Nurses for Edna Team update

Three amazing nurse of the  Nurses for Edna team, Wanda Chestnut, Kim Law and Kerra Plesko departed on August 25, 2013 on their first medical mission to Hargeisa, Somaliland. Due to a death in the family the fourth team member, Sarah David will not arrive until September 9th.
This inaugural mission launched ONE NURSE’s partnership with one of the world’s most respected providers of maternity and midwifery services in developing countries – The Edna Adan Maternity Hospital.
The trip began with more than a few challenges for at least one nurse. When Kim Law’s flight was canceled

and she learned that all other flights to Dulles were full. So, she flew to Calgary, then Newark, then  Baltimore, where United Airlines paid  for her to be driven the final  32kmsby taxi to Dulles.
 Once there she woke up her cohorts, they did a mad scramble to finish sorting out all the medical supplies and luggage, then headed to the airport for their early morning flight to Ethiopia. “No sleep in the near future,’ Kim quipped, ‘Good thing I'm a nurse and I'm used to running on little to no sleep. Nothing is standing in my way!”
 It’s this sort of attitudinal mix - part grit; part humor, that will get the nurses through the next month as they

work under very different conditions than those they are accustomed, in a country very different from their own. Their excitement, trepidation, and their gratitude as they begin this medical mission adventure are best stated in their own words:

“With two sleeps to go before I start my long trip to Somaliland, I’ve been asked how I feel about the upcoming adventure. I’m feeling everything, and surprisingly sometimes I don’t think about it at all...When I’m feeling everything I feel excited. Excited to start the adventure, to finally meet my new cohorts. To meet Edna and the people of Somaliland. I feel hopeful, hopeful; that we can help, even if it’s just in a small way… I feel nervous... Theoretically I know what to expect, but all nurses know that theory rarely matches reality,”~ Kim Law

As the days approach for us to leave I am feeling a little overwhelmed with all I still have to do a work…I am honestly not excited about the 2.5 hour ride to and from the airport, it’s a long way on bad roads. The good thing is I will have company going. I am very excited to see Edna and the other people I met I on my previous trip. ~ Wanda Chestnut

“ I’ve always had a dream of nursing in South Africa and together with One Nurse At  A Time and amazing sponsors like Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, that dream is coming true! Thank you so much!” ~ Kerra Plesko

 Nurses for Edna will work with local medical staff and teach current nursing practice, techniques and standards of care. This joint effort by One Nurse At A Time, Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, and numerous individuals’ donors,  is forged in the common values of integrity, commitment to the well-being of others, an innovative spirit, and a passion for inspiring to the hearts of others.

Check back frequently for updates on this amazing team’s work in Hargeisa, Somaliland!

About One Nurse At A Time
One Nurse At A Time, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded by nurses in 2007. They are passionate about giving back to the local and global community through volunteer and humanitarian medical pursuits. Their goals are to support nurses by lowering the entry barriers to volunteer locally and globally, and to increase public awareness of the role and contribution nurses make at home and abroad. For more information, please contact Nancy Leigh Harless, Communications Liaison, at 319.372.1339, email nancy@onenurseatatime.org; or Sue Averill, President 206.527.4862

About Barco’s Nightingales Foundation
Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded by Michael and Frida Donner on behalf of Barco Uniforms. The Foundation serves to advance the nursing profession and honor those women and men who devote their lives to serving others through nursing. The Foundation is the Donner family’s way of paying tribute and saluting the many generations of nurses for their tremendous contribution in making the world a better place. Its objective is to support the vitality and courageous heart of nursing, while also dedicating itself to honoring the spirit of those women and men who choose nursing by focusing its philanthropic efforts on helping to mend the lives of children and their families.  For more information, please contact Barco’s Nightingales Foundation headquarters at 310.719.2108, follow us on Facebook or email info@barcosnightingales.org.