A True Calling

About ten years ago, paediatric orthopaedist, Dr. Marc Moreau, had a life-changing experience in Ecuador, South America and found a new purpose in life. Having completed examinations on the children that would be operated on over the next five days, he decided to look in on the adult clinic. What he saw brought tears to his eyes. The visiting adult staff surgeons were telling dozens of people in terrible pain and in desperate need of surgery that they would have to come back next year when their Canadian team returned; the slate for total joint surgery was completely full.

In the next issue (Spring 2009), the COA Bulletin examines how Moreau and his wife, Barbara, have since become driving forces behind the Canadian Association of Medical Teams Abroad, an Edmonton-based charity that provides orthopaedic services to Quito's urban poor and trains local physicians to use new technology to fix broken bones.  Stay tuned!

Ed.