Tape Angels
One day during the VIDAS clinic in Puerto Morelos, I noticed that we were running short on white medical tape. This is the tape that we use to hold in intravenous catheters which are our means of administering important drugs and IV fluids to our patients before and during surgery. We sent a volunteer out to search local pharmacies for more tape, as we thought that this basic medical supply item would be simple to purchase. Our volunteer returned with bad news: the white tape that we needed was not carried by human pharmacies in Mexico, the only tape she could get was plastic and did not stick to pet hair. Since all of our patients have fur coats, I realized that this was going to be a serious problem! Our catheters were necessary, but useless without tape to keep them in! Would we have to cut the clinic short and stop surgery for the day? We searched in vain for something else – anything else- that would substitute for our white tape. Things were looking dire as we had by this time completely run out and were looking at silver duct tape as our only potential alternative! Not good! Then suddenly an American couple appeared in the doorway holding a large cardboard box. They introduced themselves as Todd and Lisa Kennaway, of Fort Collins, CO. They were in the area on vacation. Before leaving Colorado, they had heard about our work and had seen the
“wishlist” posted on our website. They had gathered together a box of supplies for us, courtesy of Todd’s mom, Dr. Virginia Kennaway and brought it all the way to Mexico to us at our clinic site. We greeted Todd and Lisa and began sifting through the box as we chatted with them. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw near the bottom a white box labeled “Zonas –tape”!! Exactly the item that we needed, exactly when we needed it! What incredible timing! We hailed Todd and Lisa as the “Tape Angels” on the spot! Thank you, Tape Angels and Dr. Kennaway, for your thoughtfulness, your support, your efforts in finding us and for your truly amazing timing!
-Ruth & the May 2004 VIDAS crew
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