Under the bright December sun, SANA's team travelled the now familiar road to Btourmaz, alongside pine tree families of all ages and sizes, and carried out one of its most successful medical missions yet...

As usual, the team started with an educational session to an eager audience and then went on to provide medical care to pregnant ladies spanning the entire 9 months, with various needs and concerns. Of the patients seen, 21% were planning a home birth, and 36% had had no prenatal care except for that provided by SANA's team. The team followed up with patients who had been seen in the past 2 trips to Btourmaz, and who had had complications and workups initiated. In addition, the team identified a patient with a large-for-gestation baby who was planning a home birth and cautioned her as to the potential risks. Another patient had too little fluid around her baby and plans were made for intensified monitoring and timing of delivery.

Perhaps the absolute highlight of the visit was seeing the great advances that Charge Nurse Ghinwa had made. Today she was comfortably dating all the women using her new pregnancy wheel that was provided to her by SANA, and determining fetal presentation while carrying out her first obstetrical scans ever, under the direction of Reem S. Abu-Rustum, MD! Her face was lit up with the brightest smile throughout the day as she confidently applied the knowledge that she has been gaining through SANA's visits and the didactic sessions she has been receiving, and she confidently scanned Btourmaz's mothers, who were so very proud of her...

As such, SANA's team felt extreme gratification in their ability to fulfill one of SANA's most critical goals: that of training and enhancing the skills of the local caregivers... Future dates were set for the next mission, and all journeyed back home feeling as bright as that intense December sun...