Locals Take on Global Causes

May 08, 2009

Patients awaiting medical services in April line the street in Guatemala around Denise Cucurny.

They launched Women for World Health in August 2007 and their team last week returned from their most recent mission to San Marcos, Guatemala, where they provided medical care to 866 patients in under five days.

Women for World Health is a multi-specialty team of physicians and nurses with numerous medical specialties.

In the three missions since the group's inception, they have performed 164 surgeries and

treated a total of 4,119 patients in developing nations at no cost to the patients.

As an anthropology professor, Cucurny, of Huntington Beach, has lived and taught all over the world. She has been

coordinating medical missions and anthropological field schools since 1994. "This is my 'dharma' as they say in Ayurvedic wisdom, my purpose in life that helps others. I am happy and content to be of service," she said.

As a Navy general surgeon, Dr. Wandel became involved with medical missions in 1989. She has since been

on more than 25 missions with multiple organizations and not only performs the surgeries, but also

teaches local surgeons how to do these complex repairs themselves.

"Why do I do it? For the gratitude and love I see in the faces of the patients. For many of them this is the only medical care they have ever received. To give someone hope is the best gift I can give," added Cucurny, who is grateful for the college's support that allows her to pursue volunteer work around her class schedule.

Plans are underway for upcoming missions that include Laos, Argentina and Calcutta. The Guatemala mission was sponsored by the Kling Family Foundation and Cla-Val, Inc., founded in 1936 by Donald Griswold and grandfather of Laguna College student, Vicki Gumm. Last year, Gumm was a student in Cucurny's class.

Locally, Women for World Health has realized the growing need at home and partnered

with Giving Children Hope in Buena Park. They are collaborating with Giving Children Hope

(www.gchope.org) to provide health care to working Americans without medical insurance using a

mobile medical clinic donated to St. Jude's Hospital.

"It's time we pull together and help each other. I think most people really want to help others but don't know how. Women for World Health provides a personal avenue with faces and names that allow people to help others. We want to save the world one patient at a time," Cucurny said.

To donate or for more information, please visit: www.womenforworldhealth.org