Craig - Today was spent in the burn center, both playing with the kids and in the OR. My day started with helping wake up the children and get them their breakfasts. It always brightens up my day to see how happy and active they are every morning despite all they're going through. Afterwards I got to sit and play with them as well as watch a disney movie. Its great to see the kids like Bianca and Carlos laughing and talking when just a week or so ago I watched them be admitted to the burn clinic. We also found out this morning that little Juan was sent home yesterday afternoon. It's such great news that he was healed enough to leave but we will definitely miss his constant smile and joyful outlook on life that he always had.

At around 10:30 I was able to scrub in and assist on a surgery. The goal was to reconstruct the ear of an older girl who had been severely burned on her face some while back. Her left ear had been severely injured and it was fascinating to watch and help Dr. Romero as he skillfully cut and shaped a new ear from her damaged old one. I was allowed to hold the ear in position as Dr. Romero worked and was also in charge of blotting away any excess blood. A few hours later her ear looked a lot better but there will be at least one or two more plastic surgeries in her future. Dr. Romero and all the staff were extremely accomodating as usual and I am grateful for the experience they allowed me to have today.

Pete-Today I arrived at the PICU and helped one of the interns check her patients before rounds. Rounds today was not as lengthy as it usually was because one of the interns was giving a presentation on Myocarditis and another resident was taking his exams. After the brief presentation, we proceeded back to the PICU and I sat and read through the Harriet Lane Guide to Pediatrics for awhile. While reading I was tapped on the shoulder by Victor who asked "Esta listo? (are you ready?)" I thought that he forgot about drawing blood today, but apparently he had not. I put on my gloves, a gown and retrieved the needles and vials we would need for the draw. I tied the young girl's arm with an elastic band to find a suitable vein. Victor showed the best area to draw blood on this young girl's already pockmarked arm. I was sweating a great deal, but was not shaking, which surprised me. I put the needle into her arm, and through her screaming, I drew a few mililiters of blood. I sat with her afterwards and holding a cotton ball on her arm, trying to console her, despite the fact she probably associates me with needles. Overall, it was a great day in the PICU, one that turned from boredom into a first experience.

THE CORY JANNEY - Today I stayed in the burn clinic again, but I did not get to go into surgery. Instead, I wanted to interact with the kids some more. I went in and checked on some of the kids. Angela, the little girl that had gotten a patial thickness graft the previous Friday when I was in surgery, was having her surgical sites cleaned today. The nurse removed bandages and cleaned up the area, but poor Angela was not too excited. I stayed with her and tried to distract her so that she did not focus so much on what was going on. After that, little Daniela grabbed my attention so I played with her for a few. She's doing well following her surgeries on Friday. Some of the kids from the Alberge came in shortly thereafter and Mark and I played with them. The kids are fantastic. I'm going to miss them when we leave.

Marky Mark - This morning I headed back to labor and delivery. The OR board said that there was going to be an abdominal hystorectomy and I was very interested to watch. When I got to the OR, however, there was nothing going on, but I did get to see another natural birth take place. After that was over, there were no other patients around so I decided to head back to the burn center to spend some more time with the kids. Cory and I hung out with the patients staying in the burn center as well as the kids from the Albergue for about two hours and had a blast doing it. Many of the children that were laying in their beds crying during the first week we were here were out of bed, playing and laughing. It is great to see first hand the progress that some of the children are making.