Christmas came in July for Jane Shafer, a nurse in labor and delivery at Methodist Hospital. For the past two years, Shafer has spent two weeks in Guatemala each summer on a medical mission. The first year she was part of a team from University United Methodist Church in Guatemala to repair a building that was being used as a medical clinic. "The roof leaked and the structure needed new electrical wiring and plumbing," said Shafer. "Numerous people contributed hundreds of hours of labor. The project was a labor of love and deep caring. It grew from a desire to help make a difference in the lives of the Guatemalans that we were coming to know and care about."

Last year Shafer and her group of about 55 volunteers, many from Methodist Hospital, helped convert the clinic into a surgery center. "They were delivering basic medical services, but surgery also was needed," she said. When all the equipment and supplies were in place, the volunteers worked from early morning until late at night delivering the needed services. In one week, they treated 500 people in the clinic, many walking two to four hours to get to the site. The team performed 55 surgical procedures, including gall bladder removal, breast cyst removal, vasectomy, bilateral tubal ligation, cleft lip repairs, cataract removal, operative dental care and treatment of numerous hernias. Shafer remembers a 10-year-old girl with Rheumatic fever. She was one of seven children living with her parents in a home with four walls and a mattress on a dirt floor. "We gave life, hope and a future to this little girl and her family," said Shafer. "She had been sick at home for 28 days. Another few days, and she may not have made it through her illness." For Shafer, her work in Guatemala touched people and changed lives. Shafer is available for interviews on the work in Guatemala and she has photos of her most recent trip. Home video footage also is available.

If you are interested in doing a story, please phone Shirley Wills at 822-2378 or 860-5289 (cell) or JoAnn King, 575-0171 or 917-7916 (pager). For media assistance during the weekend, please phone Methodist Hospital, 575-4000, and ask for the public relations representative on call.