LEAP Mexico ‘26
My favorite thing in the world is to travel with nonprofits as a photographer, so I was grateful to be asked to join LEAP Global Missions on my second trip to Mexico in June. I’d been to Zihuatanejo with them in back in 2019 before The Great and Useless Evil put the kibosh on my nonprofit trips for a time. Prior to that, I’d traveled with them to Haiti and Belize. In a nutshell, LEAP provides free surgeries for kids in various places, and this Mexico trip would focus on ear reconstructions (which is wild to see in person – I’ll spare you the grislier photos).
Backseat homies
Some lovely folks from the local Rotary Club picked us up at the airport and drove us straight to the clinic where a room full of kids and their parents were already waiting. Zihuatanejo is a beautiful place, but golly was it hot and humid there. One of the locals said she didn’t remember it ever being that hot.
But lest I felt tempted to complain, I later overheard that some of the patients’ families had traveled upwards of 15 hours to be there, which was humbling to say the least. It goes to show that LEAP is meeting a serious need for people with few if any other options. This only further motivated me to take even my very humble role as seriously as possible.
I had a good conversation with Dr. Alejandra Garcia de Mitchell, who would be leading the trip, while we waited to get through customs in Mexico. I told her I always felt like the least important person on these trips — and was perfectly fine with that — but she reiterated the importance of donors and potential donors needing to be able to see where their money goes. Well…keep scrolling.
The first afternoon was reserved for triage where the patients were evaluated in person and scheduled for surgery. Six surgeons in three operating rooms would treat 12 children over the next two days. Supporting them were multiple anesthesiologists, nurses, and other medical folks whose job titles I don’t remember or never really understood. It’s kinda fun to be the only non-medical person in the group; I was pretty clueless (and therefore interested) about every little thing going on around me.
Speaking of the team, I may as well gush about how great they all were now. Like I found out on my first trip with LEAP, it turns out that people who use their vacation days to do their jobs for free to help kids are probably pretty great people. Plus, being medical professionals means they’re also smart and (relatively) mature (Deryk). Add to THAT a shared, external mission and you’ve got a perfect recipe for fast friends. Soon after getting home, our WhatsApp group was filled with “love you guys” and “miss you already” posts. I never went to a traditional summer camp, but I imagine it’s similar. It’s a high for sure.
View from the hotel
We stayed at Hotel Irma in Zihuatanejo, which had a pretty spectacular view of the water and surrounding town and a nice little patio bar/restaurant where we spent a fair amount of time. The A/C was off in our rooms when we got there, so several of us sweated by the pool while we waited for the rooms to cool? down? It got there eventually. I only brought one bandana as a sweat rag, and that poor little guy was begging for mercy by the end of the trip. It still may not be dry yet...
Anyway, the next day was the first of two days of surgeries. It’s been a few years, so I was once again relieved to find that I’m not squeamish in the operating room. As on previous trips, I had to keep reminding myself that these kids are anesthetized; they’re not feeling what I’m seeing. It also helps that everyone else in the room is casual about the blood, knives, and needles. Just another day in the office for them.
And just in case that makes them sound a little callous (they’re not), I’ll add that I was very impressed with everyone’s bedside manner on this trip. I’ve been on other trips where I felt this was lacking (the language barrier never helps) and came prepared to try to pitch in. I’ve never had surgery, but I have to imagine these kids are terrified, but it was lovely to see our team, many of whom speak Spanish, smiling and laughing with them right until they went under, and just being gentle the whole way through. It really was a great crew.
A few local nursing students got to come and observe as well
Some local folks (maybe also the Rotarians?) were very kind about bringing in breakfast and lunch for us at the clinic, but it was catch as catch can between surgeries. It was also a bit schizophrenic as far as temperatures went. The foyer and waiting area were open to the outside and therefore very hot and humid, whereas the operating and recovery rooms had the A/C cranked all the way down. By virtue of my cap, Amazon scrubs, mask, and shoe covers (not pictured), I was able to duck into the OR to cool off, though I always had to be on my toes. It felt like my main job was to anticipate the medical staff and try to stay out of the way. Scared straight by various (playful) threats from a veteran nurse, I thankfully managed not to accidentally touch any of the sterile equipment.
This little girl was so sweet – even on the verge of tears she always smiled for the camera.
On Friday morning, I tagged along with a small group to a lecture LEAP put on for some local nursing students. This was the first time I’d seen them do something like that, and it was both well attended and well received. Again, if families are having to drive 15 hours for their kids to get surgeries, I’m very in favor of anything that encourages the next generation of Mexican doctors and nurses.
So sorry, corner people, I couldn’t back up any farther…
Backseat homies
On our last night, we walked down the beach from the hotel to have dinner at a nice restaurant with the Rotary Club. I had misread an email or something and was by far the worst dressed, so that’s cool, but at least I’m not in any of the photos. As we were ocean-adjacent, I ordered the whole fried snapper, which was very good, but a gifted coconut shrimp from my neighbor’s plate gave me serious dish envy. Oh well. Next time.
Hu-goooo!
We (and by “we” I mean everyone but me) had already packed up all the trunks of medical equipment on Friday, so Saturday morning was a fairly lazy breakfast at the hotel before heading to the airport. We had a little time, so a group of us walked down the beach to the tourist market in town. I almost didn’t go because it was so humid, but sweat is temporary and memories are forever or whatever, so I went. I didn’t buy anything, but I’m very glad I had time to shower when we got back ‘cause my shirt was soaked through. (Cue Michael Scott singing “feeling hot, hot, hot” with his steel drum.)
Some in our group were able to get all of us into the airport lounge as guests, and it was lovely to relax and share some free drinks and snacks together before a fairly quick flight back to DFW. I think the pilot was booking it because the flight was faster than it should’ve been, and it started pouring just after we landed.
It’s my blog and I can repeat myself if I want to: these trips are my favorite thing, and the people on this trip were the best. The two LEAP staff, Dawna and Gabby, did an amazing job coordinating everything, wrangling flight reservations, and were just wonderful humans in general. If our team was a duck swimming gracefully on the surface, they were the two feet paddling like hell underwater. (How’s that for a metaphor, D&G?)
I know real life can’t be like these trips, but I wish it could. Even the doctors and nurses talked about the headaches and some less-than-stellar people in their everyday jobs. But it says a lot when you get home and wish you could turn right around and go back. I can’t wait for the next one.
(Also, I need to learn Spanish.)
Pax.
/S