Trips
September 2011
Libros para los Niños: Literacy Campaign (9/15/11-9/21/11)
Chichigalpa, Nicaragua
Team Members
Iris Delgado
Sofia Jimenez
Alex Jin
Elizibeth Chao
Virginia Elizibeth Bartz
Yvana Robles
Cynthia Beltran
Isai Rosa
Mina Nilchian
Danielle Lew
Arily Hao
This team organized free workshops that were meant to teach local children English through music, reading, and science projects. The main goal of the trip was to inspire children in rural communities to enjoy learning and remain in school. The trip was a great success, as each day new children joined the workshops. Project Nicaragua donated bilingual education books to the children that participated in this project.
December 2010
El Lenin Antonio Fonseca Hospital and La Mascota Hospital (12/13/10- 12/21/10)
Managua, Nicaragua
Team Members
- Daniela Somarriba
- Chulhyun ‘Charlie’ Park
- Daniel Hernandez
- Vanessa Estrada
- Tiffany Chamberlin
- Joseph Armenta
- Eric Pineda
- Melanie Ullrich
Over the course of nine days our team of Undergraduates spent their days traveling to and from El Antonio Lenin Fonseca Hospital and La Mascota Hospital to collect data on a newly established research project that seeks to (1) study the quality of life and family impact of children born with spina bifida and their families and (2) shadow Neurosurgeons. At night, team members spent their nights shadowing Neurosurgeons in the Intermediate Care Unit and Emergency Room.
Project Nicaragua donated more than forty medical items and attained an updated list of much needed medical supplies.
December 2009
El Antonio Lenin Fonseca Hospital( 12/14/09–12/21/09)
Managua, Nicaragua
Team Members
- Daniela Somarriba
- Alejandra Iniguez
- Michael Blonski
- Timothy Hansen
- Marlyn Moradian
- Shandy Pinkowski
Team members donated basic medical supplies to the Neurosurgery Department in El Antonio Lenin Fonseca Hospital, shadowed Neurosurgeons in the Operating Room, and visited Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II to donate vitamins and diapers to needy orphans.
Spring 2008
International Neurosurgical Children’s Association (4/6/08 – 4/9/08)
Managua, Nicaragua
Team Members
- Rahul Jandial, M.D.
- Michael Levy, M.D/Ph.D.
- Allen Ho
- Chris Allen
- Martin Gonzales
The inaugural trip of our Project Nicaragua – INCA collaboration proved to be a fruitful endeavor that helped build a coalition between UCSD and Nicaraguan neurosurgeons, setting a foundation for many future trips. UCSD neurosurgeons Dr. Rahul Jandial, and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego and Project Nicaragua members were received by the National Neurosurgery Service of Nicaragua and hospital administrators at El Hospital Antonio Lenin Fonseca. In the four day visit, the surgeons saw and consulted over 30 patients and participated in operations together. They also were able to examine and appraise the equipment and capabilities of the only public academic neurosurgery department in the nation, Lenin Fonseca, agree on equipment donation goals, and a plan of action that involved many more trips over the next few years. INCA and Project Nicaragua pledged to bring neuroendoscopy to Nicaragua, and help Dr. Carolina Canterero, the new Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at El Hospital Mascota de Niños, set up the first exclusive Pediatric Neurosurgery department in the country.