Patch's Diary December 2007

Dear Friends,

Three years ago in Moscow, on a clown tour, I met a house mother, Natasha, who had come from Uzbekistan with her five year old daughter, Rada, for many operations on her pelvis to correct congenital problems. There was something about how they loved each other and never gave up that made me want to help. For a year I looked all over the U.S. for solutions not available in Russia. I found a hospital that would have cared for her, but alas they said her situation was uncorrectable. They encouraged special braces if she was to ever walk, so on the next visit we gave the funds to make it happen. And this November I saw Rada take steps. I wept.

2007's trip was also special because our accountant of 39 years, Ed Renner, went for the first time, with his granddaughter, Megan. He's already signed on for this year.

I know it's been half a year since I've spoken to you. I see such a global hunger for compassionate medical models. In August I was with 6000 medical students in Brazil, 4000 medical students in Japan and 3000 medical students in Mexico. The biggest hunger they show is the quest to make their medical lives a rapture over care. They want to work hard as a doctor to help their people and make it fun. They lament that they are not being trained in joyous, loving medicine. One, Fernando (from Brazil), came this month to Gesundheit¡ for our annual four day Health Justice Retreat put on by the American Medical Student Association. Every student who came would be a great care giver at Gesundheit. Many of our Board members came to infuse the students with possibility and to decide to make the school the first building we put up, of Phases 4 and 5. The health care design intensives and all the other inputs scream to have a place to teach what we do.

In 2008, I think we will begin building Phases 4 and 5. Never have I had so many fine hands in fundraising. Our architect, Dave Sellers, is now in Mexico scoping the place for a third clinic to be built there, and will meet me in February in Venezuela for big possibilities.

I hope we get more involved in Africa this year and continue our big dreams in the Peruvian Amazon. My son, Zag, has moved back after eight years in Chile and will begin editing the 400 hours of film to create the series to teach the love of all people.

The biggest news is that Susan and I are deep in tango classes-and we are hot!

Please help midwife a love and care revolution.

In peace,

Patch