Erin San Angelo—CICU RN

Erin is no stranger to new people and places.  She grew up in a career navy family, and moved 16 times by the time she graduated high school.  Her early years were spent in Japan, Guam and the Philippines, and moved to the United States for the first time at age 14.

Erin has been a nurse for 9 years.  The first 7 were spent at Providence Everett, and the past two at Providence

Sacred Heart in Spokane.  She originally began studying to be a veterinarian, but she would have too difficult a time with putting an animal down.  Erin’s aunt is a nurse, and helped her find her way to nursing school and a career she loves.

Always involved in volunteering, Erin has participated in 4 other medical missions in South America.  These involved hiking into remote villages to teach preventative health care.  Interacting with different cultures comes easily to Erin, and she was excited to join this HHNW mission to Rwanda.  She has been most surprised at the concentration of population, even in the remote areas, for such a small African  country.

Spontaneity is the word that most describes Erin.  She loves to experience life with little planning.  For fun Erin has a passion for snowboarding, golf, fishing and scuba diving, which she has done since a small child with her Navy seal dad.  Her dream is to live in New Zealand, snowboard, and have sheep!!  

Mollie, RN, FA

Mollie comes to HHNW with 38 years experience in the OR and the past 25 years at St Luke's
Hospital in Boise, Idaho. Originally from Indianapolis, she and her husband moved to Boise for the
outdoor activities. She enjoys hiking, biking and downhill skiing.
Mollie works as an RN FA (first assistant) having many of the responsibilities as  Bethany. A first assistant also has some of the responsibilities as a surgical assistant like Jason (see 2013 blog post) . Washington state does not have the designation FA. She likes heart surgery because it is "clean".
Mollie has traveled to Europe but this is her first trip to Africa. She has been most surprised by the age of the medical equipment used at King Faisal and that there are no railings on patient beds!

Bethany, Our OR Lead

Bethany is our lead in the OR.  This means that she organized and oversaw packing for all the OR supplies that we shipped or carried to Rwanda. This is her second trip to Kigali with HHNW but her first as lead.  It has been a challenge but she has learned and grown from her experience.

Bethany is an RN in charge is in charge of prepping the patient for surgery, making sure all paperwork is complete, consents signed, doctors' orders are verified,works with the anesthesiologist, tracks vital signs, sets up the OR tools and then during surgery, she acts as a circulator who is available to fetch anything needed outside of the surgical field as well as counting and tracking sponges, needles and instruments used.

Bethany was born in Spokane and then moved to Fairbanks, Alaska until she was 18 and returned to finish nursing training at Gonzaga  She has worked at Providence Sacred Heart for 2 years.  She has always wanted to do open heart OR.

When she was 18 she visited Uganda and knew she wanted to return to Africa to do some healthcare work.  To keep "her eye on the prize", she had the map of Africa tattooed onto her foot.  This helped to keep her motivation.  It must have helped because she has been here twice with us and loves the work and Rwanda!

Rwandan Surnames

Rwandans more often than not do not use a family name as a surname (last name).  Instead, they give a surname that has a personality characteristic that the family would like to impart to the child or about event that may have happened around the birth or hopeful wishes.  Often they reflect God For example:
Evariste Munyensanga: surname means "shepard" which is what he is doing by sheparding prospective and past cardiac surgery patients through the process (see blog on Evariste)
Diane Uwase: means "daddy's little girl",  patient
Blaise Bugingo: "good, strong life", patient
Grace Uwibajije: "follow God's plan", patient
Clomany Mugisha: "blessing", patient
Anatasne Ntakirutimana:  "God is great", patient
Emmanuel Nkurnga: our artist friend here is Kigali.  His surname means "warrior" and he is that fighting for the arts in Rwanda.
Innocent Nkurunziza: is Emanuel's brother, our friend and a prolific artist.  His name means "good news"which he spreads about art in Rwanda around the world.
Alex Mucyo: is our nurse who follows our patients here, his name means "light".  He is shining his light and guiding our patients through recovery.