertainment for everyone to enjoy and we also got to see Joe Preston become the 97th International President! Congrats Joe! I had a great time!



















For more information about my philanthropic work, please visit www.charlesirion.com  
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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Buenaventura, Colombia

I was sent to Buenaventura, Colombia in order to do a medical assessment for Project C.U.R.E. Phoenix on an ICU wing being built at a local hospital. Here are some pictures from my trip!













More photos can be found on my facebook page!

For more information about my philanthropic work, please visit www.charlesirion.com  
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