Sponsors:  Sgarlatto Laboratory -  CA

                 Childrens Corrective Surgery Society, A Division of COAD International Field Programs

                 Rotary Club of Agoura-Oak Park   - CA

                 Rotary Club of Del Amo  -   CA

                 Rotary Club of Redondo Beach  -  CA

                 Rotary Club of Westlake Village, Sunrise - CA

                 Botsford Hospital - Levonia, Michigan

Since 1976 the Baja Project for Crippled Children has been providing medical and surgical care to infants and children in Baja, Mexico.

At their clinic in the Red Cross Hospital at Mexicali, Mexico, the doctors tend to the treatment of such disorders as clubfoot, flatfoot, deformities related to cerebral palsy, paralytic disorders, trauma, and various other congenital and acquired neuromuscular disorders of the lower extremities.
Over 27,000 children have been treated, and more than 1,800 surgeries have been performed by the Project. A specific focus of the program has been to develop and refine surgical approaches to the perplexing and complex deformity known as clubfoot.

A baby with clubfoot has the foot twisted and turned inward such that when they begin to walk the bottom of the foot will face upwards and the top of the foot will be on the ground. The toes frequently point backwards. If left untreated deformities will persist into adult life. This is not only a serious medical problem, but also provides a serious social stigma.

On a weekly basis Project doctors treat patients with clubfeet and other conditions.

Conservative care , such as weekly casting of the foot and leg is tried first.
If conservative care fails, surgery is provided.  Utilizing the popular Ponseti Protocol, surgery has been minimized when children begin treatment shortly after birth.


Normal Foot

ClubFoot

 

Surgery is performed monthly at the Mexicali Red Cross Hospital. All equipment and supplies are brought to Mexico by the Project. It is estimated that the Project spends $500 in supplies and equipment for a surgery that would cost over $20,000 in the United States.

In 1998 the Baja Project was asked to expand its operations. Each year we travel with our equipment and supplies to San Miguel, El Salvador for one week and evaluate and surgically treat patients.

Funded entirely by private and corporate donations, the Baja Project has no paid staff. The Volunteer staff provides all services, medical and administrative. Thus 100% of all donations are directed to the acquisition of medical and surgical supplies and equipment that serve the needs of the young patients.

In March 2003 we went to Tegucigalpa, Honduras at the request of the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa.  Supported by donations from the Rotary Club of Agoura Hills - Oak Park, California, the Project surgically treated 22 children with 29 clubfeet.

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