In January we left for Guadalajara, Mexico, to join an international group of prolotherapists for a week-long mission. Dr David de la Mora arranges this "brigada" annually, to help many Mexicans obtain treatment who otherwise would not be able to afford it. The group treated more than 1000 patients, had fun, experienced daily education times, exchanged experiences and techniques, and we feel blessed to have been included. This is one of the HHPF's (Hackett Hemwall Patterson Foundation) organised medical missions, led by the very capable Mary Doherty. This year in Mexico we had 5 Canadian physicians, many Americans, and also doctors from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Turkey and Italy volunteering! Here is the Canadian team goofing around, and also a photo  of all the doctors volunteering.

Here are the doctors, nurses and volunteers who headed down to inject prolotherapy in Honduras this year. It was my third opportunity to work in Honduras, where we helped many hurting people at clinics in 3 small towns there. It is such a privilege to do this, teaching, learning and helping. My lecture there this year was on wrist prolotherapy - we take it in turns to present topics. The Hackett Hemwall Patterson Foundation is such an excellent teaching organization  based in Wisconsin, where we meet up with good friends that we have made from different countries. In addition the foundation also sends down an Ear, Nose and Throat team as well as a Varicose Vein and Ulcer team. What a difference they make!

In March 2015, David and I travelled to Honduras, to the village of Tela, to spend 2 weeks at a medical mission for people with chronic pain. We gave prolotherapy injections to many needy and willing recipients. The people of Honduras are so gracious: first the support team to run these clinics is second to none, and the patients who have so little (and line up for long hours and often travel many miles to come) are so grateful for anything we can do to help relieve their pain. We treated many people with arthritis, injuries, and poorly healing conditions and also benefited ourselves by being surrounded by other fantastic volunteering physicians, including a first rate teaching team. We are all better injectors as a result of these experiences. We salute the Hackett Hemwall Foundation who has been running humanitarian relief work in Honduras (prolotherapy, vein clinics and an ear, nose and throat team) for many, many years. We had the privilege of working under Dr Carl Osborn from Oregon, who celebrated his 20th year of this volunteer work. He is an excellent teacher! (see photo below - Carl is in the brown scrub top below). OK, so we had a bit of time to relax too...