Barbara is a loyal and treasured volunteer in our office who unselfishly visits the clinic several mornings a week to make sure things are running smoothly and the staff is happy. She is basically a stand-in for me since I am a continent away most of the year. Barbara was a dear friend and neighbor when we lived in Bolivia and and even though she is not medically oriented, she is a teacher by trade, she was beside me through my own burn experience which gave her a heart for the burn victims. Years ago when I solicited her help she graciously jumped on board and has been a tremendous blessing to our program and a integral reason for our success with the patients of Viedma.
Juana is the beloved friend to our patients and their families for the loving way she welcomes and cares for everyone. When my own family returned to Bolivia five months after my burn accident, Juana helped me as I recovered over the next few years, adjusting my garments on the sewing machine as they stretched out and did not fit, and basically being like a sister to me. She is an expert at fitting our custom made garments and works so well with our seamstress Maria to make sure that every child has a garment specifically made for him/her and every parent or guardian knows exactly what is being done, when to return, and what to expect. She speaks Spanish and Aymara fluently and enough Quechua to keep the conversation going!! Juana also takes care of our guest house and is a surrogate mother to our many visitors. BCI is very blessed to have Juana!
Maria is our expert seamstress and without exaggeration, I can say that she is probably one of the best designers and constructors of custom made pressure garments in the world. She has perfected the art and sews every garment with the accuracy and fit matching or improving upon the quality of any western pressure garment facility. Most of the garments that she makes today have been born of hours and days and weeks and years of trial and error and redo to learn how to make the best possible garment for every wound. Every burn is different and all patients come in a variety of shapes and sizes and ages. Our patients are from 10 weeks to 80 years old and from start to finish, she can measure the patient, design the pattern and sew the garment with precision and skill that continues to amaze me. Maria is a blessing to BCI!