Dr. Clinton D. Humphrey is currently volunteering on a medical mission trip in Antigua, Guatemala. Organized by the Medical Missions Foundation (MMF), this trip is one of several international missions dedicated to providing clinical and surgical care to patients in impoverished countries who would otherwise not be able to receive the medical attention they need.
According to MMF’s blog, “Day 5” of the trip was a particularly eventful and gratifying day for our own Dr. Humphrey. That day, an 18 year-old boy entered the Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro – the hospital and church at which Dr. Humphrey is operating – seeking help. It was apparent from the warped rib graft sticking through his nose that the young man had previously undergone an unsuccessful rhinoplasty surgery. After learning how embarrassed the boy was about his appearance, Dr. Humphrey was called upon to perform a revision rhinoplasty procedure in order to reconstruct his nose. Using cartilage from the young man’s ear, Dr. Humphrey was able to reconfigure the previous rib graft and successfully complete the surgery without any complications.
When the boy eventually awoke in postoperative care, a relentless stream of joyful tears limited him to three emotional words: “I’m so happy.” Upon witnessing the impact the surgery had already made on the young man’s life, Dr. Humphrey and his fellow team members became overjoyed in the heartfelt moment.
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