The heart of the jungle

I want to applaud the fabulous, caring members of the Plasticos team

for their selfless mission to help the helpless in Ecuador. These

volunteers who have witnessed the miracle of giving know only too

well what is important in this life. There is no greater gift you can

give yourself than the gift of serving another.

It is much too easy for all of us with all of our blessings and

good fortune to be complacent and perhaps write a check or attend a

charity event to help others, but, when we leave our comfort zones

and actually sacrifice our so called “valuable” time for the good of

others, there is just no greater joy or reward we can experience.

I discovered this when I went to Fiji to distribute wheelchairs.

The volunteers on the islands who help with their time and efforts

live by a motto that I now too live by: “Hands that serve are holier

than lips that pray.”

These servers are my heroes.

“Life begins when you begin to serve.”

SUSAN SHAW

Newport Coast

Hats off to whoever decided to run the series of articles on the

doctors working in the jungle.

Besides being a excellent piece of journalism, the series inspires

all of us to look for ways to make this world a better place. Only a

few individuals have the gift of being able to perform plastic

surgery or help burn victims; however, all of us can do something to

help.

A kind word to a person in distress can improve their day.

Directions to a person from out of town may influence their feelings

about our community. Listening to and encouraging a child’s dream may

create a poet or scientist. Even reaching down and picking up a piece

of trash makes a difference.

Thank you, Daily Pilot, for your efforts at making Costa Mesa and

Newport Beach better for all of us.

MIKE BUETTELL

Balboa Island

The Daily Pilot special series “Hands that Heal” is at once

awe-inspiring, heart-wrenching, heart-warming and compelling. Readers

who missed the special report, replete with photos, should obtain

back copies beginning Sunday, Sept. 14, and concluding Friday, Sept.

19, and avail themselves of this remarkable story.

It is particularly gratifying and humbling to be a part of the

country and this great community that produced the incredible medical

team calling itself Plasticos, whose mission is to travel to parts of

the world to provide access to life-changing surgeries for those who

otherwise would have no hope of ever achieving such care.

Thank you Plasticos and Daily Pilot for granting the rest of the

community a glimpse into your grace filled mission; and a chance to

share in both the successes and limitations you experienced under

conditions few of us in this community can even imagine. It is a

great testimony to the dignity and nobility of the human person.

ILA JOHNSON

Costa Mesa

The Daily Pilot is to be commended for sending Deepa Bharath and

Don Leach with the team from Hoag Hospital as they journeyed to the

Ecuadorean jungle to perform magic and change people’s lives. Deepa’s

wonderful descriptions and Don’s fantastic photos have made this

series one that will not soon be forgotten.

Deepa’s description of the man who walked for three days, then

waited five hours before taking a bus trip of seven hours to the

hospital, only to be told after a one-minute examination that the

doctors would not be able to help him was heart-wrenching. That

story, and many others told so well, certainly puts our lives into

perspective. I’m sure they will come to mind the next time I get

irritated at having to stand in line at Wendy’s for two minutes for

my senior Frosty or whine about a splinter in my hand.

Don’s magnificent photos captured so many poignant moments, it’s

hard to single one out. Perhaps his photo of the two young girls in

the hospital waiting for surgery in Friday’s edition will leave the

deepest impression on me -- it was riveting.

Thanks to Deepa and Don for a job well done as they shared their

trip of a lifetime, and of course, thanks to that remarkable team

from Hoag for the wonderful work they do.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa