Walsh has made many visits to developing countries since 2002, when she joined a Rotaplast team, a Rotary International-sponsored group of medical professionals who perform cleft-lip and cleft-palate surgery on children. In 2004, her group became an independent team, Faces of Hope. Walsh serves as their photojournalist.
From July 18 to Aug. 2, Faces of Hope was at Las Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro hospital in Antigua. It is home to 400-plus developmentally disabled, permanent residents, but rents operating rooms for the surgeries.
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Local Piecemakers-by-the-Sea quilters donated about 25 quilts to comfort the children after their surgeries. The local AYSO group donated about 30 new soccer uniforms.
At the last minute, the group put out a call for vitamins, and eager Coastsiders dropped off bags of vitamins on Walsh’s doorstep.
“That’s what’s so wonderful about our community,” Walsh said.
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